Frog Dreaming

Frog Dreaming

Year: 1986

Runtime: 93 mins

Language: English

Directors: Brian Trenchard-Smith, Russell Hagg

FamilyDramaAdventure

Cody, an adventurous American boy living in Australia with his guardian Gaza, is imaginative, inventive and inquisitive. When he encounters mysterious happenings in Devil’s Knob National Park, he discovers they are tied to an Aboriginal myth called the frog dreamings. Determined to uncover the truth, Cody investigates the legend’s depths.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Frog Dreaming (1986)

Trace every key event in Frog Dreaming (1986) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Cody's life after his parents' death

After losing his parents, Cody lives with his guardian Gazza in Australia. He is imaginative and inventive, spending long hours in his garage building devices, including a railbike that helps him get around.

Australia, Cody's home
2

Cody encounters local myths in Devil's Knob

Cody becomes aware of strange events around the lake in Devil's Knob National Park. The legends of Frog Dreamings, Bunyips, and the Kurdaitcha Man set a supernatural tone for his investigation.

Devil's Knob National Park, near the lake
3

Center of the lake erupts; Neville found

The lake center erupts with bubbles, and Cody discovers the desiccated body of Neville in a nearby tent. Police investigate but conclude Neville likely died of a heart attack, not foul play.

Devil's Knob lake
4

Cody builds a diving suit and enters the lake

Determined to uncover the truth, Cody fashions a makeshift diving suit and descends into the murky lake bottom. He disappears beneath the surface, leaving the town fearing his drowning.

Devil's Knob lake
5

Town drains the lake in hope of recovery

Believing Cody is dead, the townsfolk begin draining the lake to recover his body. The plan underscores the community's need for closure and to make sense of the strange events.

Devil's Knob lake
6

Wendy pieces together Cody's possible survival

Wendy notices clues—a toy air balloon in Cody's aquarium and a mining-era book—that suggest he may still be alive. Spurred by the clues, she gathers support to send a diver team into the pond.

Wendy's home; Cody's aquarium
7

Diving team searches the pond; Donkegin appears

A diver team enters the pond to locate Cody and deliver an oxygen tank. Before they can act, the lake bubbles violently and Donkegin emerges, grabbing Cody in its jaws.

Devil's Knob lake
8

Donkegin is revealed as a relic machine; the lake is a quarry

Officials realize Donkegin is actually an old donkey engine, a relic from past mining work, and the lake is a flooded quarry. At the bottom lie remnants of the area's industrial history—cars, bicycles, oil drums, and more.

lake bottom, flooded quarry
9

Cody is rescued and deemed safe

Cody is pulled to safety by locals, ending his immediate peril. The episode shifts the town away from a monster narrative toward a grounded explanation of the lake's history.

Shore of Devil's Knob lake
10

Cody's dream with the Kurdaitcha Man

The Kurdaitcha Man myth resurfaces in a dream-like state, as Cody imagines the old Aboriginal figure guiding or observing the Donkey Engine being returned to the pond.

dream sequence
11

The mystery persists in memory

Although the immediate danger is resolved, Donkegin and the Kurdaitcha Man linger in the minds of Cody and the townspeople, existing more as myth than fact.

12

Artifacts reveal the quarry's history

The lake's bottom holds artifacts from the quarry era, including a car and oil drums, emphasizing the region's industrial past and how it shapes the present mystery.

lake bottom
13

Ending: safe, but the legend endures

Cody and his friends are safe and return to life as usual, while Donkegin and the Kurdaitcha Man remain ideas that survive in their imaginations. The film closes with a sense of closure mixed with ongoing wonder.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:27

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Frog Dreaming

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