Yowieeeeeee! A monstrous mockumentary

We are approached frequently to drop everything and help production companies with their documentaries. And sometimes we do! :-)

We helped these friendly folk with some locations for their yowie mockumentary recently - looks like fun!

 

More Blue Mountains Yowie witnesses

Mike Williams has dug deep into his video archive of yowie witnesses and produced another gem. Thanks Mike! Enjoy...

Source:LiveScience

The Live Science website has made this cracker graphic freely available to promote its story on bigfoot-type creatures, so pop on over and check it out!

"The big hairy monster we call Bigfoot has both eluded and fascinated many, with blurry photos and even blurrier video being some of the best evidence the creature exists.

"The Down Under variety, dubbed Yowie, reportedly stands anywhere from 5 to 11 feet (1.5 to 3.4 meters) tall, and has yellow or red eyes deeply set inside a dome-shaped head."

We wonder what a similar survey would turn up in Australia?

Read more here.

Chasing Blue Mountains yowies - a flashback!

Reflecting on Chief's glorious life, we realised that it might be timely to trot out this great feature run in Ralph magazine many, many years ago - about eight by our reckoning. Thank you to Sean for digging it up :-)

Enjoy the read...

Yowie footprints in the bush?

Is this a Yowie footprint?

This bushwalker is puzzled when he finds a solitary human-looking footprint in otherwise remote, untouched bushland. What do you think?

Yowie encounters on the NSW South Coast

We've pulled up some more video from the archives about one of our favourite topics - the yowie!

Two glowing red eyes, an ominous growl, flying stones, tortured screams...what could it have been?

Listen to Mike's interview with this NSW witness...

The Lake George Yowie

Over the years we've amassed quite a bit of interesting footage - mostly witness interviews but occasionally wildlife footage as well. We've also been given footage to share, and this latest offering from authors Tony Healy and Paul Cropper is a pearler - an interview with a man who saw the Lake George Yowie in the mid-1970s!

Lake George (also known by its indigenous name Weereewa - 'bad water') is an aquatic conundrum, a 25km long shallow, salty body of water that lies between Sydney and the nation's capital, Canberra. Its ebb and flow - the Lake will dry up completely for years at a time - has been the source of much local superstition and legend. Several fishermen and five Duntroon military academy cadets have drowned in its waters, and all manner of things have been found when the waters have receded - including a plane!

All kinds of phenomena has visited its unpredictable shore - ghosts, UFOs, and as you'll hear now, even Australia's own bigfoot, the yowie!

Revisiting the Mt George Yowie

A sketch of the hairy creature the women saw.

Yesterday we brought you the story of a potential case of mistaken identity involving the 2009 yowie sighting at Mt George, NSW.

The witnesses recreate what they saw at the roadside.

Manning River police now believe that the two witnesses, Faye Burke and Alana Garrett, may have actually seen the afro-enhanced silhouette of fugitive Malcolm Naden.

But let's revisit what the two women claimed in the aftermath of their sighting:

"I looked back up at the road and I saw ahead in the headlights this big hairy animal thing on the side of the winding road," Faye said. "It was about eight foot tall and four foot wide."

Alana said they yelled out "holy hell" along with a list of other unmentionable words. "We panicked," they said.

"I couldn't turn the car around because I had the trailer and the road was too narrow," Faye said. "I was s**t-scared and thought I better not mess with this thing in case it lifts the trailer up and tips us over the bank edge."

Keeping her foot on the accelerator and speeding past the thing, Faye said she turned to Alana and said: "Did you see that? She said in a scared voice: 'Do you mean that thing that looked like a Big Foot?' I said: No it was a Yowie." And Alana screamed back: "Same thing!".

"After we reached the top of the hill I wanted to turn around and get a photo with my mobile phone," Faye said.

But Alana was too scared to go back. She said if the passenger window had been wound down she could have reached out and touched it.

Faye and Alana said the hairy thing stood perfectly still "like it was at attention".

"Its back was facing us and it was looking into the embankment next to the road and it had dark chocolate brown hair which was all matted," Alana said.

They described the creature that they saw as being "eight foot tall, four foot wide" with dark matted hair.

