SOLVED. Aussie YA book camping kids [s]

[Famine]

Anybody remember this book I read in the 90s, an Australian YA, about a group of kids who go camping?

One of the heroes was a hermit, a loner kid who the other kids thought was 'retarded & slow', I think his name was Heap. With a 'p'.

[Sharni]

at first i thought YOWIES! but no.

Elizabeth Honey was kind of a rock star in the 90s - could it perhaps be Remote Man?

[Famine]

Nope, that's not it. It was in the bush, no computers or anything, no mention of Internet or gadgets or pop culture, and not fandom like comic books. The characters were well developed and not 'stereotyped' teenagers, nerds or anything.

It was a serious book, not a comedy, if that also helps!

[Famine]

Bump :)

[Tab]

Don't Pat the Wombat! doesn't fully fit your description, but worth checking out.

Anything about the cover?
Part of a series?
Time period story takes place?
Did the story focus more on the kids trying to rescue the animals or the camping trip?

[Famine]

Nope, not that!

It was either 90s or 80s. The kids were in a regular holiday/weekend camp in the bush, with their parents, and had during their exploration of the bush found s poacher group's camp, and Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew style set about releasing the lizards and snakes caught.

It was a stand alone book, not a aeries. Hope that helps :) illustrations were sparse but very detailed and realistic, black and white of the animals, like for a museum book, it wasn't kiddy or cartoony.

[Sharni]

Just finished reading Remote Man which I know has been ruled out - looking back on your original post - you mention a character called Heap. Fiddle-back has a character called Heap. The main cast of kids meet him when they realise that someone is stealing food from their camp, and the kids don't have a high opinion of his intelligence.

There are also black and white illustrations scattered through the book - not museum quality but pretty realistic.

I think the "villains" in this were the loggers. I dont't remember any animals being rescued (there might have been tho - or this detail could have come from another Elizabeth Honey book - most of which have a strong nature/wild life angle to them)

[Famine]

Oh my god that is it!!

THANK YOU. :D

They might have been loggers at the start, or masquerading as them, but they certainly moved into poaching as they had blue tongues and such in cages, prompting the kids to rescue them.

[Sharni]

Awesome :) think i might re-read!

hope it is as you remember it

[Famine]

It should be as good as I remember it, I have been successful so far with my other nostalgic re-read's :) I had no idea it was a sequel however, so I must go read the first one!

[Sharni]

:) enjoy!