A cup of coffee shows the loveliness of the country.
Australia, because of its poor public transport, often cannot get out of the door without driving.
But at the same time, the land is too wide, too few people, so driving on the road here is a great challenge, especially on the famous "lonely road"-on-Eyre Highway.
Why would you say that? Because this road is too long, too boring!
The El Highway (Eyre Highway) starts from the small town of Norseman in Western Australia and ends at the port of Okusta in South Australia, which is 1668 kilometers long! Even if you drive without sleep, it will take you 17 hours to finish the journey.
This is definitely a double test of endurance and physical strength. Long is just, the key is still very straight! more than 1000 kilometers of road, there is no sharp turn, smooth bend is also very few.
The route from Balladonia to Caiguna, 146km in length, is even more straight than steel pipes and is known as "90 Mile Straight)".
This is the longest straight road in Australia!
Someone joked that while driving along the road, you set an alarm clock, press on the gas, close your eyes and get a good sleep, and wake up to find that the car is still driving.
Of course, it is impossible to sleep by car, but it is true that driving on this road can easily trigger sleepiness, because the road is not only long, not only straight, but also boring.
Small towns are occasionally seen in the east, and the more westward they become desolate.
When you get to the deserted Nullarbor Plain, you may not see a figure for a few hours.
No one will ever say yes to a broken throat.
The road is also often used by the famed Royal Flying Doctor (Royal Flying Doctor Service) as an emergency landing track, and it can be seen how sparsely populated it is.
Think about it, you drive alone on the endless road, there are no majestic mountains on either side of the road, there is no vast sea, there are only monotonous bushes, and occasionally jump out of the kangaroo, emu, these wild animals, How lonely and cold.
Worse still, sometimes you don't even have a cell phone signal.
That feeling, I'm afraid, only one "cool" can tell about the mood at that time.
So this road is also described as a "long and lonely road" (long and lonely road).
When you walk on such a road for a long time, the landscape is monotonous, the road is rigid, the sensory lack of stimulation, it is easy to appear mental fatigue, slow to respond, which can lead to traffic accidents. So this road is also seen as a "dangerous road" suitable for adventure.
And at this time, the time has come to reflect the humanization of Australia.
In order to prevent drivers from driving fatigue, not only are there many signs along the road to remind drivers to stop, but many places have also started an activity to provide free coffee to passing drivers, encouraging them to stop and take a break.
It's just a small cup of coffee, but for the driver, it's an energy station.
It gives tired, physically and mentally weary drivers a moment of relaxation and rest, and, after a short recuperation, returns to the road with a good mood and full of energy. While avoiding fatigue driving, it can also prevent traffic accidents and save innocent lives.
How sweet! How humanized!
When it comes to free coffee, it's not unique to this road. As early as 2010, the new state's road safety department held an annual event called "Free Cuppa for the Driver."
Prevent fatigue and reduce traffic accidents by providing free coffee to drivers.
Every year from March 1 to May 31, all drivers can get a free cup of coffee / tea from the participating merchants by showing their driver's license.
Eight years into the event, more than 5700 free cups of coffee have been delivered to drivers.
We believe that behind these ordinary numbers, there must be countless weary bodies warmed up, and alive lives pulled back from the edge of the accident.
In addition to free coffee, some Australian roads, a few tens of kilometers away, will be repaired as a flat area. There is no other function, that is, tired people can have a parking place to rest feet.
In fact, everyone knows that fatigue driving is dangerous, and many countries also strictly prohibit fatigue driving, but most of the prohibited measures are based on severe penalties. Like Australia, drivers are allowed to stop and rest voluntarily through a cup of warm-hearted coffee. But it is rare.
Yes, the country has no high-speed rail, no bullet trains, and poor public transport, but it is this subtle to extreme humanistic concern that makes it unique in its loveliness.
Finally, I would also like to remind you drivers, friends, that there are a few points to pay attention to when driving long distances in Australia:
1, refueling in time. There are so many people here that you may not be able to see a gas station for a few hours, so be sure to keep an eye on the fuel meter, in case you run out of gas.
Bring plenty of water and food. For the same reason, a lot of places don't talk about convenience stores, they don't even have people, so they have to be self-sufficient.
3, pay attention to the cell phone signal. Many remote areas do not have a mobile phone signal, so if there is any important information to return, take advantage of the cell phone signal.
4, beware of animal infestation. Driving in the wild, people may not meet, but all kinds of wild animals will come out from time to say hello to you, so you must pay attention to driving, in case you are hit by an invincible kangaroo brother, it may be fine. But you don't have to.
5, don't be tired of driving. This is the most important!