Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle Read online

  Lulu jumped up. She didn’t want to miss out.

  Mum kissed them all goodbye. ‘Have a fun day. I’ll see you this afternoon.’

  ‘Bye, Mum,’ called Lulu. ‘Good luck.’

  Mum and Harry drove off in Harry’s four-wheel drive.

  ‘Why don’t you and Rosie walk over and meet Anthony now?’ suggested Dad. ‘Gus and I can do the washing up. We’ll join you in a few minutes.’

  So Lulu and Rosie set off for the house. Jacob’s mum was sitting on the verandah drawing. Chilli the puppy was asleep at her feet.

  The boys were all gathered around the fire with Anthony. Each one had a long, straight stick.

  ‘Hello, Lulu and Rosie,’ called Anthony. ‘We started without you.’

  Lulu looked around for Tam and Zalie. They weren’t there. ‘Where are the girls?’ asked Lulu.

  ‘The girls have gone out with our grandmother,’ said Zac. ‘She’s showing them which plants to gather for bush tucker and medicine.’

  ‘The boys have each chosen a sapling,’ said Anthony. He pointed to a pile of sticks leaning against the side of the house.

  Jacob explained how they had found the sticks. Anthony had helped them find long, straight wattle saplings in the bush. They had cut the saplings, stripped the bark and shaved off any bumps. The saplings had been left to dry for a couple of days.

  The boys were now rubbing the wood with sandpaper.

  Lulu and Rosie watched. Anthony showed the boys how to polish the wood to make it as smooth as possible.

  ‘Then we heat sections of the wood in the fire like this,’ said Anthony. He showed them with one of the saplings. ‘This makes the wood soft so we can make it nice and straight. Then it sets hard.’

  Anthony bent the hot wood against the table to straighten out a kink.

  It was interesting to see the boys at work – polishing, heating and straightening. Dad and Gus arrived. Gus found a stick to draw in the dirt. Lulu asked Zac and Jacob lots of questions.

  ‘What do you use the spears for?’ asked Lulu. ‘Are they for games?’

  Zac shook his head. ‘These spears aren’t toys. We hunt with them.’

  ‘Hunt?’ asked Lulu. She wasn’t quite sure if she believed him. ‘What do you hunt?’

  ‘Turtles, fish, stingrays,’ said Zac. He mimed striking his spear at the ground.

  ‘Oh,’ said Rosie. ‘The poor turtles.’

  ‘Most of our food comes from the sea, as it always has. And we gather fruit and berries and medicine in the bush,’ explained Anthony. ‘We never hunt more than we need to eat. Nothing is ever wasted.’

  ‘I don’t think I’d like to eat turtle,’ said Rosie. ‘Don’t you buy food at the shop?’

  Anthony laughed. ‘Some things. There is a shop in Ardyaloon where we can buy extra things we need.’

  ‘Like chocolate,’ said Zac. He rubbed his tummy and gave a cheeky grin.

  Anthony nodded. ‘Tomorrow I’m taking all the boys out hunting stingrays at the reef. You can come with us if you like.’

  Lulu turned to Dad. ‘Can we go, Dad? Pleeeease?’

  ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ agreed Dad.

  Dad and Anthony helped the boys to carve a point on one end of each spear with a sharp knife. One side of the point was flattened out. A deep groove was carved down the centre.

  Then they put a short steel rod in the groove. The rod was lashed to the spear using fishing line.

  ‘And now it’s finished,’ said Anthony.

  Zac twisted his spear proudly. Gus reached for Zac’s spear. ‘Me go?’

  Anthony looked at all the children. His face was very serious. ‘You must never use anyone else’s spear, unless they offer to lend it to you.’

  Gus pouted. Lulu and Rosie nodded.

  Anthony smiled. ‘I’m going to do some painting now. We’ll see you here tomorrow.’

  ‘Thanks, Anthony,’ said Lulu.

  ‘Well, I’m a bit smoky after watching all that hard work,’ said Dad as the Bell family walked back to their camp. ‘I think we might go for a swim.’

  The family spent the afternoon swimming and exploring. Mum came back from Ardyaloon full of stories. She had met the other artists and seen their art. She showed Lulu the photos she had taken. There were five artists whose work she would feature in the show.

