Next week on Home and Away in the UK, as Mali and Tane take John on a camping trip to cheer him up, a spooky experience leaves him terrified. With John (Shane Withington)

still feeling out of sorts following Irene’s (Lynne McGranger) departure, Mali (Kyle Shilling) takes it upon himself to organise a lads’ camping trip… though will it do JP more harm than good?

Desperate to fill the gap in his life that his bestie had left behind, John was quick to take Irene’s new outlook on life on board and treat his friends to a dinner at Salt.

But John’s bravado throughout the evening was hiding his despair, something that was quickly picked up on by Justin (James Stewart).

As John shed a quiet tear after everyone had gone home, a concerned Justin told Leah (Ada Nicodemou) that he was going to keep an eye on him.

John was delighted when Justin subsequently organised a boys’ poker night at his place, even though it cost him dearly when he lost $300 to Alf (Ray Meagher).

The next day, John appeared in good form, enthusiastically suggesting further group activities advertised in the local paper. However, when Justin clarified that he only intended for their catch-ups to be occasional, John was deflated.

Mali witnessed the exchange and couldn’t help but feel sorry for John as he skulked back into the surf club.

Next week, still conscious of how much John has been missing Irene, Mali takes it upon himself to lift his friend’s spirits. Hoping a change of scenery will do him good, he arranges a camping trip and urges John to get his gear together—they’re setting off within the hour.

John’s initially hesitant, but finds himself swayed by Mali’s enthusiasm for reconnecting with nature, as well as his promise to share some Blackfella (a term used by indigenous Australians to describe themselves) secrets with John.

Having initially run a mile from Mali’s suggestion, Tane (Ethan Browne) eventually agrees to join them too, deciding some time away might help him escape the recent awkwardness around Harper (Jessica Redmayne) now that she’s starting to date again.

The boys drive deep into the National Park as John regales them with old Navy stories. Once the group arrives at the campsite, John’s natural tendency to take charge soon emerges, offering his expert advice on camping—much to Tane’s mild frustration.

The mood quickly lightens again when so-called expert John struggles to pitch his tent, and Tane falls for one of Mali’s jokes, believing he’s eaten kangaroo droppings.

Later, as they gather around the campfire, Mali shares a tale about a close call he had as a youngster, when he was saved from the Hairy Man.

He explains that he’d always believed the stories about the Hairy Man were just an old legend amongst Blackfellas, until he encountered one himself whilst walking with his brother down a darkened street.

Mali tells John and Tane that they’ll be okay as long as they keep the fire burning, and while John tries to laugh off his unease, he decides to gather some more logs for the fire.

Later that night, alone in his tent, John hears strange noises coming from outside. As shadows dart across the canvas, he’s left wide awake and on edge.

The next morning, John’s up bright and early cooking breakfast for everyone, but remains on high alert.

As Tane and Mali emerge from their tents having had a blissful night’s sleep, John questions them on the events during the night, insisting he heard breathing and scratching sounds outside the tent.

Tane and Mali dismiss his claims, with Tane teasing that he must be worried that it was the Hairy Man, but John stands his ground—he wasn’t scared, just cautious. Tane and Mali share a grin between them.

At Tane heads off to call Harper, Mali points out that John doesn’t need to keep the fire going anymore now that the sun’s up… but John thinks it’s a good idea, just in case.

As John casually asks what would happen if the fire did go out, Mali sticks with his story and explains that once you make eye contact with the Hairy Man, or he manages to touch you, you turn into one yourself.

As a sleep-deprived John continues to keep watch over the fire, his nerves on edge, he suddenly remembers some urgent surf club admin that needs his attention, and that he could really be doing with heading back to the bay.

Mali’s disappointed, as is Tane when he hears the news, and John begins to pack his things up.

As Tane confirms that he believes Mali’s story may have gotten to John, Mali can’t help but note the smirk forming on Tane’s face.

Tane finally admits to Mali that he may have gone for a little wander during the night, snapping a few branches and throwing a rock into the creek. Tane argues that he was hoping to take John’s mind off things—if he’s thinking about the Hairy Man, he’s not thinking about Irene.

As they prepare to leave, John can’t help but smile at the good humour between them, appreciating the effort they’ve gone to in order to try and cheer him up.

He perks up as he tells the pair that he’ll be off to see Irene in Paris in a few weeks’ time, as Mali reminds him that, in the meantime, he’s got a lot of friends in the bay.

But most importantly, Mali reminds him, “I never would have let the Hairy Man get to you, I promise!”