Garkain is a spirit found living alone in the tropical forests of Arnhem Land near the Liverpool River’s mouth. Human in appearance, he possesses great flaps of skin on his arms and legs, like wings or fins, that allow him to fly.
During the day Garkain sleeps under a pile of leaves. By night he attacks any intruders into his domain by flying up and falling onto them, enveloping them in a flurry of arms and legs, the folds of his skin suffocating them. They are eaten red raw – Garkain never learned how to make fire, use tools, and cook food.
References
Allan, T.; Fleming, F.; and Kerrigan, M. (1999) Journeys through Dreamtime. Time-Life Books BV, Amsterdam.
Butor, M.; Spencer, M. trans. (1981) Letters from the Antipodes. Ohio University Press.
Roberts, A. R. and Mountford, C. P. (1971) The First Sunrise. Rigby Limited, Adelaide.
A Book of Creatures 
Never learned to cook food? That is so sad. Not the fact he consumes people though.
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That’s a dealbreaker though. Dismemberment and cannibalism I can deal with, but someone who can’t even fry an egg? Total red flag there.
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Well that’s a little presumptuous. How you do know your even his type? How do you know anyone is his type? Maybe he’s focused on his work and doesn’t want to settle down right now? You don’t know his life!
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Where did he come from? Is he the abandoned child of some deity or monster? Was he once human before somehow becoming what he is today? Or has he always been like this and he’s just a primordial horror of the Dreamtime?
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I’m guessing the last one of these. Perhaps even a bogey that encompasses the threats of venturing into the jungle at night.
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This is the original version of Garkain in The Witcher 3
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Any relation to the balbal?
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Convergent patagia gliders
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Why assume convergence when the biogeography makes sense? 😉
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As an Aussie, I appreciate all of the Aussie entries here, and it is great for preserving the traditions of the people of the old countries, thank you for keeping them alive. I am even proud to say that I was once scared of bunyips, even with no aboriginal blood in me, I would hate to see another culture die at the hands of my own people. God bless.
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Yeah, what Adrian said, 100%. Australian aboriginal creatures are one of the least mentioned let alone depicted ):
Anyway, since this guy sleeps under a pile of leaves, just imagine stepping on him by accident.
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I used to be terrified of the Bunyip too, and I didn’t even know much about it other than a terrifying illustration in one of those books that come with a tube full of plastic figurines. Heck, not knowing much about it made it scarier!
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Jeez! I went down the Liverpool River one day in 1983 in a tiny motor boat starting from Maningrida at the river’s mouth. The bloke who took me was a Mick Dundee type who tried to scare me by drifting as close as possible to the crocs on the riverbank. There were hundreds of the damn things, including maneaters – a child had been killed by one shortly before. Actually the mozzies were the real horrors. But I’m sure glad I didn’t meet Garkain! He must have been asleep under a pile of leaves.
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