Yowiehunters Forum

Hi, I wanted to share our encounter with what I assume is a Yowie while camping in Gloucester, NSW October 2018.
We were positioned next to the river and had enjoyed several days with a large group of friends. Early Sunday morning around 4:45 am (still dark) we could here distant cows mooing, and many different birds making their various noises. After a little while a dog began to bark, I think less than 100 metres from the tent. The dog was barking incessantly and for a prolonged period, maybe a few minutes, not overly loudly but close enough to hear. Then I heard a low booming roar that silenced everything. It was very close by and the depth of noise was terrifying. Definitely not a cow, human or dog. I was so freaked out we packed up and went home as soon as the sun rose. I have small children and was just not interested in staying in an area where god- knows-what was stalking around the adjacent bush. I didn’t believe until that moment but I certainly do now as I have researched and am aware of sightings in the area. I can find no other explanation. I’ll never forget the sound as long as I love and will not be camping at Gloucester again.

Interesting. Are there any animals in Australia that can make that sort of deep booming roar?

MsMina wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 5:25 pm Hi, I wanted to share our encounter with what I assume is a Yowie while camping in Gloucester, NSW October 2018.
We were positioned next to the river and had enjoyed several days with a large group of friends. Early Sunday morning around 4:45 am (still dark) we could here distant cows mooing, and many different birds making their various noises. After a little while a dog began to bark, I think less than 100 metres from the tent. The dog was barking incessantly and for a prolonged period, maybe a few minutes, not overly loudly but close enough to hear. Then I heard a low booming roar that silenced everything. It was very close by and the depth of noise was terrifying. Definitely not a cow, human or dog. I was so freaked out we packed up and went home as soon as the sun rose. I have small children and was just not interested in staying in an area where god- knows-what was stalking around the adjacent bush. I didn’t believe until that moment but I certainly do now as I have researched and am aware of sightings in the area. I can find no other explanation. I’ll never forget the sound as long as I love and will not be camping at Gloucester again.

Sounds like you had pretty freighting experience, hope your okay. Did your friends stay on, be good to know if they en counted anything.
not a bush person getting there slowly, is it normal for cows to be mooing before the sun comes up?
Also what River where you camping at?

Hi sounds like a terrifying experience MsMina. I camp up that way fairly often, or venture on further to the Barrington Tops NP. Were you campng near Camp Cobark, or further on near Poleys Place ? or in the Gloucester Tops area ?
Cheers Rob

bassplyr wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 7:52 pm Interesting. Are there any animals in Australia that can make that sort of deep booming roar?

Not to my knowledge, I’ve not heard a sound like that in the bush before. No one had any suggestions. I was so intrigued by the depth of sound and the warning like tone.

Yowie Chaser wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:07 pm

MsMina wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 5:25 pm Hi, I wanted to share our encounter with what I assume is a Yowie while camping in Gloucester, NSW October 2018.
We were positioned next to the river and had enjoyed several days with a large group of friends. Early Sunday morning around 4:45 am (still dark) we could here distant cows mooing, and many different birds making their various noises. After a little while a dog began to bark, I think less than 100 metres from the tent. The dog was barking incessantly and for a prolonged period, maybe a few minutes, not overly loudly but close enough to hear. Then I heard a low booming roar that silenced everything. It was very close by and the depth of noise was terrifying. Definitely not a cow, human or dog. I was so freaked out we packed up and went home as soon as the sun rose. I have small children and was just not interested in staying in an area where god- knows-what was stalking around the adjacent bush. I didn’t believe until that moment but I certainly do now as I have researched and am aware of sightings in the area. I can find no other explanation. I’ll never forget the sound as long as I love and will not be camping at Gloucester again.

Sounds like you had pretty freighting experience, hope your okay. Did your friends stay on, be good to know if they en counted anything.
not a bush person getting there slowly, is it normal for cows to be mooing before the sun comes up?
Also what River where you camping at?

I was under the impression cows normally begin making noise at dawn, I thought it odd at the time for them to be making noise in the dark. We were camped 50 metres from Gloucester River, at the Gloucester Caravan Park. My friends were mostly asleep thought he children in the group mostly all heard it too. No one had any suggestions. One jokingly suggested a Yowie.

Robert P wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:29 pm Hi sounds like a terrifying experience MsMina. I camp up that way fairly often, or venture on further to the Barrington Tops NP. Were you campng near Camp Cobark, or further on near Poleys Place ? or in the Gloucester Tops area ?
Cheers Rob

We were about 50 metres from the Gloucester River at the Gloucester caravan park which backs onto thick bush at the foot of the mountains.

I was apart of two Yowie groups who joined up to do two nights research last year. We walked around the campsite at the base of the Barrington Tops near the river. Over the two nights we recorded wood knocks and something running away from us in the bush while we walked along one of the trails. On the final night I thought I saw something and decided to go into the bush while filming with my 4k night vision camera. I was unable to film anything but a fellow researcher has actually caught what we suspect is a Yowie. Really freaky when I was so close to it in the bush. As it's not my video footage I can't upload on here. I was shown the footage while I was at Nana Glen to do a talk and was amazed how much was captured and how close it was to me. Camouflaged very well in its environment.

MsMina wrote: Thu Feb 07, 2019 1:25 pm We were about 50 metres from the Gloucester River at the Gloucester caravan park which backs onto thick bush at the foot of the mountains.

