Lulu Bell and the Koala Joey
Read Lulu Bell and the Koala Joey Online
Authors: Belinda Murrell
Lulu Bell's beach holiday is about to begin!
Lulu can't wait for her holiday at Tarni Beach to begin. She has a new red surfboard and Dad is going to teach her to surf.
Lulu and her friend Zac like to spot wildlife in the bush nearby. But what has happened to the mummy koala and her joey? Bulldozers have arrived and the trees might soon be gone. Lulu needs to work out how to save the koalas' home!
For Sar, Jord and Thomas â thank you for many, many wonderful holidays at our own magical, special beach.
Holidays!
Lulu Bell bounced out of bed and down the ladder. She wasn't at home in her usual bedroom. It was the summer holidays and the Bell family was staying with their friends, the Stewart family, at Tarni Beach. The two families were sharing a house overlooking the beach. They had been coming here on holidays for years.
Lulu had slept on the top bunk. Her sister and brother were asleep, top to toe, on the bottom bunk. Six-year-old Rosie was curled into a tight ball, burrowed under the sheet. Gus, the youngest, lay flat on his back with his thumb in his mouth.
They were staying in a rambling old two-storey house with a big garden. It was an upside-down house with the kitchen and living room upstairs, overlooking the water, together with three bedrooms. There was a wide verandah that surrounded the top level of the house. Downstairs was a big playroom and TV room, with more bedrooms leading onto the garden.
Lulu crept out into the living room. Her feet padded on the wooden floor. The sun poured in through the French doors, filling the house with warm light.
Lulu opened the doors and stepped out onto the verandah. She gazed out, enjoying the early-morning peace.
The view was as beautiful as ever. A big gum tree spread its feathery leaves towards the sky. Down below, a lush green lawn led to dunes of powdery white sand. Beyond the sand, as far as the eye could see, was the deep gorgeous blue of the sea. The waves pounded on the shore, splashing up in a white frothy spray.
Lulu breathed in the smell of salty air and tangy gum leaves.
A whole week of fun at the beach
, thought Lulu.
What bliss!
Their house was located at the end of a strip of old beach houses. To the south was a forest of scrubby gum trees. They once had seen a koala sleeping in a tree there.
Lulu looked down to see a boy standing on the grass. His thick brown hair was mussed up and stood on end.
It was Zac Stewart. Zac was in the same year as Lulu at Shelly Beach School, and his sister Mia was one of Rosie's best friends. The Bell and the Stewart families had been friends since before Lulu was born.
Zac grinned up at Lulu. âHey, Lulu. Come down, I want to show you something.'
Lulu nodded. âJust a tick.'
She dashed inside. Mum and Dad's room was next door to the bunk-bed room. Lulu poked her head in around
the doorway. Mum and Dad were sitting up in bed drinking cups of tea. Both of them were reading books.
âGood morning, honey bun,' said Mum. âDid you have a lovely sleep?'
Lulu greeted both her parents with a good-morning kiss and hug.
âZac wants to show me something outside,' said Lulu. âCan I go?'
âSure,' said Mum, âbut don't go on the beach by yourselves or wander into the bush.'
Lulu tiptoed into the bunk-bed room, careful not to wake Rosie and Gus. She quickly changed out of her pyjamas and pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Then she raced down the stairs.
In the garden, Zac was standing on the lawn peering into the bushland
next to their house. Their garden had no fences, so the trees came right to the edge of the lawn. Zac put a finger to his lips, then pointed into the scrub.
It took a moment for Lulu to find what Zac was showing her. Then she saw it. In a small clearing, partly hidden in the shadows of the trees, were two animals. They had their heads down and were quietly grazing.
âKangaroos,' whispered Lulu. âAren't they gorgeous?'
âThe one on the left has a joey in its pouch,' replied Zac. âYou can see its little ears flickering.'
âThat's one thing I love about Tarni Beach,' said Lulu. âI love all the wild animals that come right into the garden.'
Lulu adored animals. Her dad was a vet. At home, the family lived right behind Shelly Beach Vet Hospital. Over the years the family had rescued and raised lots of injured wildlife, including possums, wallabies, penguins, birds and even snakes.
