Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle

by Belinda Murrell

  About the Book

  Meet Lulu Bell. Where there’s Lulu, there’s family, friends, animals and adventures galore!

  Lulu and her family are setting off on an adventure a long way from home. Mum has been invited to visit an Aboriginal community to choose paintings for an art show.

  Lulu, Rosie and Gus have lots of fun swimming and fishing with their new friends. But there is one thing Lulu would really like to see. Can wishing upon a star help her dream come true?

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1: Exciting News

  Chapter 2: The Journey

  Chapter 3: The Goorlil Family

  Chapter 4: Camp Fun

  Chapter 5: Making Spears

  Chapter 6: Waterfall Reef

  Chapter 7: Turtle Rescue

  Chapter 8: Full Moon

  Chapter 9: The Art Show

  Author’s Note

  Some Bardi words

  Lulu Bell and the Circus Pup

  Read all the Lulu Bell books

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Copyright Notice

  Loved the book?

  For Maureen, Frank and Ashley, and all the Gambanan kids – Keelan, Manton, Pot, Marika, Karen, Maureen, Liam, Isiah, Selwyn, and Hakim. Thank you!

  Chapter 1

  Exciting News

  It was dinnertime and the Bell family was seated around the kitchen table. Mum had made lemon roast chicken, roast vegetables and crunchy green salad. It was one of Lulu’s favourite meals.

  ‘Mmmm,’ said Lulu. ‘This is delicious. Thanks, Mum.’

  ‘Dulishus,’ agreed her little brother Gus. He popped a whole roast potato into his mouth. His cheeks bulged as he chewed.

  ‘Thanks, honey buns,’ said Mum. ‘I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I thought we should celebrate. I had some very exciting news today.’

  Dad grinned. ‘We love exciting news. Don’t we, kids?’

  ‘I have been asked to organise a very special art show for the local gallery,’ said Mum.

  Lulu’s mum Chrissie was an artist. She created the most wonderful paintings. Her work was sold at several galleries.

  ‘That’s great,’ said Dad. ‘What’s the art show about?’

  Mum smiled. Her cheeks were pink with delight. ‘It is a collection by Aboriginal artists from the far north of Western Australia,’ she explained. ‘It will be the first time their work has been shown here.’

  Mum glanced around the table at the family. ‘I’ve been asked to fly over there to meet the artists. I have to interview them about their work and decide on a theme. Then I’ll choose the artworks and organise for them to be shipped over.’

  Lulu felt a little flutter of nerves. Mum was going away. Who would look after them while Dad was at work? Who would look after Gus while they were at school?

  ‘That is exciting,’ said Dad. ‘When do you have to go?’

  Mum gave a big grin. ‘I’ve asked the gallery owner if I can go next week. It’s the school holidays then. That means you can all come with me. It will be an amazing adventure.’

  ‘We’re going to Western Australia for the holidays?’ cried Lulu. That did sound like an adventure.

  ‘Will we go on a plane?’ asked Lulu’s younger sister Rosie.

  ‘Asha and Jessie come too?’ added Gus. The two dogs pricked up their ears at the sound of their names. Jessie gave a big doggy smile. She was always keen for an adventure.

  Mum laughed. ‘No, the dogs can’t come with us, honey bun.’ She turned to Rosie. ‘Yes, we will go on a plane. We’ll fly to Broome. It’s on the north coast of Western Australia. Then we’ll drive about two hundred kilometres further north to a tiny Aboriginal community called Ardyaloon.’

  Dad rubbed his chin. ‘It’s a long way to go,’ he said. ‘And we’d have to find someone to look after the vet hospital.’

  Dad was a vet. The family lived right behind Shelly Beach Veterinary Hospital.

  ‘Please, Dad?’ begged Lulu. ‘Can we go? Kylie could feed all the animals.’

  Dad thought about it. ‘She certainly could. And I could ask Dr Humphrey to see the patients for me.’ Kylie was the vet nurse, and Dr Humphrey was a retired vet who sometimes helped out.

  Dad grinned. ‘Let’s do it!’

  ‘Hurray,’ cried Lulu, Rosie and Gus together.

