The Witch Doctor's Opal

Bunyip, Book 1

Tristram Jones is given an opal by his dying grandfather. Little does he know its connection to an old aboriginal witch doctor with bright orange eyes. He is Dinewan - meaning Emu - taken from the Great Spirit of the Dreamtime.

But is he just a wicked and bitter misfit, or something far more marvelous, and dangerous?

The stories that swirl around Tristram and the opal stretch across generations and are connected by both Dinewan and the fabled monster of the billabong: the Bunyip. Scottish highlanders, bushrangers, and an old Chinese goldminer each play their part in a family legend that seems doomed to end in blood.

Bunyip is a modern tale influenced by much older stories and spiced with science, legend, and sensual experiences. It is gruesome in places, funny in others, and tender where it counts.

This book is intended for mature listeners and is not suitable for those under the age of 18.

©2021 Tristan A. Smith (P)2021 Tristan A. Smith

A great tale of Australian life and legend

A great collection of stories of life in central Victoria, strung together by a thread of folk tales, Bunyip sightings, Aboriginal Witch doctor, and the discovery of a mystical opal.
The author takes us on a journey with an extended family and additional people who interact over a wide span of time, reaching back to the early settlement days, through today.
All through the novel we enjoy the Real childhood activities of a family of maturing children, providing some fun and emotional insight into growing up in these times and places.
A fascinating collection, narrated in the Australian accent by Geoffrey Boyes, leaving me keen to listen to the next book in the series.