Australia Day
TL:DR - In Australia, we help each other even if they are strangers. Mateship is ingrained in our Australian culture.
This happened on an Australia Day, few years ago. It was supposed to be a short drive on the beach at sunset. 8 people from 3 family with few children went on two vehicles (an Ute and an All Wheel Drive). The plan was to get-off the road, onto this remote, almost-empty beach and drive for few kilometres and get back home for dinner.
After driving into the beach sand for few hundred metres, the Ute that went in front of us did not move any further and its wheels started spinning. Without a proper grip on the soft beach sand, the wheels of the Ute spun so fast and the vehicle dug itself to the ground within few seconds.
Wheels of our car, began spinning too. But, I asked my friend, who was driving it, to stop accelerating and get out of the vehicle. We released air from the tubes (reduced the tyre pressure to half) and started the car. Now, the wheels of our car climbed up and we were safe. I was taught this tip in a 4WD driving course that I attended previously. We still had to rescue the Ute.
The chasis of the Ute had touched the ground and at this stage, the vehicle would not come out without some external help. We could not call the Roadside Assistance, as we were not supposed to drive our hire-cars Off-Road (based on our rental conditions). As it was a long weekend, our friends were not in town either. The beach was looking deserted already. Though it was a hot summer day, as soon as the sun went down, we felt the cold winds at the beach.
At a distance, there was a group of locals who were packing up their picnic tents, fishing gear and we requested their help to pull our Ute out. One of them volunteered and had appropriate gear, ropes and a 4WD that was powerful enough. The gentleman came and tied the ute to his 4WD and started pulling. Alas! his 4WD struggled and dug itself to the beach sand in no time. Now, the sky had turned almost black with a thin twilight on the horizon.
By this time, the friends of the gentleman arrived and looked at the mess that we were in; teased him with typical Aussie crude humour. Another one rescued his 4WD and asked, ‘now, do you wish to have another go and redeem your face, in front of them?’.
This time, that gentleman successfully rescued our Ute and we thanked all of them for saving our day. They shrugged their shoulders and said ‘any time, happy to help, good luck mates!’.
At times of need, as Australians, we trust and help upon each other. Seek help if you need it; Offer help to those who seek. I think this is what Australian mateship is.
Happy Australia Day!
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