Front page story on Karijini NP

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Front page story on Karijini NP

Vic · Guru

Many, many years ago when I was tenting and the Wittenoom asbestos mining township was still open, I stayed at a caravan park in town and took a paid 4WD drive tour of Gorges. We went over some pretty rough stuff and one of the places we went to was Oxer's lookout.

The tour guide took us wading through some water first to get to a flowing creek bed until we got to a cliff face. Then we had to edge along this cliff face which had about a 3 inch ledge, holding onto cracks in the rock face for hand holds as we inched along, no safety rails, ropes etc or other safety devices. There was a sheer drop of about 30 feet onto rocks below the ledge and the ledge would have been about 30 feet long to get to the lookout.

The view was amazing at the lookout where the water went over a waterfall, but when I think of the risks we took to get to it I shudder. I don't know what the current situation is with this lookout or if the access has been improved, but I am sure that tour operators would not get away with it today without safety rock climbing equipment if they were doing the same route we did.

rredbeak · Senior Member

may i add my bit?

ppl see bush tucker man AND Man vs Wild and think the climbing is easy...

Happywanderer · The Master

There is no way the outback can be tied up in protective gear to safeguard us humans. It would be impossible. What happened in that accident was just that, an accident. I understand the father died trying to save his son.
It is sad and I hope the boy recovers.
The only way we can be protected from this sort of thing happening is to ban trips to the outback, and thats not gunna happen. Just be careful and heed the warning signs.

milo · Guru

but its like the signs that they have all over the kiama blow hole, signs saying not to go past the fence they have, i was there the other day
and there are people all over the site, and some people have fallen into the blowhole there many years ago,
its like the summernats in canberra, i used to go to that every year for many years, but after a few wankers and d...hs bad behaviour thats changed it and messed it
up for every one.. maybe if they put up a few signs in every language so any one can read them...
i dunno..

jimricho · Guru

I vaguely recall many years ago someone fell down the Kiama Blowhole and the family tried to sue the council for not having sufficient signage warning them it was dangerous....can't recall the outcome. Maybe the signs you're talking about are the result of that case.

jimricho · Guru

re Karijini: I seem to recall that the boy fell first and his father was trying to rescue him

JRH · Guru

jimricho wrote:
re Karijini: I seem to recall that the boy fell first and his father was trying to rescue him

That is how I recall the incident also, regardless of how many signs are placed around the area, those areas are dangerous and all care must be taken by those visiting the area, and that means parents keeping a very watchful eye on their children.

I do sympathise with the family over their loss and the fact that the lad is in a serious condition in hospital.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

jimricho wrote:
re Karijini: I seem to recall that the boy fell first and his father was trying to rescue him

Oh thats terrible! I hadnt heard about this event till I read Cindys news. Their family have my sympathy.

Cruising Granny · Guru

The Carnarvon Blow Holes have taken their victims as well. The last were Japanese I believe, young backpackers who thought they could defy nature.
The swell surge which produces the water spout is very powerful on the way in, and the way out. Only an idiot would take it on, but 2 did, and were never seen again.
Signs and fences will not stop the fools, idiots and morons.
This incident was tragic as I read it. Once again all duty of care of everyone present has to be followed, even the parents of children.

Wombat 280 · Guru

You can only make things fool proof, idiot proof is just unobtainable not matter how much we try

jimricho · Guru

Last year at one of the lookouts near the 12 Apostles I saw two young backpacker girls climb over a safety fence and "skylark" on the edge of the cliff while their friends took photos of them, fortunately there was no tragic outcome from their arrant stupidity.

That said, I guess the Karijini incident will be subject to a coronial enquiry (if it hasn't already been) so we'll have to await the outcome, but I can't help but feel this one may be more a case of a tragic accident rather than stupidity.

03_troopy · Guru

We were at King's Canyon in June and some of the things we saw made it almost too nerve racking to enjoy. Firstly once we had gotten around to the far side we looked back and watched as people stood within a few feet of the edge of a few hundred foot drop taking photos. Not so bad until you realised that they were standing on a rock outcrop (made of crumbly sandstone) only a couple of feet thick that protruded well out over the cliff face. the second thing was a couple of moment later when a young family of mum, dad a 7ish yr old daughter and a 9ish yr old son arrived. Dad was busy taking photos a few meters from the edge, mum was removing a stone from the girls shoe when the son came running past flat out and stopped about a meter from the edge to hurl a large stone over. i shudder to think what may have happened had he tripped just before he threw the stone, or had there been someone below where the stone landed. His parents just said "don't do that Johnny" or whatever his name was.

Edit to add a pic.

-- Edited by 03_troopy on Thursday 24th of November 2011 09:18:50 AM

-- Edited by 03_troopy on Thursday 24th of November 2011 04:16:55 PM

Nicholstones · Guru

We saw several people at Kings Canyopn sitting on the edge dangling their legs over the drop. No thanks!

blaze · Guru

I have taken a few risks in the past taking photo's but they have all been well harnessed and the risk calculated. It wont be long there will be rules on how often you go to the dunny. As harsh as its sounds maybe we need to just let naturetake it course, natural selection.
cheers
blaze

03_troopy · Guru

Nicholstones wrote:
We saw several people at Kings Canyopn sitting on the edge dangling their legs over the drop. No thanks!

Especially when you stand on a small piece of the stone the cliffs are made of and see how easily it crushes to a fine powder.

JRH · Guru

Nicholstones wrote:
We saw several people at Kings Canyopn sitting on the edge dangling their legs over the drop. No thanks!

One cannot do much about sheer stupidity. They have the idea they are bulletproof and never going to die. try to tell them otherwise and you end up with a mouthful of abuse.

Happywanderer · The Master

After seeing that photo above 03 Troopy, you won't get me anywhere near the edge.
I won't even go out onto those narrow balconies they have off the side of high rise apartments, they scare the heck out of me.

glassies · Guru

we too our have beautiful glass house mountains many people climb them there are signs do not climb
if you are not fit, stick to the pathways, i have not mysef climbed them ever yet but i can tell you
the local community are sick andtired of seeing the chopper resuce goin to get people that decide
oh no i can do this ill just take this other track.

they are then stuck in a place and cant get back, last rescue from what i heard was too dangerous for the
chopper to go in at the time so the person was left on that ledge all night till early dawn.

serves them right, read the signs and even then still take your own inniative as to weather etc, and health
issues .

honestly people just behave so dumb at times dont they its crap that we the family have to suffer when we hear
bad news because of stupidity, weve just lost a championship pushbike rider 23 years old on the gold coast
schoolies (toolies ) as i call it, jumped into the pool from his balcony , wasnt so much a high rise but still high enough
for wrong judgement .

died a few days later obviously had him on a life support i would say .

dear me wish they would use there brains in the right way.