  Lulu loved the bright, bold colours of the artworks. They were the same colours as the earth.

  ‘It’s going to be a wonderful show, Mum,’ said Lulu.

  Chapter 6

  Waterfall Reef

  The next day, the Bell family was up at sunrise. Mum packed a big bag with snorkels, masks, flippers and towels. Dad packed an esky with fruit, sandwiches and drinks. Mum made sure all the kids had long-sleeved shirts and hats to protect them from the sun. They piled in the car and drove to the house.

  Anthony was painting on the verandah. He had added two black whales on the sea. They were marked with grey stripes and spots. Lulu thought they looked majestic.

  ‘Ready to go?’ Anthony asked.

  They followed Anthony’s car to a cove near Ardyaloon. There were several boats dragged up above the high tide mark. The kids all swam while the adults launched the boats. Then everyone piled on board.

  Anthony had five nephews on his boat. The Bell family was in the other. Lulu, Rosie and Gus wore life vests and hats. The boats surged off into the turquoise water. The sea foamed and churned behind them.

  It was low tide so the reef was exposed. Thousands of sharp black rocks stuck up from the sea like teeth. The boats navigated carefully through the sandbanks and rocks. Anthony pointed to a little head that had popped up from the sea. Wise old eyes blinked slowly.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Lulu.

  ‘It’s a green sea turtle,’ called Anthony.

  Now Lulu could see its splotchy green-and-brown shell. Lulu was delighted. She had never seen a sea turtle in the wild before.

  ‘Oh!’ cried Lulu. ‘It’s so big.’

  The turtle bobbed up and down in the water. It paddled its flippers. It watched Lulu curiously then dived and swam away.

  Finally they reached their destination: Waterfall Reef. The top of the reef was as flat as a tabletop. At high tide the reef was under the sea. But when the tide dropped, the water flowed off the top of the reef and onto the lower reef surrounding it. This created a waterfall hundreds of metres wide that tumbled into the sea.

  Dad and Anthony anchored the boats. The kids scrambled out. The boys carried their spears. On the lower reef, there were many shallow pools full of fish and stingrays.

  Anthony showed the boys how to take aim and throw. Zac threw his spear at a large fish. It zipped away in a flash of silver. The spear floated off harmlessly.

  Anthony smiled. ‘Good try, Zac. Let’s keep practising.’

  The boys practised aiming and throwing their spears.

  Dad preferred to fish his own way. He cast his fishing line and hook off the end of the boat. ‘I lost the bait again,’ he cried in despair. ‘There’s a big fish out there that has stolen my bait three times.’

  ‘A big fish, or perhaps a big shark,’ joked Anthony. Dad peered over the side of the boat warily.

  The five boys from Goorlil set off in bare feet. They ran and chased across the top reef. They hurled their spears at fish and stingrays. Lulu, Rosie and Gus climbed up after them. The Bell children wore runners to protect their feet from the sharp rocks. Mum followed more slowly, carrying her camera.

  The kids all stood on the edge of the reef. They peered over. The water poured between their feet.

  Below them was a lower ledge. This ledge was a few metres wide then dropped away into the deep sea.

  Zac scrambled over the edge of the waterfall. His cousins followed, carrying their spears.

  ‘Come down,’ invited Zac. ‘You can have a shower under the waterfall.’

  Lulu clambered down more slowly, using footholds in the rock. Lulu helped Rosie and Gus down too.

&
nbsp; The boys dunked under the sheets of sea water pouring off the reef above. They splashed and laughed. The Bell kids joined in.

  ‘It’s amazing to think that this will be under the sea soon,’ said Lulu.

  ‘Yes, we have to be careful,’ said Jacob. ‘The tide will turn. Then it comes rushing in. The water rises very quickly.’

  Zac stood on the edge of the lower reef. He peered into the deeper sea water. A golden shape flickered past. Suddenly Zac threw himself off the edge.

  Lulu got a shock. ‘Zac?’ she cried.

  Zac emerged from the sea laughing. Salt water dripped from his hair and skin.

  Pierced on the end of his spear was a large golden fish. The boys all cheered.

  ‘It’s a golden trevally,’ said Jacob.

  ‘Fish for dinner tonight,’ said Zac.

