Tape used to secure door after gas blast drama

Celebratory dinner ends in disaster

Traveller lucky to be alive after gas blast rips through caravan

By Dennis Amor
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A TRAVELLER has described how she is lucky to be alive after leaking gas exploded inside her caravan at a NSW caravan park.

Janet Lauritzen was left with just a broken toe after the blast wrecked the interior of her 21ft Lotus at Kidman's Camp near Bourke.

"It's a miracle I'm still alive," the 51-year-old, who took the full force of the blast, told Caravanning News.

"I've already come through breast cancer and I was very lucky to survive this explosion. I'm just hoping my luck doesn't run out."

Janet and her 53-year-old husband Matthew, from the small country town of Walla Walla in NSW, had just completed the first week of a five-week trip and had planned to celebrate with a lamb shanks dinner and bottle of wine.

"I thought I'd turn on the thermal pot to put in its canister, went to the stove and it went boom," Janet recalled. "I just screamed and screamed."

The caravan's shattered interior

She said the force of the explosion blew out the sink and stove, two Four Seasons hatches, forced open two windows which had four locks on them and tore cupboards and other items off the kitchen and bedroom walls.

One kitchen cupboard ended up in the ensuite and the main door was blown off its hinges.

The blast happened soon after Matthew, who was sitting with a friend outside the caravan, had turned off the gas bottle after his wife smelled gas.

"I thought it was just because I was using the stove with the pot on it," Janet said.

Fellow caravanners, who rushed to the scene, reported "an almighty explosion".

"It was heard all over the camp," one said. "I raced to the scene fearing the worst."

Janet said she was grateful to everyone who had offered their assistance.

"Lots of people came to our aid," she said.

"You listen to the news and read the papers and you really wonder what's out there.

"But I tell you what, there are some beautiful people out there. Everyone did what they could for us. Even a retired nurse came to me ... I was hysterical. People were coming up and just cuddling us and being there for us.

"The caravan park even gave us a cabin for the night.

"Caravanning's the way to go because there are some really very nice people out there."

Police, ambulance and the Rural Fire Service attended the scene and insurance assessors were later examining the shattered caravan.

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