Meet Cunning: The Mastermind of Notawallop Creek
Species: Emu
Best Friend & Partner-in-Crime: Cupid
Home: Notawallop Creek Station
Special Skill: Devising clever, chaotic plans. He's an expert at untying bootlaces and "investigating" interesting-looking equipment.
Favourite Thing to Do: Plotting his next move, finding the shiniest object in the farmyard, and leading Cupid into glorious trouble.
Biggest Fear: A boring afternoon with nothing to investigate.
Cunning's Motto:
"If it's tied down, it's a challenge. If it's shiny, it's mine."
About Cunning
Every great plan needs a mastermind, and every bit of chaos needs a spark. At Notawallop Creek Station, that clever, mischievous spark is Cunning.
As the brains of the station's most unpredictable emu duo, Cunning is a feathered plotter with a mischievous glint in his eye and a mind that is always working. While his brother Cupid brings the noisy chaos, Cunning is the one who figures out the how and the why of their next bit of trouble. He’s a master of untying knots, a connoisseur of shiny objects, and an expert at being in exactly the right place at the wrong time to accidentally save the day.
Role on the Team: The Agent of Chaos
Cunning, along with his brother Cupid, is an official "Agent of Chaos." While Cupid is the action, Cunning is the planner!
- The Mastermind: Cunning is the clever one who assesses a situation and figures out the most interesting way to cause a disruption. His plans are not malicious, just driven by an insatiable curiosity that often has surprisingly helpful results.
- The Opportunist: Cunning has a knack for seeing an opportunity and taking it. Whether it's a dropped hat, an unattended piece of machinery, or a poacher who needs tripping, he is always ready to seize the moment.
- Cupid's Leader: Cunning is the undisputed leader of the emu duo. He is the one who initiates their mischievous schemes, knowing his loyal brother will enthusiastically follow him into any chaotic adventure.
Cunning's Most Memorable Moments
- Tripping a Poacher: During the desperate rescue of Dozy, Cunning and Cupid burst onto the scene at the perfect moment. Cunning, true to his name, darted directly in front of a chasing poacher, tripping him and sending him sprawling into a thorny bush, which gave the children the time they needed to escape.
- The Treasure Hunter Tussle: When the menacing treasure hunter, Silas, cornered the children in the hidden cave, Cunning didn't hesitate. He charged in and immediately began pecking at the man's shiny metal detector, creating a vital and chaotic diversion.
- The Great Hose Havoc: In a classic moment of emu mayhem, it was Cunning's clever pecking at a loose brass nozzle that started the wild, snake-like spray that soaked the entire farmyard—and him and Cupid!
- The Bootlace Bandit: Cunning's signature move is his expert untying of bootlaces, a trick he has successfully pulled on John, Geoff, and even Sergeant Miller, always to his great satisfaction.