North Queensland Yowie and Paranormal Encounters co-ordinator Lionel Carroll has shared the story on behalf of the man, who is still coming to grips with his ordeal.

It happened at Cannabullen Falls near Millaa Millaa – a spot the man avoided like the plague for years out of fear of running into his unseen pursuer again.

However, he finally overcame his terror and revisited the remote area of rainforest once again.

The most shocking part came when he made the unexpected discovery of a massive anthropomorphic footprint squashed into the mud.

A photo of the print next to his size 11 foot gives a sense of its immense scale.

“He’s really not a bigfoot person but he is the most active camping person I’ve seen in my life,” Mr Carroll explained.

“But after going to this place, he wouldn’t go out walking at night any more.

“He would still go camping but he would just sleep in the tent all night and go walking during the day.”

Here is what happened in the man’s own words.

Returning to my most feared place

Hey Lionel, so today I faced my fears and hiked back to Cannabullen Falls in the Misty Mountains with a chick that is fascinated about yowies and believes in them.

It’s a six-hour hike but no one else was on the track which was scary.

I was listening for any strange noises for wood knock but none.

However about halfway along the track among pig tracks, we found this footprint.

I took my hiking boot off to give a measurement of size.

I’m a size 11 shoe.

I was rubbernecking the whole track.

You can post this but don’t use my name.

I’ll include some other pics of interest.

They are definitely up there, but I’ll never go at night!

Mate I’m still s*** scared when I’m hiking because I know they’re out there but I really believe they mean us no harm and just want to stay away from us.

I only ran into the one up there because it was night time when they’re out.

No one would be hiking up there at night so I think it just wanted to scare us out of there.

I have had two encounters with yowies, the first in June 2011 on a hike and the second seven years later camping – and both very different.

I used to do a lot of very remote hiking and camping in the local area to try and keep fit and to find undiscovered waterfalls for my photography passion.

Fortunately I have some mates that enjoy hiking as well and most of the time there is always a few of us going together.

The first encounter scared us so much it took over five years to get the courage up enough to get back out hiking again, but only during the day.

Heading up the mountain

A mate and myself decided to hike to the top of Cannabullen Falls.

This was June 2011, five months after cyclone Yasi hit the area and my first mistake was thinking the track would be open.

However, when we got there we found a sign from National Parks saying it was closed due to damage from the cyclone.

Cannabullen Falls is in the Misty Mountains up near Millaa Millaa.

Our second mistake was we arrived there at lunch time, well after when we should have got there because the night before we had gone to the Kuranda Amphitheatre to see John Butler Trio and had a big night.

So, being used to doing hard hikes this was only two-and-a-half hours each way and fairly flat so we decided to go anyway.

Quite a few times we had to climb over trees and wait-a-while and stinging trees across the track.

We also twice had to run from wild boars and a cassowary along the track.

We got to the falls around 3pm and had a swim.

We left around 4pm thinking we would make it back to the carpark just on dark.

Our nearly fatal error

We didn’t see anyone because the track was closed and there is no mobile reception up that high in the mountains.

On the way back we somehow took a wrong turn and with it being so overgrown, we never realised.

After hiking half an hour, we came to a dead end.

Only then we realised we were going the wrong way.

Another half an hour back to where we turned the wrong way.

It was now about 5.30pm in the rainforest and we still had another hour and a half to my four-wheel drive.

I think we were about 30 minutes from the carpark in the dark and not having packed torches, the only light we had was from my iPhone.

What’s that noise?

We started hearing something ahead of us in the rainforest to our left about 30m away.

We stopped to listen as it was scratching the ground.

I thought it was either a pig, goanna or a cassowary.

So we very quietly, and as fast as we could, ran past where the noise was coming from.

We got maybe 30m ahead and then I could hear it following us.

It didn’t seen to get any closer but my mate started getting a bit freaked out because he was behind me in the dark and I was in front holding the iPhone light.

We stopped and the noise in the bush stopped as well.

My mate went in front of me and I held the light from behind.

The situation gets serious

We started walking again and so did the noise in the bush – and getting closer.

I was starting to get scared now and every 30 seconds I’d point the light into the bush but it was so dense and thick I didn’t see anything.

I asked my mate if we could walk faster but whatever was behind us was getting closer.

It must have been about 10m from us and then I could hear leaves and branches breaking above us.

A rock the size of a Besser block or bowling ball came through the top of the trees and landed about 3m away from us.

We both stopped in disbelief of what had just happened and trying to think what the hell could throw something that big!

Don’t look back, just run

It must have been only 20-30 seconds later a scream like the sound of a Tasmanian devil times 10.

The scream lasted like a lifetime but it scared us so bad we just ran like Usain Bolt on steroids!

I can remember hearing it crash through the bush onto the track behind us and the crashing of small trees.

I thought we were both going to die there.

We just ran and ran and fortunately not far ahead we came to a creek about 30m across.

I never had the guts to look behind me, I was so scared.

One, I didn’t want to see what was going to kill me and second, I was so worried if I’d looked around I might fall over and then I’m dead for sure.

We crossed the creek like Jesus walking on water and when we got to the other side I said to my mate I think we’re OK to take a breath because it stopped the other side.

Cold realisation finally hits home

It was another 15 minutes before we got to my four-wheel drive and only then we realised how scared we were.

I had p***ed my pants, they were soaked and only then noticed.

My mate I was more worried about, he just couldn’t stop shaking uncontrollably.

We drove about 45 minutes to Atherton Maccas to have a feed and coffee.

I remember the road was full of fog and even on that drive to Atherton, I was so scared something was going to jump out in front of us.

Both of us remember that day like it was yesterday and nearly every second we went through.

It has taken myself and my mate nearly eight years to get back hiking in the bush.

We are now very in tune to any noises we hear while hiking.

I had PTSD after that day, living it over and over – and the most scary thing was the scream this thing had.

Like a jet engine next to us with the terrifying noise like a woman getting murdered and screaming for her life.

Dealing with the aftermath

Well, only time has helped, and sharing this hopefully with others that have had similar experiences helps.

I’m no longer worried if people don’t believe me, because it’s probably only happened to very few people.

If you have had a very scary encounter I know how you feel and don’t be afraid – you’re not alone.

I will leave my second encounter for another time.

Thanks for taking the time to read my encounter.

chris.calcino@news.com.au