Hardly comparable to Naden's description, which has him at 177cm tall - five foot 10 in the old scale.

The pair also mention they were fearful the creature might lift the trailer and tip their car over the edge of the steep embankment.

It seems unlikely that driving past a man of average height would invoke the same level of fear. And even given the fact Naden now apparently sports an impressive afro, grown during his years on the run, could his new 'do really be mistaken for a thick body-covering coat of hair?

So once again we revisit yesterday's question - Hairy Man or hairy man?

Yowie may have been 'most wanted' fugitive

One for the 'Hmmmmmm' files...

Bush fugitive Malcolm Naden (pictured below) may have been as far east as Mount George in August 2009 when two women saw what they believed was a "yowie" on Nowendoc Road, police believe.

The Manning River Times reported at the time that the two women were approaching Connelly's Creek Gap "just the other side of Mt George" at 7.30pm and saw "a big hairy animal thing" illuminated in their headlights on the side of the winding road.

Faye Burke and Alana Garnett from Wingham said the hairy thing stood perfectly still "like it was at attention" and had dark "chocolate brown hair which was all matted."

Researcher Paul Cropper investigated the Mount George sighting in 2009 and you can read about the case over at his excellent site, www.yowiefile.com (in fact, you should really buy the book he co-authored with Tony Healy on the subject of bipedal beasts, The Yowie: In Search of Australia's Bigfoot).

So what do you think? Hairy Man or a hairy man?

The cheeky fox and the yowie men

If you spend enough time in the Australian bush you'll see all kinds of animals - many of them not native. This very tame - or game - fox made friends with some Canberra yowie hunters and visited their campsite for a cheeky feed of bacon and sausages!

The intrepid cryptid hunters did come across a bit of strangeness in the wilderness - what looked to be an unusual print and a strange 'structure' of sticks. Or was it?

Dean Harrison talks about his terrifying yowie encounter

Australian Yowie Research's Dean Harrison gave this interview to CFZ Australia's Mike Williams about his unusual Yowie encounter.

Qld yowie witness shares encounter

Over the years the CFZ Australia mob have amassed a reasonable amount of witness accounts on video, which we are now uploading to our Youtube channel for readers to enjoy.

Here is one such account, which occurred in south-east Queensland, just outside Brisbane.

From the archives: Australia has its Yowie (1970s)

Special thanks to Mike Hardcastle over at Steampunk and Phenomena: Mad Science and Natural History, Victorian Style.

Gary Opit talks yowies et al

Naturalist and ABC Radio regular Gary Opit talks about yowies, big cats, thylacines and other mystery animals of the Australian bush on internet radio.

Yes Virginia, there are hairy men in Canberra

Well, hairy men at least, as evidenced by this mural discovered by eagle-eyed CFZ contributor David Hearder in Canberra.

So who are these hairy men? And from where did they come?

The mural is etched in granite and graces Magna Carta Place in Canberra, a monument to commemorate the centenary of Federation of Australia and a gift from the British Government. The site was dedicated in 1997, which was the 700th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta by King Edward I of England. But back to the hairy men.

The French mural Bal des Ardents, which translates as 'Ball of the Burning Men', depicts a very real event - a rather grim ending to an evening of masquerade in 1393.

As Wikipedia sums it up: On 29 January 1393, at the behest of the king, a grand party was organized to celebrate the wedding of one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting at the Hotel de Saint Pol. At the suggestion of a Norman Squire, Huguet de Guisay, the King and four other lords dressed up as wild men and danced about chained to one another. They were "in costumes of linen cloth sewn onto their bodies and soaked in resinous wax or pitch to hold a covering of frazzled hemp, so that they appeared shaggy and hairy from head to foot".

At the suggestion of one of the "wild men," Yvain de Foix, the king commanded – in view of the obvious danger of fire – that the torch-bearers were to stand at the side of the room. Nonetheless, the King's brother, Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans, who had arrived late, approached with a lighted torch in order to discover the identity of the masqueraders, and he accidentally set one of them on fire.

