Well as you may all know I won a trip to the Gold Coast thanks to AYR to spend some quality time with Pixie in some of her research areas and alas I was not disappointed I had an extremely good time. Pixie told me many stories and taught me many things but most importantly how to respect the Yowie.
A special thanks goes out to Dean for organising the flight, thanks my friend and to Pixie for her generous hospitality for which all this was made possible.
So here it is
Report:
Friday 10th October
Well after a rather restless nights sleep knowing full well that I had a big three days of Yowie searching ahead of me I awoke at around 8:00 in the morning. I packed some last minute essentials and was off for the airport by 10:00. I had to catch a tram, train and bus to get to the airport. It took me awhile to get there but I knew this trip would be worth it, as Pixie had previously told me she never comes back from her rounds without finding a footprint this I was eagerly awaiting to see. After arriving at the airport earlier than expected I had to wait around 2 hours before I could board for its 2:05 departure.
3:10 Queensland time I arrived at Coolangatta Airport. I had previously said to Pixie that I would wear my red Beanie so she could spot me as I got of the plane. After a few glances about the arrivals lounge we both spotted each other and then before you new it we were off to Site 1 and in deep discussion on the Yowie. Yay!
Site 1
Location: South Eastern Queensland
Terrain: Large native growth corridor of recovered bushland 80% eucalypt gum stretching several kilometers
Temp: 20'o
Weather: predicted storms.
Heavy rain clouds are approaching our location at a steady pace and we are definitely expecting it to rain within the next couple of hours.
Food preparation for site area begins at 5.30pm through the winter weeks, 6.30pm in summer. I have been briefed about starting times for activity in this location to be anything from 5.00pm to 9.30pm. And with no regular patterns for what nights during the week, so I'm not sure what I can expect this evening but one thing is for sure, Pixie prepares treats daily here regardless of low or high activity and I'm told that pretty soon today we will get started on that.
6:35 I was by myself and heard some bipedal movement to the left of me. Had what I thought to be a stick thrown in my direction I pretended to ignore the incident to try and entice it to throw again, no luck.
7:00. Pixie starts the food prep, items in site menu tonight are, two green apples sliced into quarters, 1 handful of strawberries two large Cavendish bananas and 5 portions of wholemeal bread, coated with peanut butter she adds that this amount will suit a smaller size pair that often spend several hours during the night here every three weeks or so or the 'new comer', a medium weight young male who she has grown accustomed to announcing his presents at an impressive speed ( hmm should I be concerned about that little detail.? Pixie is still smiling so I think I'm ok. ) will often race up and alongside the feed basket belting it as he passes, and continue on in the opposite direction to pause amongst thick cover briefly then sneak his way back to pick up the rewards. The feed items are transferred from prep area to a mobile feed basket positioned within a micro forest cluster made up of 12 Alpines all at the height of 5 meters at the south eastern side of the active area boundary.
Pixies food preparation Bowl
7:35pm As you may be aware, this is my weekend and so, Pixie invites me to be the bearer of goods that are to be placed onto a deep heavy wooden bowl inside the secured wirer basket that is hanging directly under a water proof covering and all suspended carefully by a rope and pulley system leading to a second level branch of one of the Alpines that make up the small cluster.
8:00pm we have been experiencing some subtle rock clapping sounds from behind a large lantana screen several meters downward from our position on and off since just before dark. Pixie has mentioned that this is common and heard more often then stick tapping.
Several times between 9.pm and 10.30pm short moments of bipedal walking along lantana just outside boundary has been observed. Also there was a strong odor in the air which smelt kind of like a strong rotting citrus like smell. Pixie informed me that this is what the Yowie does by giving off the body odor ether by farting or its natural sweat glands when it’s nervous.
The rest of the night was spent eating pizza and having deep conversations on the Yowie where by Pixie told me many fantastic stories.
12:00pm I was in bed for an early rise.
Saturday 11th October
I awoke at 5:00am and me and Pix prepared for the days outings. We had our food, lunch, and cameras, plaster for casting, any medical supplies in case of an emergency, ruler for measuring tracks, our rain coats, as showers were predicted for the day and of course ourselves. Our first stop was to pic up Pixies sister Ellie who lives not far from Pixie and before you new it all three of us were off to site 2.
Site 2
Location: North Eastern NSW
Terrain: Sub-tropical
Temp: 20’o
Weather: Cloudy predicted showers
Well after arriving at site two we stopped for a small Coffee break before moving off in search of the creek bed for prints and or anything else yowie related. It didn’t take us long before Pix had discovered a stick structure.
