It was November of 2018, and the bush was quiet in the way it often is just before night fully settles in. Gary was driving alone along a remote stretch of road in rural Australia, his truck’s headlights cutting a narrow tunnel through the darkness.
The area was thick with scrub and trees, far from towns, far from help an ordinary route he had driven before without incident. Then something moved ahead of him.
At first, it appeared as a shadow crossing the edge of the headlights, tall and fast. Gary slowed instinctively, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. The shape didn’t move like a kangaroo, and it was far too tall to be a person.
Before he could react further, the figure stepped directly into the beam of his headlights.
It stood upright, massive at least three meters tall, nearly ten feet. Its body was thick and powerful, but its head seemed strangely small in proportion, sitting low on its shoulders. For a split second, neither moved.
Then the creature lunged forward.
With a sudden burst of force, it punched the hood of the truck, the impact loud and heavy, sending a shock through the vehicle. Gary froze, gripping the steering wheel as the truck rocked slightly from the blow.
The creature leaned in. Through the windshield, their eyes met. The moment felt intense and deliberate, not panicked or confused. The Yowie’s expression wasn’t wild it was focused, almost assessing, as if it was fully aware of Gary and the machine separating them.
The stare lasted only seconds, but it felt much longer.
Without warning, the creature turned away. With long strides, it moved off the road and into the surrounding bush, its large form vanishing into the foliage with surprising speed and silence for something so big.
Gary sat motionless, listening. No footsteps followed. No sounds came from the trees.
When he finally drove on, the road felt different longer, emptier. The dent in the hood was real, the memory sharper still. Whatever had stepped into the headlights that night had done so deliberately, left no explanation behind, and disappeared back into the Australian bush as quickly as it had appeared.
Key Details of Gary’s Encounter
When: November 2018.
Where: Beechmont Road, Gold Coast hinterland, Queensland, Australia (near Deepwater National Park).
The Creature: A towering, hairy, ape like being, described as 3 meters (around 10 feet) tall, weighing nearly 400kg, with large limbs and a chimpanzee like face.
The Incident: Gary saw what looked like a boulder move, then reveal itself as the Yowie, forcing him to brake; it stood upright, stared at him, and he felt it might have struck his truck.
Aftermath: Gary experienced nightmares and was deeply shaken, telling his story to Yowie hunter Dean Harrison.