Near GZ you will find a monument erected by the residents in memory of five sportsmen from Bunyip who were killed in an air disaster at Daly Waters in the Northern Territory in December 1967.
The aircraft that crashed was a Cessna U206A, VH-RXF. The pilot, Peter Limon, had just returned to Moorabbin Airport after an eight day trip to Alice Springs, Broome, Darwin. While unloading his aircraft, Peter Limon was approached by the five people killed, who were looking into chartering an aircraft for a trip to the Northern Territory.
They engaged Peter Limon who hired the Cessna from Flinders Island Airways to fly them and the aircraft came down during a tropical thunderstorm just short of Daly Waters airstrip on 29 December 1967. It later emerged that Mike Breheny had survived the impact and had died from the effects of multiple minor fractures and exposure at some stage during the four days it took rescuers to locate the wreckage in the remote bushland. The pilot was also killed in the disaster.
For more reading visit http://pakenham.starcommunity.com.au/gazette/2016-10-12/trip-revives-crash-heartache/
But this story isn't about them.
This is the story of Norm, a well known, much loved local with a reputation for drinking more than he should and spinning tall stories.
Many years ago the flats here were all swamp and Bunyips had plenty of places to hide but as the swamp was drained and channels put in the bunyips were forced back. They became hungry and angry and often took workers from the swamp scheme. Food or revenge, who knows.
But Norm who'd seen everything had no fear of these monsters and vowed terrible vengeance should one ever come for him.
Then one fateful evening as work finished and the workmen sat with a cool beer round a small fire and told their tales, Norm of course being the loudest, the sun began to set and one by one they headed off.
As the last few got up to leave Norm yelled that he'd just put the fire out and call it a night.
The scream was blood curdling as Norm was torn limb from limb and dragged into the river and below the murky depths.
The rest of the men ran for their lives but as with all survivors of bunyip attacks, only saw the creatures back.
The next day they hesitantly searched the area but all they ever found were Norm's gumboots.