Located in far north Queensland, Australia, sits a mountain of rocks, known as Black Mountain. It’s an eerie terrain, appearing all the more mysterious after rainfall, where the mass of granite boulders become darker. As far back as the late 1800s, people and animals have been recorded as missing, earning it the label Australia’s Bermuda Triangle.
In 1877, a farmer riding on horseback, searched the area for his missing cattle, but neither he, his horse or his cattle were ever seen again. Since then, gold miners, police, and Aboriginal trackers are known to have disappeared. In the 1920s, a couple of men attempted to solve the disappearances, only to have met the same fate.
There are, however, some documented cases where the missing have returned. In the 19th century, an Aboriginal tracker came back ‘completely unhinged,’ the lone survivor of a search team. A gold miner was found next to his rifle with a bullet wound to the head, and a hiker was found dead from unknown causes. Such incidents have only added to its mystique.
A sacred place for the local indigenous people of the area, they hold Black Mountain in great respect. One of the Dreamtime stories tell of a fight between two brothers who were in love with the same woman. They threw rocks at each other, culminating in their deaths, leaving behind the pile of stones.
Like Uluru, the indigenous community advise people not to climb Black Mountain. There have been cases where those who choose to ignore such warnings have become very ill. The Aboriginals believe they are being tormented by the spirit of their ancestors.
The topography of Black Mountain may explain the number of disappearances over the years, however, people who venture around the area speak of a supernatural presence and feelings of dread.
When it comes to Black Mountain, it may be wise to heed the warnings, and err on the side of caution.
How spooky. I wouldn’t want to tempt fate and venture around Black Mountain!
Nor me! This is another place I’d be happy to avoid.