  ‘Where will we stay?’ asked Lulu.

  ‘I spoke to Harry today. He’s one of the Aboriginal elders,’ said Mum. ‘He invited us to camp on his family’s property. Their land is on the beach just west of Ardyaloon.’

  Lulu jiggled with excitement.

  ‘I’ll have to work for a few days. But we’ll also make it a lovely family holiday. We can go swimming and boating and explore the islands,’ said Mum.

  ‘And fishing and watching wildlife,’ added Dad. ‘We might even get to see saltwater crocodiles or sea turtles.’

  ‘It will be an amazing adventure!’ agreed Lulu. ‘I can’t wait.’

  Chapter 2

  The Journey

  Lulu thought the holidays would never come. The last week of school seemed to take forever.

  Finally it was Saturday morning. Dad woke them all early. Gus yawned and pulled his Bug Boy mask down over his face.

  Lulu was excited but a little sad too. It was hard to say goodbye to all the pets. She cuddled Flopsy the rabbit in the garden. She fed the four ducklings.

  Then she went inside and crawled under her bed. The family cats, Pickles and Pepper, were hiding there.

  The dogs were most unhappy. Asha was sulking on her bed. Lulu hugged her. Asha wiggled her tail the tiniest bit.

  ‘It’s okay, girl,’ said Lulu. ‘We’ll be back soon.’

  Jessie sat by the door and drooped. She was usually the smiliest dog in the world. But not today.

  ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart,’ said Dad to Lulu. ‘Kylie will take good care of them all.’

  Nanna and Gumpa came to drive them to the airport. Gumpa helped Dad pack the bags in the car. Lulu could only take what she could fit in her backpack.

  Then they were off. Nanna and Gumpa dropped them out the front of the airport. Everyone kissed and waved. Nanna gave Lulu a super-big hug.

  ‘Have fun, my darling Lulu,’ whispered Nanna. ‘I’ll miss you.’

  ‘I’ll miss you too, Nanna.’ Lulu could feel a lump in her throat.

  ‘Goodbye. Love you. See you soon,’ Mum called to her parents.

  Mum held Gus tightly by the hand in the airport. Soon they were on the plane. Lulu clicked on her seatbelt. Rosie wriggled beside her.

  The flight took hours. The cabin crew brought around breakfast on trays. There were lots of little packages to open. Lulu ate fruit salad and yoghurt and a warm omelette. Dad, Lulu and Rosie watched movies on a small screen on the back of the seat. Gus slept. Then they ate lunch. At last the plane began to descend. Lulu could see a vast blue ocean shining below.

  As they walked off the plane in Broome, the heat hit Lulu like a wave. It was humid and sticky.

  Their first stop was to pick up the car. Mum had organised to rent a big four-wheel drive. It towed a low camper trailer. This was to be their home for the next week.

  Their second stop was the shopping centre. Everyone helped do the grocery shopping. Then it all had to be packed away in the trailer. Finally the family and their gear were loaded in the car.

  ‘Only another three hours to go,’ said Mum. ‘Ardyaloon, here we come.’

  The road north was rough, rutted red dirt. On either side grew thick green scrub. Overhead arched a sky of deepest blue. Lulu had never felt so fa
r from home.

  It was a long, bumpy drive. Rosie and Gus fell asleep. Lulu read her book. It was early evening when they finally arrived.

  Mum turned the car onto a sidetrack. A sign beside the gate read ‘Goorlil’.

  ‘Here it is,’ cried Mum. ‘Goorlil. It means “turtle” in the local Bardi language.’

  Lulu shivered with excitement. What adventures would they find at Goorlil?

  Chapter 3

  The Goorlil Family

  The car rounded a bend in the track.

  The first thing Lulu saw was the sea. Deep turquoise-blue stretched all the way to the horizon. Dozens of red rock islands jutted from the water. Rich green mangroves hugged the coast. A pod of dolphins swam by, diving and splashing.

  ‘Oooh,’ cried Lulu. ‘Look at that!’

