Moreton Bay mugs fall for muddled GPS directions
AUSTRALIA: Three Japanese tourists came unstuck on their planned Australian holiday yesterday when they abandoned their hire car in Moreton Bay after they tried to ‘‘drive’’ to North Stradbroke Island.
The low tide and a GPS navigation system lured them into the bay at Oyster Point, about 25 kilometres east of Brisbane.
A firm gravel surface quickly gave way to the renowned bay mangrove mud and the Hyundai Getz was soon up to its axles, but not before they managed to travel about 500 metres.
Their planned adventure ended at 11am. The incoming tide soon forced them to seek help and abandon the vehicle.
By 3pm the car was stranded in two metres of water and the subject of much amusement from onlookers.
The Tokyo students had wanted to take a day trip to Stradbroke Island and believed their GPS unit would be able to guide them there. The GPS forgot to mention the 15km of water and mud between the mainland and the island.
Yuzu Noda, 21, said she was listening to the GPS and ‘‘it told us we could drive down there’’.
‘‘It kept saying it would navigate us to a road. We got stuck ... there’s lots of mud.’’
Yuzu and and her travel friends, Tomonari Saeki, 22, and Keita Osada, 21, were all looking forward to a day trip to the island, but headed back to the Gold Coast courtesy of a lift from a tow-truck driver, who was called to the stranded car.
After assessing the situation, no attempt was made to recover the vehicle.
The three students home to Tokyo today.
The car was covered by insurance, but will cost the tourists about A$1500 (NZ$1922) in excess charges.
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