What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I've been looking for this book for years now. I remember reading it as a child, so I always assumed it was a children's book. But now I started doubting, maybe it was more YA. It was definitely written for older kids, not a picture book or something like that.
Let me see, the details I do remember:
I read it when I was between 8 and 11 years old, so somewhere between 1998 and 2001. Borrowed it from the local library, which was in a small town in the Netherlands, so I'm pretty sure it was well known enough to be translated and to end up in quit a small library.
As for the story: I'm pretty sure it was set in australia, but i can't be a 100% certain. There was a class of kids, going on a school trip with their teachers. They were riding a bus in the outback/desert/middle of nowhere when the bus broke down. The rest of the story is about how they survive. There is a scene about how they manage to get water with a tarp and a hole in the ground, and if I recall correctly something survivalish with a balloon.
The bus might have been red instead of the normal yellow school buses. Absolutely no idea how it ends.
I know its not a ton of details, but I hope someone can help me out. Its been bugging me that I'm unable to find it. You'll have my eternal gratitude, which doesn't buy you much unfortunately. But I'll be very happy if that tiny corner of my brain that this question is occupying gets some rest.
Thanks in advance!

Could it be one of the Magic School Bus series? Expedition Down Under? It doesn't sound exactly right, but thought it might be worth a guess.

Possibly something by Ivan Southall - he wrote a lot of survival stories set in Australia and many have been translated into dutch.

Maybe Hills End? (Dutch title: De wervel storm)

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Veli (OP) was last active on the site in December 2020.