Yowiehunters Forum

please describe exact location

Wait......

Hold off for now. There's a plan in place.

DMH

No problem Dean, i know i seem anxious but we are going for a drive to the Bunyip sate forest near Emerald, in which the Aboriginals named it. Just wondering if there were any sightings there, since where going for a drive there as its only an hour drive for us. Thats the only reason i asked.

But it would be just a bit of a look around, as we are amatures, when you & your Team are ready, you would do it properly, love to join your expedition around Emerald.

It would be nice to know the exact location of the sightings in both Emerald and Macclesfield. They were a while back though, so the Yowies have probably retreated into the more remote areas further east.

Last year (around easter) my daughter thought she heard a Yowie vocalisation coming from south of the Camphora? camping ground in the Bunyip state park. (Off the Tonimbuk road)
Can't be certain though, my daughter is only a little tacker. Still, it is quite an extensive area of this bush and quite close to Melbourne, thus accessable. I'm thinking of taking the family camping there over the Easter long weekend this year.

Futher east at Labertouche, a truck driver friend saw an 8 foot long goanna sunning itself on a road. This is just south of the eastern end of the Bunyip state park. Locals told him that some of the goannas that come out of the park can be in excess of 10 feet long! Megalania Prisca?? Just a thought.

Cheers

Folcrom.

Thanx folcrum, that was some great information that helps, we might have a look at going on the Tonimbuk rd to Camphora & bush trek around there, u said south is there any neer ny creeks there, i think that would be a good place to trek along the creeks as he aBORIGINAL LEGENDS SAY STAY AWAY FROM THE CREEKS & lets face it every creature has to drink also plenty of food source to survive for them there.


Cheers my friend

There are some water courses through the Bunyip state park. It might be worth dropping into the rangers office and getting a map.

I think it's on the outskirts of Gembrook, before the park itself? (not sure, check on the web)

The Bunyip creek flows through the park, but that's towards the north end. Around Camphora, there is a creek and further south a Dam, in the area around the Button Grass walking track. That's the direction my daughter says the vocalisation came from. There's a road that heads south, just before the Camphora picnic/camping area.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Folcrom.

Thanx Folcrom,
that was good information as usual from u! yes will be going Tuesday morning to check it out, we are going to stick to the walking trails first so we get a feel for the place, then head towards the button grass trail & hopefully find the creek that the vocalisation was heard by your daughter bro.

we will be going quiet a few times, then we will head in bush into the thick of things & see what we can discover any morer info that u know will help.

cheers johnny

The Bunyip state park is used by a lot of motorbikes on weekends and holidays. If you keep clear of where the motorbikes go, you'll probably have more luck.

Take clean drinking water with you, I cant vouch for the quality of the "stream" water you'll find. Keep an eye out for snakes, there's plenty this time of year.

Most important. It is a state park. So be careful not to take any actions that contravene the law. In some places, "getting into the thick of it" might not be allowed, ie vegetation regrowth areas etc.

Take care

Folcrom.

Hi Folcrom,
we went yesterday to the Bunyip state forest, boy its huge, 16,000 hectres. Many creeks wetlands thick forest etc, we found trees that were broken about 6ft high heard things but again we havent the expertise to tell if they were good signs or not. We took footage with a video camera, we went down the Button grass trail but we reached the half way mark, so we didnt get to the Dam area,but it was a first good recon adventure but more to come.

cheers johnny

Yes, the Bunyip state park is humungous. Its big.

You might want to pass your footage onto Dean for his appraisal. He'd recognise any twist offs etc and other Yowie signs.

There are "official" camp sites along the main roads and tracks through the park. However, you can also camp pretty much where ever you like in many places as well.

One thing I find interesting. There are properties and farms etc, completely surrounded by the park on all sides. So they are embedded within the park itself. Its as if, when the park was created, some land owners refused to sell up. I wouldn't mind owning one of those!

You only walked half the Button grass trail?
You didn't turn back the way you came?

My theory is very simple. If you can walk half way, you may as well walk the rest. Its equally far, to walk on ahead, as it is to walk back.

I took the misses and 4 little ones down that trail. Even my 3 year old completed it. Its quite a pleasant hike.

Where the Button grass trail starts. The trail itself loops in a huge U shape and re-enters the same road about one hundred yards futher on. The Dam, is in between the entrance and exit to the track, along the same road.

Cheers

Folcrom.

Hi Folcrum,
again your info is apprecieted, we only went half way & turned back causemy mate Nick had to get home to help his wife, as it was getting late etc, but we are going on thursday again earlier all the way & plus!

Then we are organising to camp a couple of nights & go trekking there at night bro, that should be interesting.


cheers jmuzik66

Glad you guys can get out there and look around.

With 4 kids to keep me busy, my hiking boots rarely see the light of day. Which is a real shame really, I used to love going out camping and trecking through the bush.

The dam near the Button grass trail is a fair size. You might be able to catch Yabbies in it. Do you guys have a canoe? You could sit in the middle of the dam after dusk in a canoe and perhaps scan the banks for any activity. Note: Yowies can swim, so I dont know how safe you'd be.

Other areas of interest you might want to consider for future reference. Noojee. There's a lot of remote, thick and rugged bush out around Noojee. In some areas there are old fire bunkers. I'm thinking old disused fire bunkers probably make good lairs. And of course there's a little place my mates and I used to call "hidden vale".

And of course there's the rugged country just North of Walhalla. That's where the Moe sightings probably took place. Up around the Abberfeldy river crossing. One of my favourite old camping areas.

