‘Excellent,’ said Nigel, clapping Alex on the shoulder. ‘Because you’re on lunch duty today. We have three dozen bread rolls that need to be cut, plus platters of salad, meat and cheese to lay out.’
Alex and Joey sighed but set to work with their team to get lunch ready for all of us.
The Sassy Sisters sat in the shade of a spreading hoop pine and munched on ham, tomato and cheese rolls. I glanced around and felt a warm sense of achievement. The camp looked neat and orderly. Everyone was sitting in small groups under various trees and enjoying their lunch.
From the clearing we had a view of the turquoise lagoon to the west with its sugar-white sand and fringe of palm trees. Behind us was the thick rainforest of tall trees, vines and ferns. White butterflies danced in the hot sunshine. I stretched my arms and legs, feeling lazy and sleepy with the heat. We had a whole week of adventure before us. No homework. No classes. Just fun out in the open air with my best friends. What could be better?
By the time we’d cleaned up, it was the hottest part of the day. We were given free time to read books, chat or play games in the shade. Charlie strummed on her guitar. Then, at about three o’clock, we all changed into our swimming costumes and rash vests for beach time.
The afternoon whizzed by as we played games and competed in races – tug-o-war, paddling on our boards, swimming, flags, sprints, and beach water polo. Nigel and Zoe also gave us a lesson in water safety. By late afternoon my fingers were wrinkled like prunes and my hair was stiff with salt. Afterwards I wrote and doodled in my notebook, trying to record all the things that had happened in just one day.
Our final challenge for the day was learning how to build a campfire so we could cook our dinner. We had already collected the firewood, which was divided into three piles: tiny twigs, bark and used paper napkins for tinder, pencil-thick twigs for kindling and then larger branches and small logs for fuel. Nigel used a small axe to chop the wood into shorter lengths. There was a bucket of creek water beside the fire for emergencies.
Nigel showed us how to make a loose ball of the tiny tinder twigs, which he placed in the centre of the fire pit with a few wads of scrunched-up paper. He then built a teepee shape from the larger twigs, leaning them up against each other. Small broken branches were used to build an outer teepee layer over the top.
‘The teepee construction is good because it lets air flow through to keep the fire burning,’ explained Nigel. ‘Now, Charlie, you have the honour of lighting our very first Camp Castaway campfire.’
Charlie struck the match, set the tinder alight and in moments we had a merry, roaring fire. We sat around the campfire, chatting, joking and laughing about our day. Larger logs were gradually added to the flames, then it was allowed to die down to form a bed of fiery coals. Zoe and Nigel put two big pots to boil over the embers to cook pasta in and another larger pot was filled with bolognaise sauce. We ate our dinner from enamel bowls, then washed them up in buckets.
After our huge, busy day we were all tired. We pretended to complain when Mrs Marshall sent us off to bed, but secretly I was looking forward to curling up in my nest and going to sleep with my best friends in our little tent. Ariana was very quiet but the rest of us giggled and chatted for a while, then gradually fell silent as one by one we fell asleep. I drifted off, listening to the gentle waves lapping on the sand.
Day two of our camp began with the sound of a bell clanging. I yawned and stretched, then I sat up and looked around. Meg was already up and in her swimming costume. Charlie was buried deep in her sleeping-bag like a caterpillar in a cocoon. Ariana sat up, chewing her thumb-nail. She looked pale and had dark circles under her eyes.
‘Swim time,’ said Meg. ‘Come on, sleepy-heads.’
‘It’s far too early,’ groaned Cici, her eyes firmly shut. ‘I’m going back to sleep.’
‘It’s not even light,’ I complained.
The bell rang again. ‘The sun’s coming up and it’s a beautiful day,’ said Meg. ‘And the water will be gorgeous.’
The thought of a swim got me moving. I was feeling hot, sticky and grimy after a night in the stuffy tent. I changed into my horrible navy-blue swimming costume (I still haven’t saved up enough money to buy a new pretty one) and grabbed my towel. We raced to the lagoon and dived in. The sun was just peeking above the horizon, so the water and sky were stained a rosy-pink. What a glorious way to start the day!
