A listener writes “At the age of approx 17 years of age, approx 1979, I attended a Outward Bound 2 week course at the Tharwa based camp south of Canberra.
During the course a group of youths would navigate through the bush near the end of the trek. Navigating along the ridges through the Tidbinbilla ranges and finishing navigating the Murrumbidgee River back to the base camp. .
I was with a group of about approx 10 youths. Each morning we would get up at sunrise and trek through the bush for 7 – 8 hours.
Near the end of the trek, we made camp on a ridge just before it got dark. We slept on plastic ground sheets covered by a single plastic. The cover sheets were strung up between a few trees or bushes. If you had to go to the toilet you would get the toilet roll and a shovel and go to your business.
After dinner, we were sitting around the camp centre light (as we were not allowed to make a fire due to fire bans at the time) and I thought I should go to the toilet before I got into my sleeping bag for the night. So I got up, crabbed the toilet roll and shovel and walked to the edge of the camp light. I thought “will I get a torch” and I thought, “no” I am not going far from the camp. I ventured into the dark and stopped about 5m from the camp. I could see the camp site and the other sitting around talking. I cleared some ground with my shoes and dropped my draws.
I was in the habit not to spend too long going to the toilet, just get out there, do the business and get back. As soon as I squatted down and started to try to go to the toilet, I immediately heard some branches breaking off to my left about 20m away. The sound was about 5m away for the camp but about 20 m away from my position.
The branch breaking was loud and sounded like a car or large animal of some kind was moving. Instead of the sound of branches breaking going away from me, it came closer to me. Within a few seconds the creature bashed its way through the bush in 3 or 4 steps towards me and came up to be directly behind me.
As the creature was approaching me I remembering thinking, “cant the guy hear this, why are they not all standing up wondering what was going on with all the branches breaking. I was still squatting and stayed still, and could hear the creature’s breathing just behind me.
I remember thinking, “how close is this thing going to get”. I thought, “if this thing was going to kill me I would be already dead”..
The other guys in the camp were still just sitting there in the camp and I knew it was just me and this thing. I thought – should I stand up and turn around and shout or should I just stand up slowly and walk back to camp. I thought I do not want to see what it is, so I just stood up slowly, did up my pants and walked back to camp. I was too scared to look at what it was.
When I got back to camp I said to the guys, “did you not hear all that noise out there” and they said “No”. I said “there is something out there” but everyone just seemed to ignore the comment.
Over the last 40 years, I have had a lot of time to think about the occurrence and came to the following conclusions. It was not a kangaroo or wild boar.
The creature was observing our camp and may have been following us for days. I feel it was not hostile but more curious about our activities.”
Rebecca T
EEEEEK!