The Grand Beginning

At the crack of dawn, Scarlett wriggled into her gumboots and plonked her explorer’s hat firmly on her head. 

Jack the Cavoodle was already doing turbo-tail-wagging, and Dixie the Kelpie was bouncing like she had springs in her paws.

“Today,” Scarlett announced in her most serious voice, “we are hunting for the long-lost Yowie bear!”

Jack yipped. Dixie barked. 

Somewhere in the gum tree above, a kookaburra burst into hysterical laughter, as if it knew something they didn’t.

Into the Whispers of the Rainforest

They tiptoed into the rainforest, where giant tree ferns loomed like feathered umbrellas and mist curled around their ankles like shy ghosts. The air smelt deliciously of moss, mud, and minty eucalyptus.

“Eyes peeled, team,” Scarlett whispered. “The Yowie could be peeking… or sneaking… or even squeaking.”

Jack sniffed. Dixie scanned the treetops. The forest hummed back mysteriously.

Flutterings and Rustlings

A lyrebird shot across the path like a feathery firecracker, its magnificent tail trailing behind. A dazzling blue Ulysses butterfly swooped right past Scarlett’s nose.

“The forest is ALIVE!” she giggled.

Dixie pricked her ears and froze. Something magical was definitely nearby…

The Glowing Clue

They reached an enormous strangler fig, twisted and knotted like a giant’s knobbly toes. Inside its hollow trunk, a soft golden glow shimmered.

Scarlett leaned in.

There were swirling scratch marks that twinkled like starlight… and gum leaves arranged into a perfect little smile.

“Yowie signs!” she breathed. “He must have a very cheeky sense of humour.”

The Chase Begins

Suddenly—“ARF ARF!”
 

Jack bolted through the banksia scrub like a furry rocket. Dixie zoomed after him.

“WAIT FOR ME!” Scarlett shouted, scrambling after them.

They dashed beneath leaning tree ferns and past glowing blue fungi that flickered like fairy lanterns.

A Clue

At last the dogs skidded to a stop beside a bubbling rainforest creek. King ferns arched overhead like giant green fans.

On a smooth rock lay a little tuft of soft, silvery fur… and a tiny smiling face painted in rusty ochre.

“A clue!” Scarlett gasped. “A REAL one!”

A platypus rippled the water approvingly.

Wombat Wisdom

The golden wattles trembled—and out waddled a big, chunky wombat blinking sleepily.

“Well hello, Mr Wombat,” Scarlett said politely.

The wombat sniffed, snorted, and then—quite rudely but very helpfully—scratched a long arrow in the dirt pointing deeper into the forest.

A wallaby peeked from the bushes, her joey blinking shyly at the explorers.

“Even the wallaby knows something’s up,” Scarlett whispered.