Key PointsTwo German tourists survived for a week in a remote area of Queensland’s Oyala Thumotang National Park.They got lost after Google Maps instructed them to turn down a dirt road, where their truck got bogged down.The pair spent their time battling the elements and walking back to the nearest town.
Two German tourists are lucky to be alive after a misdirection from Google Maps sent them to a remote Queensland national park.
Philipp Maier and Marcel Schoene were driving from Cairns to Bamaga in northern Queensland at the start of February.
Google Maps directed the pair to follow an old dirt track through Oyala Thumotang National Park, which at the time did not worry them.
“We thought just do it because maybe the main road is closed because of a high river,” Maier said.
But after nearly 60km of driving along the dirt track, the pair encountered a problem when their four-wheel-drive got bogged in the mud.
“Where we got stuck, it looks really dry. The surface was dry but under the surface it was really wet and muddy. Almost impossible to get out of there,” Maier said.
With no phone or internet reception available the pair had to figure out what to do, so they started walking.
At first, the men walked towards Archer River as it seemed closer to reach help.
They tried to cross the river using a fallen tree but soon realised it was too swollen from the recent cyclones and heavy rainfall.
Schoene said they slept there beneath trees under a shelter, which provided little protection from the elements.
So the pair circled back with their 12kg packs to walk to nearby Coen.
They walked from sunrise until midday when the searing heat was at its peak.
The men would start walking again from 4pm until midnight.
“It’s very hard to get out of there,” Schoene said.
A supplied image of tourists bogged in Oyala Thumotang National Park, in Queensland. Source: AAP / Supplied
A week after getting stuck in the mud, they arrived in Coen and told authorities what had happened.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger Roger James said it was lucky the pair were alive and well.
“Rangers assisted the local mechanic in retrieving the tourist’s car, which is much better than assisting emergency services in the search for bodies,” he said.
James said this is not the first incident of Google Maps leading people off-route into national parks.
“People should not trust Google Maps when they’re travelling in remote regions of Queensland, and they need to follow the signs, use official maps or other navigational devices,” he said.
The men were thankful to have survived the experience and will surely question Google Maps on their next adventure.
“It was a good experience but a hard experience I wouldn’t want to live this again,” Schoene said.