Alternatively, it may have been a plot to kill the mentally deficient king. In any case, there was panic as the fire spread. The Duchess of Berry, to save a dancer who had come near her to intrigue and tease her, threw the train of her gown over him, and it was soon revealed to her that the life she had saved was the king's. Several Knights who tried to put out the flames were severely burned on their hands. Four of the wild men perished: Sir Charles de Poiters son of the Count of Valentinois, Huguet de Guisay, Yvain de Foix and the Count of Joigny. Another, Jean son of the Lord de Nantouillet, saved himself by jumping into a dishwater tub.

So you see, there really are hairy men in Canberra!

Magna Carta Place in Canberra.

Meet the Cryptozoologist: Dean Harrison

How did you first get involved in researching strange and mysterious creatures?
It found me I guess. First experience was in '95 in my back yard around midnight while living at Mt. Tamborine, Queensland. I arrived home to something large and bipedal walking in the swamp, ripping up trees and plants and throwing them through the forest. The vocalisations were that of grunting and yelling.

The event that sealed my research was when I was stalked and chased at 11pm at Ormeau, Queensland in '97. I know if it had got hold of me, I would not be here now. I was very lucky. If I had not stopped where I did to make a phone call, there would have been no chance of escape.

After an event such as that, you need answers.

Soon after that, I met Neil Frost and the roller coaster ride began.

What were some of the early influences in your life?
Nothing cryptozoology-wise, besides the old ‘In Search Of’ series. I think if anything, I was more interested in the ghosty/spirit thing.

Have you personally seen one of these creatures?
Yowie. Sure have. Even hit by one in 2009. Over the years we have spent a lot of time in various locations around the Country. Had many encounters in different locations.

What creatures particularly interest you?
Pretty much just the Yowie. It’s what I know, and have the most experience with.

What cryptids are most likely to exist in your opinion?
Yowie (of course), Thylacine (because I have seen one) and Big Cats.

What’s your favourite?
Yowie.

What’s your favourite Australian food?
Steak Diane with chips.
I don't like those foreign foods with funny names.

Have you developed any theories around where the more unusual animals - i.e. yowies/bigfoot - have come from?
Don’t know and don’t care really. The fact of the matter is that they are here. The rest is just the fine print.

Have you written any books/articles?
Articles here and there; I am often asked to write a book, however I don’t have the concentration span for a book right now.

Do you have a website?
www.yowiehunters.com

http://www.facebook.com/Dean.Harrison.AYR?ref=profile

How many mystery animal reports would you receive a year?
Perhaps 100-150 on various topics.

What’s the closest you’ve personally come to finding something?
Being hit in the chest is pretty close.

What’s the farthest you’ve traveled to go ‘in search of’ mystery animals?
Australia to the Amazon. Also went to the Solomon Islands.

What’s next for you - any trips planned? Books or articles to write? Talks to give?
Waiting for winter to head north, then it’s time to pull the boots on, dust off the FLIR and be active again.

Could you share some of your favourite cryptozoology book titles with us?
I don’t feel I need to read books - I create my own experiences. Having said that, obviously Paul and Tony’s books ‘Out of the Shadows’ and ‘The Yowie’ are a must-read for anyone. I certainly did enjoy both. Oh, and let's not forget Mike and Bec’s Big Cats!

What advice would you give anyone getting into the field of cryptozoology?
Get along with other researchers. Share info. It’s a team effort.

More on the Grafton Yowie

Yowie researcher and author Paul Cropper was interviewed recently on ABC Radio in relation to the latest Yowie sighting - north of Grafton, NSW - to hit the headlines. 

“In our book we recorded around 350 reports going back to the late 1700s, early 1800s, but I imagine there’s a lot more than that which don’t ever reach the media – people have these experiences and then just keep it to themselves,” Mr Cropper told the Daily Examiner last week.

“One thing you can say with absolute certainty is that Aborigines and Europeans have been recording these things for a long time – the Aboriginal stories go back to the Dreamtime and the European stories go back to basically the first settlement … there’s just this consistent thread of stories up until (last) Tuesday morning."

The related ABC Radio interview is great and the witness statement sounds intriguing indeed! Have a listen.