Pixies found stick structure
After nothing else was found at this part of the creek bed we moved off up steam for another smoke’o break before heading along the creek bed again. This time it didn’t take us long before we found our first print. Very fresh he/she (yowie) would have come through the area that morning. So we marked it with a stick and continued along the creek bed. No more than 20 metres up steam we found another series of prints these ones a bit older and not very good for casting after all the rain we had, there were some adult prints and also some baby prints there. Pix informed me that these would have to be about a 2 days old so we left them be and continued along the creek bed. About 40 meters up stream after climbing over numerous rock boulders we hit the jackpot a nice sandy bar full of prints all recent only a day old at the most.
Some pics of the prints found
Yowie Print measurements that were cast
2 prints at, 23cm length = 8 and a half cm width
2 prints at, 25cm length = 10cm width
There were plenty of other prints to measure but we didn’t measure them for some reason.
Not only did we find numerous Yowie prints but also 4 great Big Cat prints in the same sand bed. So here is another instance of Big Cats and Yowies being seen together.
Big Cat print
Big Cats print measurements
9cm across = 10cm from back pad to middle paw
After finding the prints it was decided to cast the best ones for preservation. Pixie did the honours of mixing the plaster and pouring it in the tracks.
Here is Pix mixing up the plaster
And her also pouring the mixture into a Big Cat Print
Here is the plaster sitting snugly in the Yowie Prints
Here is the sand bed where the prints were found
After we set the prints we needed to wait for them to dry so we decided to follow the yowie trail up steam until we could go no further. So back down the hill we came and waited for the prints to dry. Some time during the day after the walk to the swamp Pix and Ellie thought they heard a ‘scout’ (yowie call) I heard nothing as my mind was preoccupied with picking leaches of my shoes. Darn leaches.
After an hour or so the prints were ready to be lifted out of the creek bed. We packed the casts neatly in a plastic container and packed the rest of our things and headed back to the car with my new found prizes. All the prints were not definable as they were covered in sand, we where to find there true character once we cleaned them later that evening.
On our way back down the mountain Pixie stopped the car and got out, and headed up a small hill so pix could show me a massive stick structure which was a huge x shaped structure. I did take a picture of it but it didn’t come out to good. After a bit more of a look around we found nothing of interest apart from Pix and Ellie carrying on about some dead smell they could smell. After all three of us sniffing half the forest it was decided that that the smell was coming from some local trees. We then headed back down the hill to the car and headed of to site 3.
Site 3
Location: North Eastern NSW
Terrain: Coastal
Temp: 20’o
Weather: cloudy predicted showers
After arriving at site 3 we all went for a quick walk and soon found this, Pixie informed me that this is the local yowie who does this, after the locals (human variety) leave their rubbish about.
After nothing else was found here we headed back to the car.
After that we dropped Ellie back off to her place and headed back home to Pixies.
The night was spent cleaning the sand off the casts and watching Yowie report interviews that Paul Cropper had taped on DVD before I was of to bed by 11:00 pm. By the way the plaster casts turned out beautiful I was one happy chappie.
Some of the Casts that were cleaned
Sunday 12th October
I awoke at 6:30 only to find Joe from the board waking up at 7:30am. After only 2 hours sleep Joe had driven three hours during the night to be at Pixies by 3 am. So after an hour of getting to know Joe it was decided by me and Pix to head back to the same location as Saturday where we found the prints, that way if any Yowie had revisited the place we would have some fresh prints to cast.
Back to Site 2
Location: North Eastern NSW
Terrain: Sub-tropical
Temp: 20’o
Weather: Cloudy
Well after arriving back at site 2 Joe, Pixie and Myself ventured back to the creek bed where we had found the prints the following day , nothing new was to be discovered but some old prints that we had missed from the last day so we cast those and waited for them to dry. After taking the prints it was decided to leave the Yowies a bag of goodies for what they had given us (casts) apples and bananas to be exact. I hope the yowies enjoy them.
Picture of Pix and Joe on site
We couldn’t stay long at site because I had a plane to catch by 1:15 so once the plaster was set we headed off back to Pixies House. I packed some last minute things while Pixie helped pack my footprint casts. After some last minute goodbyes to Joe (Joe was a great guy to be around it’s a shame we had such little time together, only half a day) me and Pix where off to the airport for my flight back to Melbourne… To tell you the truth it was hard to say goodbye to Pix as I had an enormously good time not only from her company but from her knowledge out in the field she taught me a lot and told me many fascinating stories. I learnt a lot and I am very grateful for the privilege to have been chosen to accompany her on her rounds. So a big thanks goes out to Pixie I will treasure that weekend forever.
The Footprints once back at my house and Cleaned up
Unfortunately I lost quite a few prints in transit back home (they got broken in pieces) so I had to chuck out a most of the batch, luckily the 4 best prints made it in transit so I was happy by the end of it all.
So there you have it that’s my report like I have said I had an extremely good time though I was tired by the end of it all I was itching for more yowie adventures. I would like to again thank Dean and Pixie for such a great weekend something I will treasure forever. A big thanks to both of you!
