title: Strangers in the Dreamtime
author: Penney, Bruce
description: A man and a woman, strangers to each other and tourists at Kakadu, in the Top End of the Northern Territory are caught in a time trap, set by an evil Aboriginal Kadaicha Man from the 17th Century, who plans to use the lives of people from the future to enhance his powers. Suddenly finding themselves trapped inexplicably in the same location but hundreds of years in the past, William and Cathy find themselves alone in the harsh tropical bush, everyone and everything that they know suddenly gone. They decide to try and get back to where Darwin should be, hoping for answers to what has happened to them and how far back in time they have come. As they journey, they become lovers, finding comfort in each other’s arms. With swollen rivers full of huge crocodiles to cross and having to find food and shelter, they make bows and arrows, learning to gather from nature and hunt for their food as they go. They encounter hostile Aboriginals and save one young warrior’s life as he flees an enemy tribe. Back with his tribe, the young warrior tells of his saviours but only a beautiful young part islander, part Aboriginal woman believes his story. She seeks William and Cathy out and is fascinated by the strange white people. She decides to leave her tribe and to join them on their journey. In the weeks that follow, she finds her way into their hearts and makes their partnership a three-way marriage. The young warrior brings his new wife and joins them on their trek as well. They narrowly escape the enemy tribe and, fleeing from them, come across the remains of another person who was trapped back in time from the 20th Century. Among the belongings of the old Crocodile hunter is a Lee-Enfield rifle which lacks only ammunition. After months of travel they arrive where Darwin should be only to find unspoilt beaches and virgin bush. They witness Macassan pirates attacking a crew of trepang hunters and manage to save two of the islanders. Another attack by hostile aboriginals, led by the Kadaicha man results in the death of the young warrior’s wife. They realise that to stay in Australia is to risk changing the future and so sail back to the island home of the trepang hunters. Pursued by both Macassan pirates and the Kadaicha Man, they leave Australia and arrive only to find that the island has been attacked by the Macassan pirates, with whole villages wiped out. Gathering up survivors, they locate another, uninhabited island and begin to establish a new home. They build a fort, take in other survivors of the pirates and arm themselves with ideas from the 21st Century. The pirates discover their location and launch a huge raid. In the battle that follows, the pirates are wiped out by the cannon, rifle and cross-bows used by the defenders. With peace at last they begin to prosper, trading with a Chinese merchant and the Dutch East India Company. William’s wives both have children and as the years roll on, they in turn find husbands and wives and have their own families, all of whom have their own offspring until the years between the 17th and 21st Centuries are spanned. Back in the present day, a young brother and sister arrive at Cathy’s parents’ home in Darwin and they finally reveal the story of the Strangers in the Dreamtime.