Our second week in Australia started off fairly well as we made a few shopping expeditions, and also paid a visit to the Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium. Things took a REALLY BAD turn for us in the midweek though, when we were involved in a car accident. Our car was hit on the passenger side by a truck as we were making a left turn at a traffic light on the way to the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. The events unfolded very quickly, and in our minds, we are still trying to put together exactly what transpired. The passenger window (left side of the car in Australia since they drive on the left side of the road) shattered completely on impact. We carefully brushed off the glass that we found all over the car seats and panels to avoid getting cut. Before the car was towed away, we saw that the front and rear doors were both damaged where the truck struck our car; not at all a pretty picture.

Lorraine was experiencing great difficulty with her breathing immediately following the collision, and we were very concerned that she may have been injured badly. We also noticed fresh blood on her lips. She later figured out that she had probably bitten her tongue when our car was hit. In a dramatic move, the firemen that attended the accident scene cut the door off the car to remove Lorraine from the car. She was taken to the Alfred Health Centre in downtown Melbourne by ambulance where the doctors ordered a complete range of X-Rays and tests, including a CT-Scan. Fortunately, the tests results all came back negative, Lorraine had not broken any bones and no internal bleeding was found. The physicians (there were several), however, decided to keep Lorraine in the hospital overnight in the Short Term Stay Unit (SSU)to ensure that her condition did not get worse and that she did not display any residual effects following the collision. In the SSU section of the Emergency Department at the Alfred Health Centre, patients are provided with a hospital bed in a cubicle equipped with a sliding door and curtains. A free television set is provided to help patients pass the time. What a concept!

Miraculously, Lorraine is now on the “mend,” and we have been able to resume our tourist activities, even though she still feels some persistent soreness. Primarily, she still feels pain in the area where the car seatbelt grabbed her as Trevor hit the car brakes. Thankfully, the seatbelt probably saved her life, and she could have been much more severely injured. Trevor, very luckily, sustained no injuries.

Throughout this unfortunate experience, we have been extremely impressed with the consistent positive attitude and work ethic displayed by the first responders, and with the high quality of care that Lorraine received at the Alfred Health Centre. The police, paramedics, and the firemen all coordinated their efforts with extreme efficiency, yet they were also very caring, friendly and extremely laid back. At the hospital, Lorraine was seen immediately by a doctor and the tests were completed right away. Nurses at the hospital were also efficient, caring, friendly and constantly joking around in their Australian accents. Doctors introduced themselves by their first names, and always explained things clearly and concisely to us. Prior to Lorraine’s release, the patient liaison officer paid us a visit, and we learned that it would not be necessary to use our travel insurance to pay the hospital bill. The officer told us that in the State of Victoria, Australia, anyone that is injured in a car accident receives free medical treatment paid for by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). All licenced drivers in the state pay into a fund that covers medical treatment, support services, income support, return to work etc. if they are involved in an accident. Fortunately for us, the TAC also covers all medical expenses for international visitors.

We have now been set up with a new rental car (another Toyota Camry hybrid). Fortunately, Goway Tours, the travel company that booked our car reservation included full collision (Max Cover) from Hertz Car Rental in our package when we booked our trip. An agent from Hertz at the Melbourne airport handled our claim with outstanding efficiency, and was extremely understanding about our situation. In fact, we were told that quite a few of the cars rented out by Hertz were involved in worse accidents over the last week, and our case was fairly minor compared to some of the others.

Since Lorraine has returned “home” to our apartment, we hosted cousin Glenda and Geoff for dinner. We were also able to take a drive in the new car to visit Dandenong Ranges National Park outside of Melbourne where we walked along part of the Kokoda Memorial Walk, so named in honour of the Australian veterans who fought on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. We also made our way to the observatory deck at the summit of Mount Dandenong where we were treated to an amazing aerial view of the city of Melbourne. On Sunday, we travelled across Melbourne’s Westgate Bridge to explore the quaint town and beaches of Williamstown and Altona, as well as the Cherry Lake Nature Reserve.

Weather has been in the 30s for the last few days and we look forward to continuing with more adventurous expeditions as Lorraine fully recovers.