Is it actually safe to bushwalk and camp in remote areas?

[bushwalker16]

Hi,

I've been reading a fair bit recently about the Yowie phenomenon and am pretty convinced now that it is indeed real and that Yowie's do likely exist. My wife and I have gotten into bushwalking and naturally are starting to do tracks and overnight walks in more remote areas as it's great to get away from people and the city (we live in Sydney)!

We did a walk recently in the more remote areas of the Grose Valley:

(most of this walk (I'm not this guy btw) -->
http://www.david-noble.net/blog/?p=364 )

from Mt Victoria to Blackheath via Govett's Leap along the old Engineer's Track and I couldn't help but think that anything could survive out there undetected for hundreds of years if it was intelligent enough, it was that rugged and remote with dense bush.

This brings me to the main question I'd like to ask from this community / forum - is it actually safe to be bushwalking overnight in these types of remote areas, in terms of the Yowie phenomenon (obviously when you're in a remote area you're always at risk due to getting lost, injured, snakes etc but I'm referring to Yowies here)? Also, what areas are a bad idea to go hiking overnight to within the Blue Mountains? There would be no escape in the middle of the night if one came to visit, we couldn't just run to our car or anything - we'd be literally in quite a bit of trouble I'd imagine if it was a dangerous one. I couldn't imagine what we'd do if one visited our camp area and ran its hand along our tent walls!

...or if this happened: (this is quite a scary Outback story of a very aggressive encounter): https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/commen ... australia/

I guess the fact that I'm asking this question really does mean that I believe there's something going on with the Yowie phenomenon! There are just way to many stories, some of them from very credible witnesses...

Upon researching things a bit more after the hike I found out that Aboriginals native to the area apparently had a history of not going into - and still refuse to go into - the Grose Valley because of Yowies. The Aboriginals have 40,000+ years' more knowledge and experience in the bush than Europeans and I believe, like the North American Indians, there is or has been a lot of weird stuff in the bush that they know all about. Their stories of the 'hairy man', Dooligahl, Turramulli, Quinkins etc. are pretty freaky but what's most interesting is that Aboriginal tribes from all over Australia mention the same stories yet they would probably not have been in contact with each other thousands of years ago due to the vast distances between them - so perhaps these stories really are more than just mythology.

Anyway, we didn't have any encounters or anything but it was really quiet camping at Burra Korrain Flat on the first night (we got there just as the sun was going down as we got away late from Sydney) which was strange considering it was dense bushland and normally you hear lots of animals, birds, crickets etc. however that may be due to the contamination of the Grose River from the decommissioned mine near the start of the river.

The next day we got up, packed up etc. and hiked out to the Acacia Flat camping area and then up the (brutal!) 600m ascent using the cliff track to Govett's Leap. About halfway between Burra Korrain Flat camping area and Acacia Flat camping area on a remote part of the track I thought I heard some strange but barely discernable vocal type noises in the bush that I've not heard before but I'm not sure, may have just been my mind in overdrive having read so many Yowie stories of late!

Cheers

[ChrisV]

The chances I think of actually coming across a yowie in the said areas would be pretty slim.
I guess we all know that there are plenty of stories that come from around the Blue Mountains but it seems like its the permanent residents that have the luck of actually seeing them.
The probability would have to be low - no more than say seeing any other species thats known but hardly seen.

The 64 million dollar question would be what if you made your presence known in a hot spot. That would be camp fires, noise, cooking smells etc....now that would be a different story. Like a moth to a light I'm sure there is a higher chance of attracting some attention....but again these creatures have been said to be roamers so you'd have to be pretty lucky to have all your stars align to make contact...

Attracting attention and randomly stumbling across a yowie is an interesting discussion point in itself.

[yowiedan]

Hi.. I Run the Blue Mountains Yowie Research Group on Facebook and just came back from an overnight Yowie research near Mount Solitary. We got a great wood knock reply to our wood knocks from within the middle of the Jamison valley. I have also camped and did I solo research night at Acacia Flat In the Grose Valley and had tree breaks happen all around me all night and had a few weird howls happen too.

