Australia AUSTRALIA - 4YO AUGUST (GUS) Missing from rural family home in Outback, Yunta, South Australia, 27th Sept 2025

[Warshawski]

Coverage is likely to be pretty sporadic. In relatively flat terrain, a phone can connect to a mast or tower at surprising distances as that distance largely depends on whether things such as hills are in the way or not. That's why sometimes a phone at the top of a mountain can connect with a mast 30 or 50 miles away. I would expect masts to follow roads, so reasonable coverage along much of the Barrier Highway but not necessarily on Oak Park Road as far as the farmstead. On the other hand, it's likely that at some point stations are so isolated that Starlink becomes essential (and short wave radio/ham radio for the old timers).

They may have a satellite phone, often used in remote areas

 

[MelmothTheLost]

They may have a satellite phone, often used in remote areas

As I understand it, Starlink is an affordable satellite phone system.

 

[nao]

Moo... depending on child, around 4-5 years of age children start pushing boundaries of their caregivers. My boy was raised very rural. He would disappear his self into the trees or out buildings around the property, so he could see me n home but I could not find him. He was also pretty fearless and agile. Maybe Gus climbed one of the out buildings to watch for his mom coming home?...moo

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1978809347770642845

 

[steff13]

Is it common for a property like this not to have some sort of video monitoring system? I would have thought with the value of the livestock and the seemingly somewhat solitary nature of the family, cameras would be a given.

 

[musicaljoke]

Is it common for a property like this not to have some sort of video monitoring system? I would have thought with the value of the livestock and the seemingly somewhat insular nature of the family, cameras would be a given.

It's a huge place. Cameras would have to be everywhere to be of any value. I doubt that there were security cameras.

 

[steff13]

It's a huge place. Cameras would have to be everywhere to be of any value. I doubt that there were security cameras.

Sure, but, as I said, this family comes across, at least to me, as reclusive. I would have thought that they would have cameras near their home to ensure that strangers and trespassers are not approaching the home. And potentially also at the aforementioned six gates.

 

[Serononin]

Moo... depending on child, around 4-5 years of age children start pushing boundaries of their caregivers. My boy was raised very rural. He would disappear his self into the trees or out buildings around the property, so he could see me n home but I could not find him. He was also pretty fearless and agile. Maybe Gus climbed one of the out buildings to watch for his mom coming home?...moo

I was wondering if he might have crawled into some kind of gap and ended up stuck underneath one of the outbuildings

 

[Ruffy1976]

Taken from the property by someone who is familiar with the area ?

I only meant to write screenshot from google. lol... I'm not sure why I worded it like that. I was going to change it...

 

[Ruffy1976]

Has anyone been able to locate these 6 gates that have to be gone through to get to the homestead ?

From what I’ve deduced from the maps, it’s maybe 500 metres from the homestead to Oak Park Road ( a 4 year old would walk that in about 15 mins.)

I imagine there’s either a gate or grid at the property entrance; and I think I saw what might be a grid close to the house.

I think Oak Park Road is a public road as there are other properties along the way.

But maybe the public road is not fenced on either side, meaning it effectively passes through private land, so there could be gates crossing the road in order to contain the stock .
That would mean anyone using the road would be opening & shutting gates, making it no big deal for anyone familiar with that situation or the area.

Maybe Gus saw a vehicle he thought was the mail man and went down to meet him ( in those remote areas the Postie often brings groceries etc too )
Maybe he saw a vehicle that he thought was Dad.

I just wish they’d find something

Yes that's food for thought... also a person passing by could park up the road and walk in... did the person know the parents would be away also. For me if he did wonder off, he would have survived the night in my opinion and the rescuers would have found him...

 

[Ellery84]

Yes that's food for thought... also a person passing by could park up the road and walk in...

Isn't the road 40km away?

did the person know the parents would be away also. For me if he did wonder off, he would have survived the night in my opinion and the rescuers would have found him...

 

[Ruffy1976]

But there's 6 gates to travel through from the road to arrive at the homestead.

That is a lot of planning and effort for an abduction.

Who would have wanted to take Gus away from his family?

The dad was hours away asleep in bed when the cops caught up with him. It wasn't the dad. He was not there.

Imo

The gates can be kilometers away...... wandering gold prospectors who are use to coming across this

 

[Raina_the_observer]

I would expect masts to follow roads, so reasonable coverage along much of the Barrier Highway but not necessarily on Oak Park Road as far as the farmstead. On the other hand, it's likely that at some point stations are so isolated that Starlink becomes essential

Even on the Barrier Highway, coverage is very patchy. There is a tower at Yunta but would not reach to the station. Dont believe the Telstra coverage maps, I have driven that road many times and without external aerial the coverage is only within about 20kms of a tower.
However, most likely the family now has Starlink. Which gives WiFi calling but the location services are all over the place.