Breakfast was eaten down on the sand. We sat on beach towels, enjoying the view as we tucked into bowls of muesli with sliced banana and mango. Charlie, Cici, Meg and I sat together, while Ariana was over with the other girls. It was fun to eat breakfast outside, surrounded by my friends.
Zoe got us all moving with a cheery hurry-up. ‘Time to get cracking, kids,’ she said. ‘Everyone needs to wash up their breakfast bowls, put them away and then get dressed. For our first challenge today, you’ll need sturdy walking shoes, a sun hat, and comfortable clothes that can get dirty. You have ten minutes before our briefing. Let’s go!’
We straggled to our feet and headed back to the clearing, carrying our bowls and towels.
‘I wonder what we’ll be doing today?’ I asked a few minutes later as I pulled on my socks in the tent annexe.
‘I hope we get to explore the island,’ said Charlie. ‘I can’t wait to have a good look around.’
‘We’re hiking,’ said Cici, jumping to her feet. ‘That’s why we need to wear sturdy boots.’
‘Will you look at what Cici is wearing?’ said Meg affectionately. ‘Only someone that fashion mad would look so stylish for a day of bushwalking.’
Cici was wearing cute denim overall shorts, a floral top, a collection of coral beaded bracelets and watermelon-pink lace-up boots. Cici tipped her straw fedora hat to a quirky angle with an exaggerated pout and twirled to show off her outfit.
‘Just because we’re stranded on a deserted island, doesn’t mean I have to look daggy,’ said Cici. ‘These clothes wash just as well as any others.’
‘I think you look adorable,’ said Charlie. ‘And I love your boots.’
My clothes were definitely classified as practical and comfortable – plain denim shorts, a stretched stripy T-shirt, runners and a battered sunhat.
‘I hope you don’t mean that Meg and I look daggy because we’re scruffy,’ I said jokingly. ‘Mum insisted I bring my oldest clothes.’
‘Nooo, of course not,’ said Cici, checking over my outfit. ‘You always look gorgeous. I’d call it … mmm … grungy London chic.’
I laughed. There was absolutely nothing chic about it!
Ariana came in late. She must have been hanging out with the other girls. She started getting ready while we slathered on sunscreen and searched for water bottles.
‘There you are, Ariana,’ I said. ‘Are you ready for our big hike?’
Ariana looked hesitant. ‘I don’t really like bushwalking. It will be all hot and sweaty and dirty.’
‘We’ll look after you,’ I assured her. ‘It’ll be fun.’
The bell rang and we headed outside to gather under the hoop pines, awaiting our instructions. Nigel and Mrs Marshall stood to the side, watching.
‘Good morning, everyone,’ said Zoe. ‘Our challenge for today is a scavenger hunt, which is an ideal opportunity to explore the island.’
‘Perfect,’ said Charlie.
Zoe picked up a bucket. ‘Could one person from each tent group please come forward.’
The Sassy Sisters looked at each other. ‘I’ll go,’ said Cici.
‘I think Ariana should go,’ I whispered. ‘It will make her feel more a part of our team.’
After being the new kid at Kira Cove School, I knew what it felt like to be the odd one out.
Meg nodded. ‘That’s a lovely idea.’
I turned to Ariana and smiled at her. ‘Will you go up for us, Ariana?’
Ariana shook her head reluctantly. ‘No, one of you should go.’
‘We all voted you for the job,’ said Charlie.
‘Zoe won’t bite.’
So Ariana went up for us, together with Olivia, Alex and Reuben who were representing the other groups.
Zoe held the bucket up high so no one could see into it. ‘I have four tokens in here. You can each take a turn to grab a token for your group. The token will tell you the name of your tribe.’
Ariana went first and came back clutching a small round river pebble which had been painted with a picture of a marine animal. ‘We’re the Sharks,’ she said, showing us the painted stone.
‘Brilliant,’ said Cici. ‘Sharks are terrifying and fearless. That makes us unbeatable.’
‘Terrifying is right,’ said Ariana with a shudder. ‘I hate sharks.’
‘I think I’d rather be a dolphin,’ I said. ‘They’re friendly and fun-loving.’
‘Sharks are great,’ said Meg. ‘People are scared of them, but they shouldn’t be. Sharks keep the ocean ecosystem healthy by keeping all the different populations in balance. Without sharks the oceans would be a mess.’