[bushwalker16]

Cheers for the reply ChrisV. I did actually think that this weekend whilst we were camping in a very exposed area near the Wollangambe Crater (we couldn't part of the track and didn't want to get lost so we headed back and camped on one of the rocky outcrops near the track. Basically our fire would definitely be visible throughout the entire valley we were in, literally for kilometres. And we were cooking nice tasty sausages too

I guess the question now is - what are the known hot spots to avoid in the Blue Mountains? I read that the lady who helped Rex Gilroy write his Giants of the Dreamtime book said there were areas of the Blue Mountains she would never, ever go to after hearing his stories and helping him to write the book.

I suppose also most of the stories I've read seem to indicate that the Yowies that do visit campers sleeping in their tents are mostly just curious or trying to scare people away. It's the stories of people going missing in the bush in unusual circumstances that are really concerning (e.g. very experienced bushwalkers just disappearing) though!

But I think what you say makes sense - the likelihood of coming across them whilst out bushwalking is very slim. Particularly near more popular walking trails too I imaigne they'd avoid those.

[bushwalker16]

yowiedan that's nuts - a Acacia Flat solo Yowie expedition! No way I'd go there on my own!

Yea we were thinking of doing the Mt Solitary hike last weekend but ended up changing to Wollongambe Crater instead. I read since coming back that Mt Solitary seems a bit of an active area, as you've confirmed. Do you take a fair few people with you who are interested in going along or is it more of an experienced group only?

Interesting!

[yowiedan]

I will pm you now.

[ChrisV]

Cheers for the reply ChrisV. I did actually think that this weekend whilst we were camping in a very exposed area near the Wollangambe Crater (we couldn't part of the track and didn't want to get lost so we headed back and camped on one of the rocky outcrops near the track. Basically our fire would definitely be visible throughout the entire valley we were in, literally for kilometres. And we were cooking nice tasty sausages too

I guess the question now is - what are the known hot spots to avoid in the Blue Mountains? I read that the lady who helped Rex Gilroy write his Giants of the Dreamtime book said there were areas of the Blue Mountains she would never, ever go to after hearing his stories and helping him to write the book.

I suppose also most of the stories I've read seem to indicate that the Yowies that do visit campers sleeping in their tents are mostly just curious or trying to scare people away. It's the stories of people going missing in the bush in unusual circumstances that are really concerning (e.g. very experienced bushwalkers just disappearing) though!

But I think what you say makes sense - the likelihood of coming across them whilst out bushwalking is very slim. Particularly near more popular walking trails too I imaigne they'd avoid those.

There are some folks on here that are better versed than myself on where the hot spots are.
My immediate thought is the Tablelands Rd area near Wentworth Falls. I travelled up this road towards the abandoned mental hospital - Yes its just like in a Scooby Doo scene!!!
From memory the road goes to a dirt track/fire trail and from there its any guess what will happen etc. There are plenty of stories from that immediate area...
Then there is Katoomba, Jamieson Valley, Grose Valley, Faulconbridge, Springwood, Glenbrook and the list goes on....

[macquariedave]

Cheers for the reply ChrisV. I did actually think that this weekend whilst we were camping in a very exposed area near the Wollangambe Crater (we couldn't part of the track and didn't want to get lost so we headed back and camped on one of the rocky outcrops near the track. Basically our fire would definitely be visible throughout the entire valley we were in, literally for kilometres. And we were cooking nice tasty sausages too

I consider myself a bit of an expert on Wollangambe Crater (best campsite is opposite the entrance on the other side of the Wollangambe River, at the bottom of the track), having led multiple bushwalking trips there starting from both the firetrail and subsequent track near Bell Railway Station, and a more rugged route from Mt Wilson (the latter done last in 2014 when everything was burnt out). Also familiar with a route returning from WC to the Bell Heavy Vehicle Weighing Station involving scrubby ridges and crossing side creeks. Never experienced any yowie activity though.