  Mum took a photo of Zac proudly holding up his catch. He grinned from ear to ear.

  ‘That was amazing,’ said Mum.

  Anthony came over. He carried two big fish. ‘Well done, Zac. What a great catch. But now we need to get going. The tide has turned and it’s coming in fast.’

  Chapter 7

  Turtle Rescue

  Everyone headed back to the boats. Dad carefully packed up his fishing gear and stowed it under the seat. He hadn’t caught any fish. Anthony stowed his fish in a bucket.

  Dad fired up the engine. To get back to Ardyaloon, they had to navigate in a loop around the rocks and sandbanks. The boats chugged slowly. They were having trouble making headway against the strong rush of the tide.

  The water gushed and surged, swirling in eddies. The boat was tossed from side to side. It was a long ride back towards shore.

  After a while, Anthony turned his boat towards a small deserted island. It rose straight from the sea, rocky and barren. Lulu could see a small beach of powdery white sand. The rocks were banded in rusty red, topped with a haze of greenery.

  Dad followed Anthony’s lead. They steered the boats under a rock overhang.

  ‘Look up,’ called the boys from the boat in front.

  Lulu craned her head upwards. There were paintings on the rocky roof. Figures were marked in red and cream ochre and black charcoal. She could tell they were sea creatures – stingrays, sharks, dolphins, fish, turtles and whales. The whales reminded Lulu of the ones Anthony had painted. Carved deep in the rock were the outlines of boomerangs and spears.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ said Mum. ‘It feels very ancient in here.’

  ‘Our people have been coming here to fish and hunt for thousands of years,’ said Anthony. ‘Although in the old days they came on rafts, not with outboard motors!’

  ‘Could I take some photographs of the art?’ asked Mum. ‘I think it would be interesting to include some photos with the show.’

  ‘Yes,’ replied Anthony. He grinned. ‘Just as long as you remember to send me some copies of your photos.’

  Next stop was the beach for a swim. The beach was littered with dozens of beautiful shells. There were large white clam shells, pale beige bailer shells and delicate purple conch shells.

  Dad started digging a hole in the sand with Gus. The other boys took their spears. They scrambled over the rock pools hunting for stingrays.

  Lulu pulled out her snorkel, diving mask and flippers from the bag of swimming gear.

  ‘Keep your shirt on, honey bun,’ said Mum. ‘This sun is strong.’

  Lulu splashed into the water. It was clear and clean and calm. Little waves rippled on the shore. She swam out towards the deeper water. Rosie stayed in the shallows with Mum.

  ‘Don’t go too far out,’ called Mum.

  Lulu floated face down. She breathed through the snorkel. She could hear it rumble and bubble. With her diving mask on she could see for metres through the sunlit water. She kicked with her flippers and shot away.

  Suddenly Lulu saw a dark shadow. It swam towards her. Lulu breathed in quickly. Her heart thumped. What was it? Could it be a shark?

  Lulu turned and kicked. In her panic she sucked in sea water through the snorkel.

  She coughed and spluttered. Her arms flailed. Lulu spat out her snorkel. She stared under the water. Where was the shadow?

  It was closer now, and stood out against the light sand. Lulu recognised the shape. It wasn’t a shark. It was too round. It was a big sea turtle.

  Lulu sighed with relief. But something was not right. The turtle was wreathed with a necklace. A necklace of knotted fishing line.

  It was tangled around the turtle’s neck and front flipper. As the turtle struggled, the snarled noose pulled tighter. The turtle was slowly being choked.

  Lulu took a deep breath. There was no time to waste. She kicked her flippers and dived. Deeper and deeper. Lulu reached the turtle. She wrapped her arms around it. The injured creature didn’t struggle.

  She turned her face towards the surface. She kicked and swam. The turtle was heavy. She kicked harder. Her breath ached in her chest. Blood pounded in her head. She had to breathe. But the heavy weight was holding her down. She kicked even harder. Lulu was determined not to let go of the turtle.

  At last she broke free into the fresh air. Sea water showered from her hair and face.

  Lulu blinked in the sudden hot sun. She lifted the turtle’s head out of the water so it could breathe. The turtle spat out a spurt of sea water. Lulu sucked in a deep breath herself. It felt good.

  ‘Dad, Dad!’ called Lulu. ‘There’s a turtle that needs help.’

