In a case of 'only in Australia' a bus link between two major towns via a road affected by flooding had to be cancelled as the closest detour would add more than 4500 kilometres to the journey.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Greyhound Australia, which operates the country's largest coach network, was forced to cancel parts of its service from Darwin in the Northern Territory to Broome in Western Australia after widespread rain across the Kimberley inundated the only sealed road connecting the two towns.
The trip normally covers just over 1,800 kilometres.
In a post that has since gone viral on social media, Greyhound shared a map of Australia, highlighting the 'closest detour on paved road'.
The journey - via Port Augusta in South Australia - would add 4,546 kilometres to the trip.
If travelled in Europe, the detour would span almost the entire length of Europe, from the northernmost point of Norway in the north to the city Naples in southern Italy, crossing through Sweden, Germany and Austria along the way.
Greyhound's thoughts on running its Darwin-Broome service via the new route were shared on social media in two simple words: "Yeah nah".
After shutting down the entire service for several days, Greyhound has said it will be operating a shorter section from Sunday, January 8, taking passengers from Darwin to Halls Creek only.
The link between Halls Creek and Broome remains closed.
Meanwhile, ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie, which is responsible for severe flooding in Western Australia's Kimberley region, is tracking south-east from WA and is set to move back into the Northern Territory which will see rain and wind impacts easing thereafter.
The Bureau of Meteorology said some locations in the Fitzroy River catchment had seen several months' worth of rainfall in just a few days resulting in isolated communities and widespread road closures.
"Flood impacts will continue across the Kimberley well into next week," the Bureau said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Although Fitzroy River levels at Fitzroy Crossing and upstream are slowly falling, significant flood risks persist for the region and waters are set to continue to rise downstream.
A major flood warning remains current for the Fitzroy River with peaks not expected until Monday, January 9.
A flood warning for the West Kimberley District and a flood watch for the Sandy Desert, Tanami Desert and Western Desert are also current.