[Wolf]

Carry a red laser light or very powerful led torch (apparently their night-sensitive eyes hate them), a can of pepper spray and a machette (if park rules allow it).

The pepper spray could be useful for any bipedal, hairless weirdos you come across and if nothing else, the machette will do wonders for your sense of security (beats having a teddy bear to hold onto).

Mind you, if a giant hairy monster (or two) with excellent night vision wants to do you harm in the bush, not even a shotgun would be much protection, even if our loving, caring daddy-guvmint allowed us to carry them.

[Yowie bait]

Some good advice on this thread. A freind of mine goes weekend camping with his son often. I asked him where they go and he rattled off a slew of yowie hotspots in qld and gold coast hinterland. I gave them the heads up on the yowie thing but they didnt seem worried. The main thing keeping me going too far off track is fear of getting lost and more worried about human serial killer types than yowies! Im shocked at how deep my nephew and his mates go into the bush in north qld but most theyve experienced is the stink and dread...so far!

[ChrisV]

Personally camping in a yowie hot spot takes guts!!!
I know my wife and daughter would not have a bar of it. Even driving thru hot spots during the daytime they lock the doors, wind up the windows and yell at me to drive drive drive!!! ..... and thats not even when I have Katoomba town centre

[bushwalker16]

haha that's funny. My wife doesn't believe any of it, on the other hand!

[Wolf]

Im always goin bush. When in national parks I stick to the tracks (sometimes) out of respect for the park, although that respect has dwindled with all our state forests being turned into parks.

My wife is the same, she doesn't mind getting scratched to pieces going cross country or climbing/rock hopping up gullies and creeks.

When it comes to the hairy blokes, she is likewise fearless, often telling me she would prefer to die knowing they exist, even if it means one killing her.

We're both happier in the bush than in suburbia, I'm very lucky that way.

[Yowie bait]

Your wife has the right idea wolf. Id be fine for a yowie to rip my head off too if i didnt have so many people depending on me. Maybe we should form a cult. The "yowie death cult" sounds good.

[tomo8r]

[ travelled up this road towards the abandoned mental hospital

I'm sorry, long time lurker, first time poster. This is something that bugs me about this forum.

It's not an abandoned mental hospital. It was build as a Tuberculosis Sanitorium. It Fulfilled this function "until 1958 when it was
converted to a hospital for the aged and chronically ill ... It continued as a nursing home until its closure in May 1999."

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/herit ... ID=1170824

[Shazzoir]

Bushwalker16, just so you know, the Reddit sub 'nosleep' is all fiction.... it's the sub for folks to create and share their imaginations' worst and most horribly scary works of fiction.

Shazzoir

[ChrisV]

[ travelled up this road towards the abandoned mental hospital

I'm sorry, long time lurker, first time poster. This is something that bugs me about this forum.

It's not an abandoned mental hospital. It was build as a Tuberculosis Sanitorium. It Fulfilled this function "until 1958 when it was
converted to a hospital for the aged and chronically ill ... It continued as a nursing home until its closure in May 1999."

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/herit ... ID=1170824

As an observation - its abandoned and looks like a medical facility or hospital. Maybe the word 'mental' is misused but thanks for correcting me anyway....but really it should not really bug you enough to make a post about

[Tuckeroo]

[ChrisV wrote]. As an observation - its abandoned and looks like a medical facility or hospital. Maybe the word 'mental' is misused but thanks for correcting me anyway....but really it should not really bug you enough to make a post about

I agree ChrisV with what you said.
I've read other stories about strange happenings near medical fascility's and through the 'urban myth' portal
it gets turned into an abandoned mental asylum. Definitely gives Ghost and Yowie stories extra flavour.
I suppose what tomo8r was trying to say is that in the PC world now with mental health issues to the fore
it is not right to call it that.