I had need to camp in the Gloucester Holiday (Caravan) Park (I assume you mean the one to the west and within walking distance of the township of Gloucester itself - correct me if I'm wrong) for a period in September-October last year whilst getting my broken down vehicle repaired (clutch and hydraulics). I pitched my small tent near the entrance and not in the main camping area. There is remnant bush beside the river, but then cleared pastures between that and the range behind. I would not say that the "caravan park . . . backs onto thick bush at the foot of the mountains" at any point. Check at Google Earth. Heard plenty of birds and barking dogs but nothing much else.

yowiedan wrote: Thu Feb 07, 2019 2:47 pm I was apart of two Yowie groups who joined up to do two nights research last year. We walked around the campsite at the base of the Barrington Tops near the river. Over the two nights we recorded wood knocks and something running away from us in the bush while we walked along one of the trails. On the final night I thought I saw something and decided to go into the bush while filming with my 4k night vision camera. I was unable to film anything but a fellow researcher has actually caught what we suspect is a Yowie. Really freaky when I was so close to it in the bush. As it's not my video footage I can't upload on here. I was shown the footage while I was at Nana Glen to do a talk and was amazed how much was captured and how close it was to me. Camouflaged very well in its environment.

Wow that’s really scary! I cannot imagine actually going looking for one, you guys must have nerves of steel. Thanks for your comment, very interesting!

MsMina wrote: Thu Feb 07, 2019 1:25 pm

Robert P wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:29 pm Hi sounds like a terrifying experience MsMina. I camp up that way fairly often, or venture on further to the Barrington Tops NP. Were you campng near Camp Cobark, or further on near Poleys Place ? or in the Gloucester Tops area ?
Cheers Rob

We were about 50 metres from the Gloucester River at the Gloucester caravan park which backs onto thick bush at the foot of the mountains.

I'm heading up to the Barrington Tops today. I'm going up for 2 nights, via East Gresford . You do hear some odd noises late at night up there, and spot the occasional Quoll.
Cheers Rob

Robert P wrote: Fri Feb 08, 2019 7:55 am

MsMina wrote: Thu Feb 07, 2019 1:25 pm

Robert P wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:29 pm Hi sounds like a terrifying experience MsMina. I camp up that way fairly often, or venture on further to the Barrington Tops NP. Were you campng near Camp Cobark, or further on near Poleys Place ? or in the Gloucester Tops area ?
Cheers Rob

We were about 50 metres from the Gloucester River at the Gloucester caravan park which backs onto thick bush at the foot of the mountains.

I'm heading up to the Barrington Tops today. I'm going up for 2 nights, via East Gresford . You do hear some odd noises late at night up there, and spot the occasional Quoll.
Cheers Rob

Hi

I have camped quite a few times in the Chichester State Forest on the Allyn River. Nice spot and some good swimming holes.
I have never heard or seen anything out of the ordinary. I have no doubt yowies would inhabit the area.
You have to travel almost 20km on a dirt road before reaching the forest. No mobile phone reception from East Gresford onwards,unless you have satelite reception.
Last time on the way out there while driving I did notice a rock stack in a creek on the r/h side of road. I never stopped to look at it close up.
Just letting you know that once it gets dark there are quite a few fire flies around which have a very bright white glow. Spooked me the first time I saw them until I worked out what they were.

Cheers

Hi Yowiedan

That footage your friend has where the yowie was with in close proximity to you. I'd love to know more details.

About how close do you believe the animal is in the video to yourself?

Was it a situation where you were approaching the animals position unaware you were walking right towards it? Or was it a situation where you walked right past it and the animal was right off the side of the trail?

Was the animal hunkered down hoping to not attract any attention to its self. Or was it slowly moving or maneuvering to get closer or further from you? Ie ...was it trying to escape and evade you or did it seem like it was stalking you?

Finally. did the yowie also appear to be aware of your friend filming it. Or was it oblivious to your friends presence.

bassplyr wrote: Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:02 pm Hi Yowiedan

That footage your friend has where the yowie was with in close proximity to you. I'd love to know more details.

About how close do you believe the animal is in the video to yourself?

Was it a situation where you were approaching the animals position unaware you were walking right towards it? Or was it a situation where you walked right past it and the animal was right off the side of the trail?

Was the animal hunkered down hoping to not attract any attention to its self. Or was it slowly moving or maneuvering to get closer or further from you? Ie ...was it trying to escape and evade you or did it seem like it was stalking you?

Finally. did the yowie also appear to be aware of your friend filming it. Or was it oblivious to your friends presence.

On the last night, we decided to walk along the road and see what we could see or hear. There were five of us we all had torches and I had a parabolic dish to record any noises made while we were out there. My wife and I walked about 100 metres away from the others and we heard a wood knock in the bush so we stopped there. While we were listening for more noises the others caught up to us and we all slowly walked along the road. We didn't walk too far as the road became steep and we decided to walk back to the campsite. While walking back I thought I saw something move and did say " Was that a shadow from a torch shining in the bush or did I see something move?". So we all then concentrated on that area and shone our torches into the bush. While everyone did this I walked into the bush and used my night vision camera to film. I didn't film the bush that was to my left as everyone was shining their torches that way and thought if something was there they would see it even though the bush was very thick there. I concentrated on the bush straight ahead and to my right, I was in the bush for around 5 minutes and heard nothing so decided to go back to the road. I was only about 3 metres away from where it was situated in the bush. We didn't see it at the time and we all left and walked back to the campsite and decided to have something to eat before we headed out again later in a different direction. It was very cold and was -7 that night. I was shown the video a few months later and you can clearly see something move in the bush and can make out limbs etc. As I stated It's not my video and can't upload it on here. I will go back there in the future to research more.