The Dangers of Seeking Rustication

Not only humans are suceptible!

Often the frenetic pace of urban life has forced many a migrant into the rural areas. After the apocalypse, this is a very bad idea! DON'T just assume that a rustic life will be any safer! South East Queensland pre apocalypse had a population of 2,923,00 people, which were spread (most probably unevenly) across an area of 22,420 km2. This works out to roughly 130 people per km2. Most of them have reanimated now, which means thats how many zombies are within earshot if you cough. As for the rest of Queensland, only 1,483,000 people were spread across an area of 1,852,642 km2. But this is where the good news ends... DON'T JUST HEAD OUT INTO THE BUSH HOPING FOR THE BEST! You have a multitude of adversaries to face, as well as the undead!

Vetebrate mammals.- it seems that whatever it is that renders death incompetent affects all mammals. There have been sightings in Brisbane of undead dogs, cats, and in one isolated case, bears (STAY AWAY FROM ZOOS!). Anecdotal evidence suggests that there are more kangaroos in Queensland than there are people in Australia. Whilst i cannot verify this, i can confirm that there are more than 11 million (Eastern Grey and Red kangaroo) ones big enough to harvest (shoot for meat production) and therefore big enough to be a serious threat post reanimation. There are 4.43 million sheep, and 6 million cattle in QLD. Adding that to the human population, that equates to 22,913,000 mammals, at a very conservative estimate (and that does not include goats, pigs, or other livestock). As the area in Queensland is 1,852,642km2, that works out to around 12 potential zombies per km in any given area. Of course, as QLD is very arid, these numbers would be concentrated around available water. As a survivor you would be forced to stay close to available water or risk perishing, but by doing so render your position compromised by the threat of the undead. Animal undead (the same as living animals) are capable of things humans are not. Kangaroos can jump over fences and barricades (A red kangaroo can jump 6 feet or higher). Their toenails can disembowel. Sheep, due to their low stature, are difficult to decapitate. Cattle can trample through most obstacles. All of these creatures congregate in herds that can number in their hundreds.

Supplies. Brisbane will eventually run out of food, but in rural QLD there is little or none. Herds of zombie kangaroos and cattle have eaten most fauna. Most towns have already been raided for their food and medical equipment. The dense population of SEQ fed the zombie horde, but rurally human populations weren't as readily available. Therefore the zombies ate whatever they could find.Going bush would neccetate your own crops, which requires being close to water. At least in Brisbane bottled water is unlikely to run out soon, but rurally, that option isnt available. You would have to find a water source, and you cannot be guaranteed that your water source does not have zombies lurking in the bottom of it.

Roads- Getting out of Brisbane definetly is not a new idea, it was what most tried to do once the apocalypse started becoming visible. All roads out are blocked by burnt out vehicles and reanimated corpses still strapped into their seats. In their panic many people crashed, and killed themselves and others needlessly. This was a buffet for the zombies; within two days of the attempted exodus of Brisbane all routes out had the highest concentration of reanimated. The only way out now is by boat, which has its own dangers (as i mentioned before, bloated corpses float!) or plane (most of which have been taken by now). Attempting to walk out could be potentially suicidal. Even if you got out, the dangers are still quite high. Due to sealed road design (slightly concave so that the water runs off when it rains) highly nutitrious grass often grows near roads. This would attract kangaroos and other ruminants, which in turn will atract more animal zombies. Particularly in times of drought, when little other grass is available, kangaroos swarming the roads would prevent any survivors from moving if their water source ran dry. A heavy vehicle with a bullbar may assuage this risk, but are never particularly fuel efficient, and most fuel has been stockpiled by warring tribes by now.

If you have a plan, have maps and enough equipment to survive living in rural QLD untill it is safe (which may take months or years), and are confident it is a good one, then by all means go. BUT DON'T ASSUME THAT LIFE WILL BE ANY SAFER! Bigger animals neccitate higher calibre weapons to defend yourself!