GPS leads Japanese tourists right into the Pacific

Japanese tourists in Australia, misled by their GPS device. Fairfax Media/Getty Images

Japanese students in Tokyo were led astray by the GPS while vacationing in Australia (source). Trekking from the mainland to North Stradbroke Island with its popular Point Lookout (a major tourist destination during holidays) the three Japanese travelers drove down a gravel path which quickly turned to mud.

The tourists' GPS led them from Oyster Point through the thick mud saying it would guide them to another road. After getting about 50 yards out, their Hyundai Getz became stuck in the Moreton Bay mud. The passengers fled as the tide came up and waterlogged their rental car. Passengers on passing ferries watched in amazement (source).

The Japanese tourists had the car towed in to the mainland and will have to pay the 1500 dollars not covered by their insurance. Even though it had rained six of the seven days on their vacation, the three plan on returning to Australia in the future. They commented that they were just glad that no one got hurt.

What Dan Thinks: Now, if these tourists were American, I'm sure there would be a lawsuit underway. Being Japanese, they politely walked away from an embarrassing incident feeling lucky to have avoided injury. Also, they plan on returning. How genki!

What confused me about this is why they had continued driving when the already-suspicious gravel road turned to mud. I'm wondering if they thought all the rain had caused the mud. But even so, why had they dared to brave the thick mud in a cheap Hyundai intended for nothing more than city streets. And with the locals being so "kind" why had they not searched out some help?