Now, for the first time, he had to use the same tactic in the bush.

As he was about to pass the woman, he saw something that changed his mind. She was Trudi Northumberland, large as life, 37 years old, and for some reason back over from America.

“Sorry, I was just going to get ahead of you and be on my way, but it’s not every day one meets the star of ‘Mountains Family’ only one village away from its old location. I’m Murray.”

“Pleased to meet a fan,” said Trudi, “Although I wasn’t really the star sometimes, just played a regular supporting character. Were you watching the show for a long time?”

“Well this is a bit embarrassing, after what I just said, but I was mainly into cartoons as a kid. I’m 27 now. But I found the Easter Special and the Reunion movie on video a few weeks ago, and saw you in both,” said Murray.

“Yes, they were recently released. I’m spending my royalties on a holiday back here in the home country. The regular show’s been off the air for thirteen years, but people around here might have seen the videos. I didn’t want to be too conspicuous in the village where I grew up, which is near the old filming location. So I’ve been enjoying the bushwalks near yours instead,” said Trudi.

“Actually I’ve always lived in your old village too. A few months back, I was retrenched from work. So each week, when I’ve exhausted all avenues for job applications, I’m either watching videos or running into my favourite stars on bushwalks,” said Murray.

Trudi smiled in appreciation.

“They didn’t use my character much in the reunion movie.”

“That’s what disappointed me,” said Murray, “I watched them both in one afternoon, and was hoping for more of you in the recent one. Talking in person is like making up for lost screen time.”

They continued walking, and talked about scenes and storylines from the Easter Special and the Reunion movie. Murray gave the go ahead for her to give as many spoilers as she liked, so that she could tell him about other story arcs which had occurred in the show’s original run.

After nearly an hour, Trudi suddenly interrupted her own account of a blooper that had occurred in one episode, and asked, “What’s that light up ahead?”

“I’m marginally short sighted. But I don’t want to ruin my looks with glasses. So I can’t see it yet, until we get closer,” said Murray.

“You won’t ruin your looks,” said Trudi, “But let’s have a look.”

Less than a minute later, they came to what long term readers will remember was one of the forest portals that were originally used to access the giant land in the days before Dimension Shift started occurring. Trudi and Murray were unaware of this, but they stepped through to explore whatever lay on the other side. They were walking for a while, before they realised that the plants around them were not just unusual, but actually the natural flowers and bushes in a land populated by giants.