  The next thing Lulu saw was the house. It was a small building with a verandah across the front. To the side was a camp fire. A crowd of people were gathered around. Adults chatted. Kids laughed and played chasings. An older woman was cooking over the fire.

  Mum stopped the car under a tree. ‘At last,’ she said.

  Lulu stretched as she climbed out of the car. It had been a long journey.

  A throng of people gathered around. ‘Hello,’ called a few voices.

  ‘Hi, I’m Chrissie,’ said Mum.

  ‘And I’m Harry,’ said an older man. He had a kind face and greying hair. ‘Welcome to Goorlil.’

  Mum introduced everyone in the Bell family. Harry introduced everyone in the Goorlil family. There were lots of aunts and uncles, mums and dads, grandparents and grandchildren.

  For a moment Lulu felt shy. It was noisy with so many people talking at once. But everyone was so friendly that Lulu soon joined in.

  ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ asked Harry’s wife Pearl. She picked up a billy can that was bubbling over the fire. ‘You must be tired.’

  ‘That would be lovely,’ agreed Mum. ‘I’m exhausted.’

  Mum and Dad settled into two of the camp chairs beside the fire. They began chatting with the adults about the local artists and the art show.

  Lulu looked around her. Everything was so different and interesting.

  ‘I’m Tam,’ said one of the girls. She was taller than Lulu and had a lovely smile. ‘This is my sister Zalie.’ She pointed to a girl about the same age as Rosie. ‘And these are my cousins Jacob, Zac, Eli and Joe.’ She waved towards a group of boys.

  The children grinned at each other. Gus looked up at the boys. They were all wearing shorts and had bare feet. He looked down at his Bug Boy costume.

  ‘And this is our new puppy. He’s called Chilli,’ said Tam. The puppy wriggled and licked Lulu’s fingers. Then he began to chase his tail round and round. He fell over. Lulu laughed.

  The kids began to play with the puppy. Lulu noticed that Mum and Dad were now on the verandah talking to one of the men.

  His name was Anthony and he was an artist. He was very tall and wore a bright red shirt.

  Lulu wandered over. Mum was sipping tea from a mug. On the table beside her was a huge canvas.

  ‘This is one of Anthony’s new paintings,’ explained Mum.

  ‘It will be called Goorlil Dreaming,’ said Anthony. ‘But I’ve only done the background so far. This is the sea and here are the sands of the shore.’

  The swirling turquoise-blue paint was the exact colour of the sea. At the bottom was a band of pale yellows.

  ‘I’m painting the story of the turtles,’ explained Anthony. ‘At this time of year, the whales come to visit from down south. This means that it is also the courtship season for the turtles. The male turtles woo the females. Soon after, that the females come ashore to lay their eggs.’

  Anthony traced the yellow curves of the painted beach.

  ‘At night the turtles crawl many metres up into the warm sand dunes. They dig their nest with their flippers and lay more than a hundred eggs each. The mothers bury their eggs and crawl back to the sea. A couple of months later the eggs hatch. The babies dig their way out and head to the sea.’

  ‘It sounds wonderful,’ said Mum. ‘I can’t wait to see the finished painting.’

  ‘Do you think we might see some sea turtles?’ asked Lulu. ‘Imagine if we saw them laying their eggs!’

  Anthony smiled at Lulu. ‘We might be lucky. But now I’ll show you where you are going to camp. We should set you up before it gets dark.’

  Anthony showed them a clearing in the bush a few hundred metres past the house. It was on a point and surrounded by sea on two sides. The tide was low.

  Down below the point was a jagged rectangular pool. It was surrounded by rough rock walls.

  ‘Can we swim in the pool?’ asked Lulu.

  ‘That’s not a pool,’ said Anthony. ‘It’s a fish trap. It was made by our ancestors many, many years ago. As the tide drains away, fish are trapped behind. We can go down tomorrow to see if we have caught any dinner.’

  He pointed to the west. ‘If you want to swim in the morning, there is a little sandy beach over there.’

  Anthony showed them where to fetch water and where to light the fire.

  ‘Okay, I’ll leave you to it,’ he said. ‘Come visit us at the house tomorrow. I’m teaching the boys how to make spears. Harry will take your mum into town to meet some of the other artists.’