âTarni Beach is the best.' Zac waved his hand towards the sea. âA whole week of swimming at the beach, playing cricket and fishing in the rock pools.'
Lulu smiled. âNot to mention building sandcastles, reading books, eating picnics and surfing. This year I'm
definitely
going to learn to surf.'
For Christmas, Mum and Dad had bought Lulu a bright pink surfboard.
Lulu had been riding waves on a boogie board since she was little. Now she was super-excited to learn how to stand up on a real surfboard.
Lulu looked up into the branches of a nearby gum tree. âRemember when we saw the koala asleep up in that tree?' she asked.
Zac frowned.
âThat was a few years ago,' said Zac. âMum says that the koalas might not live here anymore.'
Lulu smiled and shook her head.
âI'm sure they must be here somewhere,' said Lulu. âWouldn't it be lovely if we saw a wild koala right here in the garden?'
Pancakes
âLulu!' Mum called from the verandah. âZac! Breakfast time.'
Lulu and Zac raced back to the house. Everyone was up now. Zac's parents, Alison and Peter, were in the kitchen cutting up fruit. Zac's sister Mia was helping Rosie to set the long table on the verandah. They were chatting and giggling.
Mum was flipping a pancake in a frypan over the stove. Dad was making coffee.
âYum,' said Lulu. âPancakes for breakfast.'
âHoliday breakfasts are the best,' said Dad. He poured frothy milk into the coffee cups.
Mum added the cooked pancake to a pile on a plate. She poured another round of batter into the frypan to sizzle.
âZac and Lulu, could you please carry these out to the table?' asked Alison.
She handed Zac a platter of chopped pineapple and mangoes. Lulu carried a bowl of blueberries and raspberries.
Gus was zooming his toy truck up and down the verandah floorboards.
âBrooom,' he roared. The truck veered around Lulu's feet.
âCareful, Gus,' warned Lulu. âYou don't want to crash your truck into anyone.'
Mum carried out a tottering pile of buttery pancakes.
âCome and eat them while they're hot,' called Mum.
âI love pancakes,' said Mia.
âWe're going to need lots of energy for a big morning at the beach,' added Dad.
Everyone sat down at the table. The family dogs Asha and Jessie lay underneath, patiently waiting to see if there were any leftover scraps.
Mum served everyone pancakes. Lulu ladled a pile of berries on top of hers. Both families chatted as they ate breakfast. The pancakes were delicious.
âIt's a beautiful day,' said Lulu. âWhen can we go the beach? Can I take my new surfboard?'
âWe'll get ready as soon as we've cleaned up after breakfast,' said Mum.
Dad nodded. âI've checked the waves and they look perfect for learning to surf.'
Lulu jiggled up and down in her chair. She could imagine herself swooping across a cresting wave, her honey-blonde hair flying through the air.
âI think the north end of Tarni Beach will be best today,' said Peter.
Rosie and Lulu glanced at each other with excitement. The northern headland was their favourite part of the beach. Sometimes they saw dolphins swimming there. Once they had even seen a whale and her calf. It was a magical spot.
After everyone had finished breakfast it was time to clean up.
Lulu was bursting with impatience as Mia, Gus and Rosie cleared the table.
Zac and Lulu washed the dishes. Finally everyone was ready with sunscreen, hats, rash vests, wetsuits and surfboards. Mum clipped the leads onto the dogs' collars. Lulu took Jessie's lead and Rosie took Asha's.
âCome on,' cried Gus. He picked up his truck. âLet's go.'
The children all clattered down the stairs. The dogs' claws clicked on the timber floor. The parents followed, carrying bags and towels.
Suddenly Lulu heard a strange noise from outside. It was a roaring, thundering, grinding sound.
âWhat's that terrible racket?' asked Rosie.
âIt's coming from out the front,' said Zac. âIt sounds like a â'
Lulu opened the front door wide.
âBulldozer,' shouted Gus. âBig yellow bulldozer.'
Lulu wrinkled her nose. âWhat on earth is a bulldozer doing here?' she asked.
