CHAPTER NINE

The Jenolan Caves

Joe pulled off the track and hopped down from the wagon to read the faded signpost.

It said: JENOLAN CAVES ONE MILE

‘Well … we’re nearly there. But what say we rest here for a bit to stretch our legs and boil the billy?’

Howie eagerly agreed. A break was just what he needed. The closer they got to their destination, the more anxious he became. Very soon now, his friend would continue on to Sydney Town, while he’d be left all on his own. Joe’s happy-go-lucky and carefree nature had made him a great travelling companion and Howie knew he would miss him terribly.

‘I’m beginning to wish I’d stayed at home,’ he confessed. ‘At least I knew what to expect and had friends who cared about me. Do you think I’ve made a big mistake, Joe?’

‘No, Howie, I don’t. But it’s only natural that you’re nervous. Matter of fact, I feel a bit that way myself. Not about going home, of course but the idea of sailing halfway around the world bothers me. I’m a very poor sailor and get dreadfully seasick.’

This cheered Howie up a little. At least he was better off than Joe. He had never seen the ocean or been on a ship but being seasick certainly didn’t sound like fun. He was still worried though.

‘Do you think that hunter was telling the truth, Joe? You know… about Yowies living in the Blue Mountains?’

‘Hmm ...’ answered Joe, using a long stick to lift the billy lid and check if the water was boiling. ‘It’s hard to know whether a scoundrel like that ever tells the truth! But I reckon if there are other Yowies, then this is the most likely place to find them. Why, I’ve heard stories about all kinds of strange animals and creatures that live around here.’

‘Like what?’

‘Well the black panther, for one. Lots of people reckon they’ve seen them—enormous black cats with yellow eyes and long, sharp fangs. They say that gold miners from America brought them over and set them loose.’ Joe paused while he added a handful of tea leaves to the boiling water and produced some of the fruit cake that Mary Richards had packed for them.

Howie was puzzled. ‘Why did they set them loose? It doesn’t make sense.’

‘For sport. So they could go hunting. And just like the foxes that were brought over from England for the same reason, they ended up being a pest, killing sheep and cattle and native animals.’

Howie shook his head sadly. There were so many things about humans that he didn’t understand, especially this idea of hunting and killing animals for sport.

Joe continued. ‘There’s something much worse than panthers, though. It’s a monster called a Bunyip. From what I’ve heard, it’s a pretty nasty kind of creature. Until I met you, I always thought Bunyips and Yowies were related in some way, but I don’t believe it now.’

‘What have you heard, Joe?’

‘All kinds of things, like … it’s a huge beast, half lizard, half ant, with big red eyes on the side of the head and sharp fangs. It lives in the swamps and billabongs and comes out at night to hunt.’ Joe shuddered. ‘It eats whatever it can find, including people!’

‘Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to be related to anything like that,’ said Howie. ‘I’d rather not have any family at all.’

The two friends sat on a fallen log while they drank their tea and tucked into the fruit cake. They remained silent for some time, each lost in thought.

Joe closed his eyes and tried to picture the look on his mother’s face when he finally returned home. He’d been away for a long time and could hardly wait to see his family again.

Howie was thinking about where they were now headed—the vast network of underground caverns called the Jenolan Caves. Although Joe had never explored the caves himself, he seemed to know a fair bit about them. At the start of their journey, he’d told Howie of the bushranger who first discovered the caves and used them as a hideout before eventually being captured.

Joe felt that if there were Yowies in the mountains, they would most likely use the Jenolan Caves for the same reason as the bushranger had—as a safe place to hide. In any case, he thought it was a good place to begin the search, and Howie had agreed.

After their brief stop, the two companions continued on their way. They soon came to the “hidden valley” and passed through a huge rock archway called the Devil’s Coach House.

Before saying their final goodbyes, Joe produced a backpack from the wagon and gave it to Howie.

‘Here, mate, take this. There’s a few things you might need, like a penknife … some candles and matches … a can opener. Oh, and most important of all, some tins of baked beans!’ They both laughed.

Joe smacked his forehead. ‘I can’t believe I nearly forgot the most important item you’ll need when you’re caving.’ He scrabbled round in the back of the wagon and pulled out a coil of thick rope. It was the one they had used for tying up the bushranger. ‘Here you go,’ he said as he handed it over. ‘You wouldn’t get too far without this!’

Howie held back tears as he watched his friend climb aboard the wagon. He wondered if he would ever see him again. A moment later, Joe gave a final wave and set off down the track, slowly disappearing from sight and leaving Howie completely on his own!

He filled up his drink bottle with water from a nearby stream, placed it in his backpack, and took a deep breath. He was so excited, he could hardly contain himself.

The quest to find his family had now begun.