The Australian outback is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the largest landmasses in the world and is deathly remote, where one miss-step can lead to complete and utter ruin. One Australian family learned the dangers of taking an overlanding trip in the outback the hard way after a flash flood sunk their 4×4 rig and left them stranded for nearly a week. 

Can you overland across the outback? 

Even the most well-prepared for adventures can go belly up quickly. As any seasoned adventurer will tell you, you can only control so much of a trip like this across an environment as harsh as the Australian outback. 

The Zavros family, Ori and Lindsey Zavros, and their two young children Zane and Zoe got stuck when their customized overland camper became bogged following torrential rain. The wheels of the badass camper rig nearly completely sunk into the softened earth after the monsoon. 

According to The Drive, the Perth family set off in November of 2020 to explore the wilds of Australia in their Mitsubishi Canter truck conversion. By the looks of it, this truck should be able to handle a great many challenges. 

After days stuck in the hot outback with limited supplies and water, the Zavros family heard that rescue was coming. 

Why was the Zarvos family rescued by helicopter? 

Backing up a few days last Friday, the rescue team received notice from the family’s emergency EPIRB beacon. The authorities and the Zavros family were worried the overland mishap would have the family stranded for weeks because the area was impassable by land vehicles until the ground dried back out. 

“All the roads around here are partially underwater. There are vast flat areas that have still got water laying on them, and where the water has recently been on the roads, it’d be a quagmire if you tried to get through,” said Graham Scott, a local business owner in the area. 

While the family waited for the extraction plan, a Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority flew over and dropped supplies. Knowing that multiple days of alarmingly hot weather were inbound for the overlanding family, rescue forces decided to coordinate a helicopter rescue. 

The helicopter finally came as of this morning (Nov 16) and transported the family to the closest airport. 

What happened to the overland camper? 

The family’s overland camper was left behind to be retrieved at a later, safer date. It’s a shame to leave such a cool camper behind. I’m sure; given the family’s pride in the machine, they will be back ASAP to pick up their mobile home. 

The Zavros family documented their travels extensively. In fact, their camper rig has been featured in several publications detailing the family’s systems and approach to overland camper travel. Check out more about the camper here.