T.

[Analyst Team Crypto]

Greetings bushwalker16,

I suppose that the short answer to your basic question is yes, it is safe to walk and camp in the bush, BUT do take prudent precautions.

First of all, purchase a very good LED torch. Don't get the old bulb type torch, but one that is called CREE. It should have a beam range of several hundred metres and our preference is one that is 2,400 lumens or better (take no notice of what the Chinese tell you in their advertisements as generally they are wrong.) (We use an American brand.) Every person in the party should have such a torch. Carry it even though you may intend walking only in the daytime. Strong lighting is essential if you have an encounter. Take other lighting such as head lamps and small LED torches.

The next rule and I suppose the most important one is NEVER BE ALONE. This means absolutely that. If your wife (or anyone else) wishes to duck behind a bush off the track a bit for a call of nature - then that is alone. If a member of the party becomes tired during a walk and lags behind a bit - then that too is alone. If a member walks off out of sight around a corner - that is alone.

Two people teams must stick together like glue at all times. Four in a team is good.

The next rule is not to camp in the open, that is a bit of bedding on the ground. Use a tent with a floor in it. Have led lighting inside the tent and also outside the tent and it should cast light in all directions. Of course, the switch for this light must be inside your tent. Weapons are not permitted in National Parks or anywhere else for that matter. However, a nice solid "trekking" pole about as high as you and about 30 mm in diameter is a very good thing to have.

Remember this, in the late afternoon the shadow from the mountain range will be over the eastern side of the range and it will be darker there than in open country elsewhere so you may need your torch to exit the walk.

In the daytime, it is generally safe but as it progresses towards dark, be more wary. Try not to walk at night. Do not play music or talk too much if walking at night. Your HEARING will then become the most important sense that you have.

My apologies for this late post. I hope you enjoy the bush.

Regards,

ATC

[Kurtis_Lamb]

Gday I know this specific thread is a bit old but I'm goin camping in Grose Valley over the weekend and coincidentally it's apparently a hotspot(wasn't planned). Anyone got any tips for me or things to look out for other than the obvious eerie feelings, tree snaps and dead silent wildlife? I wasn't even planning on goin yowie hunting but I'll just be on me toes a bit more than usual and if I smell a garbage truck I'll piss off real quick haha. I'll have me camera out apparently that's what they're the most scared of. Cheers

[yowiedan]

Take a look at the National Park alerts page for the Blue Mountains as many trails that lead into the Grose Valley including the trail from Govetts Leap and Perry's look down are closed due to fire damage.

[Kurtis_Lamb]

Sorry forgot to mention I'll be camping at acacia flat which is open

[Cewfs]

Have there been any recent reports of people being hurt by creatures in the NSW Bush? I lived and worked in the Eastern Blue Mountains in the late 90s and the worst I encountered was leeches. While there I heard nothing of yowies or missing persons.
The only time I later considered direct yowie presence was in 1970 in Northern NSW just off the Pacific highway. I was sleeping on a groundsheet and at dawn was woken by the sound of crashing branches. That puzzled me at the time as there was no wind and no people, farms or buildings nearby.

[yowiedan]

Sorry forgot to mention I'll be camping at acacia flat which is open

Take a sound recorder with you as I've had contact with multiple Yowies on one occasion. They basically broke tree branches all night and ran around, must of been atleast 10 of them. Then after one made a loud noise they all vanished and nothing more was heard. Beware acacia flat can be a spooky area if alone. And, it's hours to hike out if you get spooked.

[Kurtis_Lamb]

Okay I guess I didn't do my research properly, I was just assuming it was a normal camping spot you just drive up to and pitch a tent, NO chance I am going there alone if it's a hotspot and I don't have me car there to escape quick smart if I get an uneasy feeling. Cheers for the help I think I dodged a bullet (too scared to search for the yowies at this current time haha).