Cheers

Folcrom.

Just spent a weekend at Walhalla, and anything could be hiding out in those hills. We stayed in a bed and breakfast, but I would really like to camp out up there. Unfortunately these days my health wont let me do too much walking, I even find flatish paths hard going. A word of warning though, if anyone wants to go for a trudge around that area. The ground is treacherous! Many old goldminers sunk holes all over the forest, and the signs of them being there are well and truely rotted away. The last thing you want to do is stumble into one of those mines, noone would ever find you!

Good point Dawn.
I forgot about the abandoned mine shafts.

If anyone decides to wonder around Walhalla, take into account that there are mines all over the place. So watch your feet. More importantly, dont wander around Walhalla alone.

Some of the mines along the river beds are particulary treacherous. They may look reasonably safe to crawl around in and explore, dont be tempted, they can be quite dangerous.

Regards

Folcrom.

Hi Folcrom & Dawn, thanx for the info on the other sites but we still have a lot of treking to do in Bunyip state park. We contacted Dean & we are going to send him the Footage of the broken trees etc . We emailed by mobile picture one of the trees that were snaped off at a hieght of about 7ft, he wasn't sure, he needs us to send him the footagethat we hvae now converted to DVD, so he can make a beter judgement. But he did say that if it is there is a lot of yowie activity there, so stay tuned & i wil let u know.

cheers from John & nick

here is the park link

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=76

here is the link to a park map

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources/05_0301.pdf


its nice and close to me as well so if you guys want another person just private msg me and i can work out a day/night i just got to wait a week or two to repair my automatic transmission

Hi guys its officiall, sent the dvd footage of the Bunyip state park to Dean Harrison.He was impressed with what looks like a footprint, broken trees that he said looks similar to those in the blue mountains,we also heard som yet in e trees being tapped.Nick thought he heard something trailing us, every time we moved it would & when we stopped the noise would stop, then when we looked at the dvd we saw a shadow in the thicket that looked like something ducking behind the thick bush that he said was interesting.

anyway it was great talking toDean he gave us alot of advise & told us if that was a yowie it is playing games with us & to go back there in the late afternoon at night.

From what he could tell from the footage is that it could be an active yowie area, well we will find out on the afternoon night mission mmm

So thats the latest guys!

Sounds good mate !

Wish you all the best with your efforts

Thanks mikka,
it will be handy having luck onour side, will keep you posted.

Dean if your reading this, thanks bro for your help, a friend of a friend, who is a deer hunter & has a gps & good at tracking of course will be coming with us soon on the next trek at bunyip state park.

outstanding work, would love to see the footage you got one day.

Nearly forgot

On the east side of Camphora picnic ground,
is a small stream. Across the stream and up
a track is a "lean-to" type structure.

Did you guys see it?

I told my Kids it was a "Bunyip house".
That gave them a laugh. Probably built by kids.

If you guys saw it, what was your take on it?

Cheers

Folcrom.

Hi Folcrom,
we didnt see it, or we dont understand which structure your talking about sorry my man. But will check it out next time bro.

cheers johnny

Hey there Yowie hunters,
I stumbled on this site while googling Bunyip State Forest. We have property in the forest and some of the comments were interesting.
Someone mentioned seeing farms/private properties inside the state forest. We are one of the lucky few to have a farm in Tonimbuk and we are surrounded by forest on three sides and Tonimbuk Rd. The reason there are private properties there is that they were there first. When the original landowners bought there was no state Forest. The only way you would get land in there now is if someone split up their land.There is 10 acres for sale not far from us on Tonimbuk Rd. A beautiful spot.The lady next door to the land split it from her large property. Maybe you could get a group together and buy it. Then you would be right in the thick of the forest-day and night.
Yes have seen more goannas this past summer than ever before. I come across them while riding my horses on the tracks around Black snake range. also Koalas, they could be cutting up the trees abit. Goannas strip them too.And yes they are quite large and prehistoric looking, haven't had any trouble with them though.
Sometimes we wonder what has damaged our fences or trampled and ripped up our paddocks. There is alot of different wildlife here. Lots of Samba deer, lyrebirds, koalas, platypus, kangaroo, many snakes, goanna etc.
Anyway, just thought I might have some imput to your forum.
Thanks
Kaz

G'day Kaz,
What sort of price are they asking for the land there ?
Cheers
Rob Mac

Hey Rob,
Mmm, somewhere between 300 and 400 thousand I think.
Kaz

Bit rich for my blood, especially for only 10acres or so.

Its all about location.
You'd be surrounded by State forest,
yet still quite close to Melbourne.

Odds are there'd be enviromental controls
on any building constructions.
I wonder if they'd let me build a Castle in
the middle of a state forest?

Folcrom.

Sounds reasonable to me, my house in Narrewarren is on an average house block and is worth around $350 thousand.... 10 acreas only about an hour from the city, remember, I'd say thats a good price! Now if I can only convince hubby and daughter to go back to living in a caravan for a little while, yet again! LMAO!

You'd be surrounded by State forest,
yet still quite close to Melbourne.

I was thinking of the country town of Emerald in Queensland.....

Had a look in Bunyip on Saturday. Stockdale and Leggo are the agents for the sale of the land mentioned. Photo in the agents window. Price- $359,000.00. There are the foundations of a house already there, so it would have permits for building. I think it has the power connected also. Like Dawn said, for what you get-its cheap.