South-Eastern NSW Yowie Expedition - October/November 2000

Results of the Gilroy South-eastern New South Wales Yowie Expedition.

by Rex Gilroy
Copyright © Rex Gilroy 2008.

This investigation, part of the on-going “Operation Yowie” project, aimed at gathering good circumstantial, as well as possible physical evidence, on the existence of these relict hominids.

Early pastoralists and others who penetrated the vast, virtually inaccessible mountainous forest country now included in the Wadbilliga and Deua National Parks sometimes reported having heard loud eerie hominid cries while around their campfires at night, or heard by day, cries echoing down the deep gullies.

There were claims also of sightings in those jungles, sometimes of small male or female 'ape-like' creatures, but also of beings two or even three times the height of a normal human carrying large wooden or stone clubs. These, and many more tales continued on into the early 20th century, and persists into the 21st century among the modern-day inhabitants of the Wadbilliga and Deua wilderness foothills.

It was these traditions that drew Heather and I to this region, during our October-November 2000 south-eastern NSW Yowie field expedition. On Thursday 2nd November, we made one of the most astounding finds of our almost 30 years partnership. Early that overcast morning we were driving inland from Bodalla on our way to the Deua National Park, when we crossed over the 3m high Eurobodalla bridge on the Tuross River.

As I happened to look down at a sandbar on my [passenger's] side I spotted, deeply embedded in the sand, a huge hominid foot impression. Pulling up on the north bank we walked back to the bridge's centre, below which was the sand bar containing the huge footprint.

The Tuross River is tidal, so that when the tide is out the river hereabouts virtually dries up, exposing its sandy bottom in many areas, particularly at this spot. Below the bridge the sandbar was 9 metres or so in width by just over 18 metres length, the bridge cutting across its centre, with river water flowing eastwards to the sea.

The distances between the dozen or so almost obliterated [submerged] footprints showed a stride of about 1.8 m. The foot impression, allowing for distortion, measured 100cm long by 40cm wide across the toes and 35cm wide at the heel, its depth being up to 5cm; all of which suggested an individual of at least 4.6m in height and of powerful build and strength!

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cont...

We could clearly see the track of a pushbike, made by a rider when pedalling over the moist sand the previous afternoon. There were also faint signs of children's footprints and scratching around the bike track and a huge [right] foot impression, almost obliterated by the rising tide the night before. We could still faintly detect a trail of enormous footprints beneath the shallow water on the north side of the sandbar.

The evidence suggested to us that children had been playing on the dried-up river bed, leaving the scene before dark, after which, the monstrous hominid [surely a male] had emerged from nearby forest country to cross open farmland, entering the river on its north bank, then strode across the sand on a north-west to south-east course for some 30 metres to stop at the base of the 3 metre high bridge, then turn directly west.

At this point this massive right foot had covered the bike track. Subsequently the tide had returned to cover or wash away most of the footprints, but for what remained on this sandbar, which by the time we appeared on the scene had become an island surrounded by [outflowing] water.

But how big was the maker of the monstrous foot impression? The distances between the dozen or so almost obliterated [submerged] footprints showed a stride of about 1.8 m. The foot impression, allowing for distortion, measured 100cm long by 40cm wide across the toes and 35cm wide at the heel, its depth being up to 5cm; all of which suggested an individual of at least 4.6m in height and of powerful build and strength!

Just after we photographed this lucky find light rain began to fall. We proceeded on our way, deep into the mountains. By the time we returned later that day, all trace of the "Tuross Giant" had vanished, washed away by the incoming tide.

Rex and Heather Gilroy can be contacted at the “Australian Yowie Research Centre”.
Phone 02 4782 3441;
email randhgilroy@optusnet.com.au; or
PO Box 202, Katoomba, NSW 2780.

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