Location: Taree, New South Wales
Date: April, 2000
This expedition was basically just a reconnaissance to an area where the sightings of these creatures date back to the first settlement. The most recent sighting was only weeks before we arrived.
The property owner had been wanting us to visit his home in the mountainous terrain for almost a year to confirm what he and his neighbours had seen for many years in the fields and bushlands of their area.
Time was the biggest problem for us (with numerous other reports to follow up on), and we finally found a few spare days for the 7 hour drive. The main idea was to scour the bushland surrounding the properties for the usual traits of the Yowie, and to interview locals in view of a possible full expedition there in the future.
Because time was short, we travelled light there and left much of our equipment at home. The only brought two video cameras and an I.R. spotlight as main equipment, after all what could we expect to happen in two nights? .............................Or so we thought.
The moment we arrived we split into 3 units and spent 4 hours tracking various different areas. I chose to take the lower side of the property along a creek bed, while Ash, Steve and Trevor chose the higher grounds.
Once in the creek bed, almost immediately the rain washed footprints were apparent. They were all the same size in differing positions along the 3km of creek bed I followed. The prints weren't the largest I've seen (14"), however the instep was (as in most cases), the most distinguishing feature.
As I worked my way up the banks, I found a large 'hide' (hollow section in the middle of lantana), which was totally covered and unseen from most angles. There was one hole where I could access the hide, and once inside it was obvious that something large had lived there from time to time. The ground was well worn back to dirt and the roof and walls had been shaped to suit a large figure. The Yowie frequently chooses the cool lower ground of a stream where water is available during the day, and history tells us that this is where many daytime encounters take place.
Not far from this location back in the early 90's, a young girl who was horse riding along a long sandy creek bed was challenged and chased by a Yowie. The horse was the first to alert her that there was trouble ahead, and refused to go any further. The locals who knew the girl, all stood up for her insisting that she was not the kind of girl who would ever make up such a tale and when people came back to the area to check for the beast, they found a hide just like what I was standing in on this day.
Over the other side of the creek was a bed made of broken lantana which I also filmed. As I continued I found more prints, however due to a large amount of rain in the past week, not the best to cast. I could have, but prints are a dime a dozen and I only wanted very clear ones like the first Gympie trip.
Just before dusk Ash, Steve and Trevor returned to camp dinner and I headed back with some hangers on (leaches), for my can tin of Canned soup (Luxury living!).
The guys had found the spot in the long grass where the Yowie sits and watches the house and also tracks it uses, which gels with the accounts from the residents of the movements of the creature. Myself and Ash set up a quick hide in the undergrowth for the night close to where it sits. Steve and Trevor made on to the left of us about 200m away from us.
After around an hour of silence we heard footsteps coming down the mountain behind us. I had the video camera ready to roll and the I.R spotlight in my hands ready for what ever was about to pass us. Myself and Ash looked at each other as if to say "This is gunna be good!", when a radio patch came in from the house below and stopped the creature in its tracks directly behind us on the other side of the bushes about 15m away. Normally we had the radios turned down or used head sets for such a stake out, but we were trying a new brand of radio with lapel mics and had the volume turned up just a bit too loud.
For the next two hours, whatever it was never moved an inch. Not a twig broke or leaf dropped. After having a close encounter with a sneezing Kangaroo, Steve and Trevor moved to lower ground to stake out a different area.
At 3am whatever was behind us vanished without making a noise and we all met back at the camp. The guys went to bed at 4am, and I stayed up for an hour listening to something creeping around in the bush.
A few hours later after breakfast (more canned food), we split up again to look for further evidence. Steve and Trevor had taken the same path down the creek that I did a yesterday, I took the creek in the opposite direction and Ashley Milled around the forest area below the house. Ash didn't expect to wander far, so he wore only shorts and a Tee-shirt while checking tracks 100m from the house.
Steve found a Magpie that had been gutted on the edge of the stream. Everything seemed quite down my side of the stream except for the black Cockatoo's that were peeling pieces of bark off high up in the trees. I was trying to keep my boots from getting wet, carefully stepping on rocks and opting to go through lantana rather than step in the water. I took my time looking at everything around me when a radio patch came in from Ash saying that a rock had landed at his feet!
I was in two minds about it at first, I thought to myself that perhaps he had just knocked it and the roll made it "sound" like it landed? I radioed back to be sure that it was thrown and he wasn't mistaken. One thing I know for sure is that if you need someone who is right down the line and someone who is credible - its Ash. Ash isn't the kind of person who makes mistakes in this line of field work, he remains skeptical and draws all possible angles before making a claim - just the kind of person who is valuable on a team. He never "crie wolf", therefore when he finds something, you know its going to be good and not wasting our time. He has an A1 credibility rating within the group.
He then came back to say that the bushes were moving in the valley before him. Steve and Trev called in to say they would start to head back slowly due to the fact that the whole thing was odd. The bushes were still moving as a second rock fell to his feet.
Ash said, "Guys, this has to be him, start heading back this way". I radioed to say "Keep with him - don't lose him". I began to slowly head back when yet another message came through, "Its him, its him!! I just saw it, visual confirmed. Get back here!!" There was no time for dry feet as I ran through the water dodging the lantana and rocks while listening to the radio feeds next to my ear. Steve and Trev double timed it also. "He ran away from me, straight up the hill - I saw it clearly", said Ash as he talking to the residents who heard the whole thing via radio.
As I got to Ash, he explained the whole story. He said that while he was checking out some tracks below the house which were in the forest that was patched with lantana, a rock landed at his feet. He then saw the bushes move and another rock was thrown, again landing at his feet. As he approached the lantana a Roo jumped out on one side, then the 7ft grey/brown Yowie ran out from the other side about 20m away from the Roo. It ran extremely quickly with its arms swinging out to the sides straight up the hill and lost sight of it behind more lantana. It was our opinion that the Yowie was stalking the Roo when Ash came along. The Yowie could have wanted Ash out of there before he disturbed the Roo and through rocks at him to warn him off - as it would to any other animal to make it go away.
The tracks it left were unmistakable leading up the hill. Myself and Ash took the far end of the hill headed to the top. We donated sweat and blood to the lantana for a couple of hours before heading back to camp.
Zee turned up about 10pm and we all sat in the bush until about 3am catching up with him, then we headed back to camp and talked more. We had no need to do the hard yards that night - we came for a reason and that reason was to see if there was anything happening there (in our opinion), after all the reports that we've received from the area. Needless to say - yes there's something happening there! It has a big "A.Y.R Confirmed" stamp!
The plan is to now some how find the funding to sponsor surveillance.
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