  ‘You make spears?’ asked Lulu. Her brown eyes sparkled with interest.

  ‘I teach all the boys how to hunt and fish,’ explained Anthony. ‘Pearl teaches the girls how to find oysters and bush tucker. And they all go to school in Ardyaloon. But they also have to learn the old ways.’ He smiled at Lulu. ‘You can come along to my school.’

  ‘I’d love to,’ said Lulu.

  Chapter 4

  Camp Fun

  Dad and Mum set to work. The roof of the camper trailer popped up and the sides folded out to make a big raised tent. There were two double beds – one for the parents and one for the kids. The sides of the tent were made of mosquito netting so the breeze could blow through. Beyond the netting, Lulu could see the sea and the bush and the camp fire that her parents were starting.

  All of the kids were given jobs to do. Gus helped Mum make up the beds with sleeping bags and pillows. Lulu helped Dad to collect more wood for the fire. Rosie set up the camp chairs. Then Lulu and Dad cooked sausages, tomatoes and onions over the fire. Lulu’s tummy rumbled at the delicious smells.

  The family sat around the fire on camp chairs. As they ate dinner, the sun set over the sea to the west. The sky and sea were streaked with golds and pale purples.

  ‘Ah,’ said Mum. ‘This is heaven.’

  By the time the family had finished eating, it was dark. The sky was like blackest velvet spangled with millions of sparkling stars.

  ‘I’ve never seen so many stars,’ said Rosie.

  There was no moon yet. Suddenly a line of silver streaked across the sky. It was followed by another, then another.

  ‘There’s a shooting star,’ cried Lulu. ‘And another one.’

  ‘Make a wish,’ said Mum. ‘A trio of shooting stars must make a very powerful wish.’

  ‘Bug Boy wish for …’ began Gus.

  ‘Don’t tell anyone, Gus,’ warned Lulu. ‘Or it won’t come true. Close your eyes and wish hard.’

  Lulu closed her eyes. What would she wish for? She could wish for a pony. Or she could wish for a new puppy, like Chilli. But then she knew what the right wish was. She made a wish to see a sea turtle laying her eggs.

  Mum took the kids to get cleaned up before bed. In the middle of the clearing was a tap with a hose. The tap was connected to a bore deep under the earth. The water came out warm and bubbly. Mum laid down a plastic mat for them to stand on to stop their clean feet getting muddy.

  It felt wonderful to wash away the dust and grime of that long journey.

  Lulu looked up at the blazing stars. ‘This is the best shower I’ve ever had,’ she said.

  The kids dressed in their pyjamas an
d thongs, and walked back to the camp. They climbed into their sleeping bags on the bed. Mum read them a story. She used lots of funny voices to make them giggle.

  ‘Another one, please, Mum?’ asked Lulu hopefully.

  ‘Pretty please, Mum?’ begged Rosie.

  ‘Sorry, honey buns. It’s time for bed,’ said Mum. She stood up. ‘Tomorrow we have lots of adventures to look forward to.’

  ‘Come tucka in, Mumma,’ said Gus. He popped his thumb in his mouth.

  Mum tucked them all into their sleeping bags. She kissed each one and turned the lantern off.

  ‘I’ll never get to sleep,’ said Lulu. ‘There is just so much to think about. Learning to make spears, searching for turtles, watching Anthony paint …’

  But, of course, she did sleep.

  Chapter 5

  Making Spears

  Lulu woke up and peeked out through the netting. The sun was rising over the islands to the east. Dad had already started the camp fire and was boiling the billy. Rosie and Gus were still asleep. It was a beautiful day.

  Lulu jumped out of bed and dressed. She wore shorts, a shirt and her favourite boots. Then she crept outside to join Dad. Breakfast was eggs and bacon cooked over the fire.

  Soon Harry arrived to take Mum into Ardyaloon to meet the other artists. Mum grabbed her camera and her notebook. She wanted to take lots of photos of the artists and their work to include in the show.

  ‘You’d better hurry up,’ Harry told Lulu. ‘Anthony is already making spears.’