  Lulu swam towards the shore. She pushed the turtle along in front of her.

  Dad splashed into the water. Together they hauled the injured turtle up on the sand. The turtle lay still.

  Dad had his fishing knife attached to his belt. He unsheathed it. Slowly and gently he cut the fishing line away. The line was tough and strong. Lulu held the turtle still on the sand. Zac helped her.

  Anthony crouched down beside Zac. He used his own knife to cut from the other side. At last the fishing line fell away.

  By now everyone had gathered around. The fishing line lay in a tangled heap. There were metres of it. Dad examined the turtle.

  ‘Good work, sweetheart,’ Dad said. He grinned at Lulu. ‘He’s quite weak. It looks like you found him just in time. He is one very lucky turtle.’

  Lulu gave a big grin back. She had saved the sea turtle.

  ‘Actually he’s a she,’ said Anthony. ‘You can tell by her front flippers. The male flippers have claws.’ He pointed to the turtle’s leathery front flipper.

  ‘You won’t eat her?’ asked Rosie. She looked worried. Lulu’s heart gave a lurch.

  Anthony laughed. ‘No, Rosie. We have plenty of fish for dinner.’

  Dad picked up the tangled fishing line. He packed it away in the bag.

  ‘People are so thoughtless,’ he said. ‘Someone probably threw this overboard without thinking about how dangerous it could be.’

  Anthony nodded. ‘That can be a big problem. It was probably from a tourist boat.’

  He picked up a handful of sand. He rubbed it around the turtle’s mottled shell in big circles.

  ‘This is how we clean the turtle’s shell. The sand removes the algae and growths. This keeps the turtle healthy. Our kids have to learn how to care for the animals as our people have always done.’

  ‘Turtle dirty,’ said Gus. He wrinkled his nose.

  All the kids took turns to polish the turtle’s shell. Lulu loved the feeling of rubbing sand over the hard shell. They splashed handfuls of water to wash away the sand. The shell sparkled in the sunlight. The turtle stared at Lulu with beady black eyes.

  ‘Now I think she is ready to go back,’ said Anthony.

  Dad and Anthony picked up the turtle. They carried her out into the water. Lulu followed. The turtle paused, floating for a moment. Lulu and the other kids swam beside it. Then the turtle dived and swam away.

  Goodbye, turtle, said Lulu to herself. Swim hard and stay safe.

  Chapter 8

  Full Moon
/>   The next few days whirled past in a blur. The Bell family went swimming, snorkelling, boating and fishing. Pearl took all the girls out gathering oysters and shellfish. She warned them to stay close. The old man saltwater crocodile had been seen swimming nearby.

  Mum spent the mornings visiting the artists, talking about their artwork and choosing the very best pieces for the show. She was so happy with the collection.

  Finally it was the last day of their stay. The next morning they would get up very early for the drive to the airport. Lulu felt sad. The week had passed so fast.

  Pearl and Harry invited everyone to a huge farewell feast to say goodbye. Anthony took the boys out fishing. Pearl took the girls out to collect oysters. Harry took Dad to catch mud crabs.

  As the sun went down, the two families gathered around the fire. Everyone had made something to share. There were chunks of fish barbecued over the fire. Hot, smoky damper was cooked in the coals. Pearl had made a big pot of chilli mud crab. Mum had made salads and fried rice. The children had picked mangoes from the old tree.

  Everyone sat on camp chairs around the fire chatting and laughing. They ate with their fingers from paper plates. Chilli the pup lay on Lulu’s feet. His tummy was round and fat from eating scraps.

  ‘This is the best fish I’ve ever eaten,’ said Dad.

  Lulu licked the crumbs from her fingers. ‘Mmm. Food cooked over the fire always tastes best,’ she said.

  A full moon rose over the sea. Its silvery reflection shimmered on the water. The fire flared up as Harry threw his paper plate on the flames.

  Zac stood. He beckoned to the other boys.

  ‘The boys have prepared a special surprise for you,’ said Harry. The five boys slipped away into the shadows. They soon returned wearing bright blue cloths around their waists. Their bodies were painted with bands of white ochre.

  They each carried two bark shields. The shields were painted in bright patterns of white, clay-red, blue and black.