If you're interested in reading about similar sightings, or checking out the Bible of Yowie research, The Yowie: In Search of Australia's Bigfoot, be sure to drop by Paul and co-author Tony Healy's website www.yowiefile.com.

What does the Yowie really look like?

Just what does a Yowie look like? It is commonly described as 'ape-like', but sports many other attributes according to witnesses.

Some report the creature has "glowing red eyes" like the picture above, created by Australian artist Sharaya Brooks, and that it moves with supernatural speed. 

Some people believe tales of the Yowie paint the creature as more faerie-like than fierce physical beast.

Aboriginal lore does support the existence of 'little people’ (of a small, hairy variety) in Australia – the yuuri (pronounced 'yawri’, not unlike Yowie) or 'brown jack’, which fulfil a similar role to that of European elves and leprechauns, guarding certain places, granting favours and playing tricks on people.

Early colonial encounters describe the creature as "gorilla-like"with black hair, or "half baboon half man". The animal regularly startled white settlers, spooked indigenous people and frightened horses and livestock.

Other descriptions refer to the Yowie as a monster - a "big hairy thing", "man like" and hulking - ranging in size from 4ft-10ft in height - with shaggy, woolly hair.

"Like a huge man with hair all over it" with an "ugly and hairy" face, according to one witness whose horse was frightened by the creature.

One thing many witnesses agree on is the smell the creature exudes - like "something dead", rancid, stinking, a "burnt bakelite smell", and like "something electrical".

"It was like an elephant on two legs wearing size 20 boots," Blue Mountains resident Neil Frost would later describe the ape-like creature he encountered in thick bush near his backyard to local police.

His neighbour Ian described the monster as "7ft [2m] tall, two of me in build. I weigh 100kg [16st], so we’re looking at a creature at least three times my body mass. It was big. It ran sort of like a person, but not quite. There was something odd in its gait... It was a big hairy beastie."

An article from 1842 reads: "The natives of Australia...believe in...[the]Yahoo...This being they describe as resembling a man...of nearly the same height,...with long white hair hanging down from the head over the features...the arms as extraordinarily long, furnished at the extremities with great talons, and the feet turned backwards, so that, on flying from man, the imprint of the foot appears as if the being had travelled in the opposite direction. Altogether, they describe it as a hideous monster of an unearthy character and ape-like appearance."

In an article entitled “Australian Apes” appearing in the 1880s, a Mr. H. J. McCooey, claimed to have seen an "indigenous ape" on the south coast of New South Wales: "A few days ago I saw one of these strange creatures…on the coast between Bateman’s Bay and Ulladulla… I should think that if it were standing perfectly upright it would be nearly 5 feet high. 

"It was tailless and covered with very long black hair, which was of a dirty red or snuff-colour about the throat and breast. Its eyes, which were small and restless, were partly hidden by matted hair that covered its head… I threw a stone at the animal, whereupon it immediately rushed off…”

Kilcoy claims to be the home of the mythical Yowie, Australia's equivalent of Bigfoot or the Yeti, which is said to live in the hills around Kilcoy. There is a large wooden statue of the creature in town (above and below) that looks more man than ape.

Some local boys saw the creature, which they said was three metres tall and "smelled of sulphur".

Yowies in the Blue Mountains

Some CFZers caught up last week with Percy aka "Mountain Man" about his strange encounters with a 7-8ft 'man' while exercising horses in the greater Blue Mountains area. The mysterious man beast sent his horse into a frenzy on more than one occasion...

Dale Drinnon's Yowie theory - mystery solved?

Over at Frontiers of Zoology, a relatively new blog in the CFZ family, artist and writer Dale Drinnon speculates that some reports of Australia's 'Bigfoot', the Yowie may, in fact, be OOPAs (out of place animals) - specifically, orang-utans from neighbouring Indonesia.

Read more about his theory at Frontiers of Zoology.

While we can't say we 100 per cent agree (some of those Yowie reports are, after all, too strange for words!), it's certainly one of the more original ideas to be put forward in recent times.

And just in case anyone is wondering, we certainly had orangutans in Australian parks (and possibly circuses) during the 1800s, as evidenced by this advertising from 1895 spruiking the 'Wild Man of the Woods'.