Family rescued after four nights stranded in Australian outback 

A family stranded for four nights when their camper truck got stuck in mudflats in the South Australian outback has been has been airlifted to safety.

The Zavros family from Perth had left Birdsville, a remote town in Queensland, when a downpour left the desert terrain they were travelling through impassable and on Friday their truck became bogged in the mud.

They sent out a distress signal and were airdropped a satellite phone and supplies for two weeks to wait for the ground to dry out.

However authorities then decided a helicopter rescue was necessary as dangerously high temperatures of 40 degrees were forecast for later in the week.

Orios and Lindsey Zavros and their two children were winched from the Witjira National Park to safety on Tuesday while the truck - their home for the past year- was left behind.

“They were fine, but anxious due to the weather conditions,” Mr Zavros’ father told Australian programme Sunrise.

“They were very well prepared though, they knew they would have a three or four-day crossing of the Simpson Desert.

“They just didn’t anticipate some of the bad weather that came through after they left Birdsville.”

The family were taken to Coober Pedy to recover, which was supposed to be their final destination on the last leg of their trip.