As with any indigenous people, the Aboriginal tribes of Australia have their share of spirits and ghost stories. Often, these tales are restricted to bus tours and tourist information centers, but there are also those which have developed a reputation for being deadly.
One such story comes from a haunted site known as the Babinda Boulders.
Babinda Boulders - the Devil's Pool
Known to English-speakers as Devil's Pool, the Babinda Boulders are located south of Cairns. Though a popular attraction for tourists, local tribes know the place as sacred.
You see, it is said that once upon a time a young, beautiful woman from the local Yidinji tribe, Oolana, was married to its elder, Elder Waroonoo. However, when another tribe set up in the same valley, Oolana fell in love with one of their young men, Dyga.
What followed was a tragic tale. Their love was forbidden, so Dyga and Oolana ran away to the Babinda Boulders to be with each other. The tribes found out, hunted them down and tried to drag them away. Distraught with the grief of never seeing her love again, Oolana broke free and threw herself from the rocks and into the pool below, killing herself.
They say that nowadays she is still there, luring young men to their deaths in the Devil's Pool.
Deaths at Babinda
Almost 20 people have died at the pool since 1959.
Authorities blame the deaths on careless behaviour, and some of them may be so, but with such a high death toll of young males, it certainly begs the question: Does Oolana still linger?
One story states a young couple were standing on the rocks when the waters suddenly rose and swept them away, claiming the life of the male.
Another tale, cited to the Brisbane Times by police diver Peter Tibbs, tells of a man whose corpse was so far down in the water that they could not reach him for five weeks. How did he get sucked so far down the chute? Was it natural, or was he dragged?
Perhaps a paranormal investigation is warranted for the Devil's Pool.
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