Ariana glanced at Meg in surprise. ‘You actually like sharks?’
‘Of course, Meg loves sharks,’ I said affectionately. ‘She’s a wildlife warrior. Are there any animals you don’t love?’
Meg flashed a cheeky grin. ‘Definitely some humans.’
We checked out the other pebbles, which represented different ocean creatures. Olivia’s team were the Turtles, Alex’s group were the Starfish and Reuben’s were the Porpoises.
Mrs Marshall gave each group a small daypack filled with items. The five of us dug around inside our pack to see what was there.
‘In the bag you’ll find a list of objects you need to locate plus a camera to take a photo as proof that you found them,’ explained Zoe. ‘Each team will have a compass to help you find your way, a map of the island, a walkie-talkie to communicate with me here at base camp and a whistle in case you get lost or need help. There will be one of us stationed at three checkpoints on the island so we will always be within earshot.’
Our scavenger hunt list read:
Zoe pulled out her radio from the pouch on her belt.
‘Before we set off, I’d like everyone to practise using their walkie-talkies,’ said Zoe. First she showed us how to use the press-to-talk button when we spoke. If the button wasn’t pushed in, no one could hear your call. She taught us to wait until the other person had finished speaking before trying to talk, because unlike a phone, two people couldn’t talk at the same time. Zoe explained how to use special radio lingo such as: copy that, roger, over, affirmative and negative. Most important was mayday – a call which meant that we had a dire emergency and needed help immediately. We practised calling each other and Zoe at base to make sure that everyone knew what to do.
We had lots of fun making up silly walkie-talkie conversations that involved crazy accents and code names.
Charlie grabbed the walkie-talkie and pretended to call me in her best action-hero voice. ‘Pepper Pot. Pepper Pot. This is Flower Child. Do you copy? Over.’
I stifled a fit of giggles and replied, ‘Flower Child. This is Pepper Pot. Copy that. Over.’
‘Pepper Pot, return to base immediately,’ announced Charlie. ‘I repeat, return to base. We have an emergency. There are no cupcakes on this island. I repeat, no cupcakes. Over.’
‘Roger that, Flower Child.’ I replied. ‘A true mayday situation. Request we call in backup. We need Cupcake Queen. Over.’
Cici grabbed the walkie-talkie from Charlie. ‘Pepper Pot, this is Cupcake Queen. Negative. Request denied. Not even a super-baker can create campfire cupcakes. Over.’
Meg chuckled at Cici’s posh royal accent. ‘Cupcake Queen, this is Wildlife Warrior to the rescue. Suggest pancakes instead. Do you copy? Over.’
‘Wildlife Warrior, this is Cupcake Queen. Affirmative. Copy that. Pancakes are easy-peasy. Over.’
‘Cupcake Queen, this is Flower Child. Mayday averted. Over and out.’
Ariana sat slightly apart, listening to our nonsense.
‘Would you like a go, Ariana?’ I asked, offering her one of the walkie-talkies.
She shook her head shyly. ‘No, it’s all right. You guys are having fun. I’ll just watch.’
When Mrs Marshall was happy that we knew how to work the radios, she called us over for a safety chat. She outlined all the important rules, then Zoe took over to explain the final details of our challenge.
‘You have two hours to explore the island,’ Zoe instructed. ‘Each group will head in a different direction as marked on top of your scavenger list. Make sure you wear hats and sunscreen, and carry your water bottles. There is fresh boiled water in the tank.’
I checked my water bottle was full.
‘You have five minutes to read your list and plan a strategy, then I will blow the whistle to start your hunt,’ said Zoe. ‘Are you all ready? Your time starts now.’
The five of us huddled together reading the scavenger hunt items and whispering.
‘Most of the things on the list look easy enough to find,’ said Cici, running a navy-blue fingernail down the list.
‘Although we’ll have to keep a close lookout to spot any wildlife,’ said Meg.
‘The challenge is finding everything in the shortest possible time,’ said Charlie.
‘And navigating and finding our way back,’ said Meg.
‘We should each be given a job,’ I said, counting the tasks off on my fingers. ‘Someone to take photos, someone to navigate, someone to carry the backpack, someone to mark items off the list, someone in charge of the walkie-talkie and everyone to keep their eyes peeled.’
Charlie rummaged in the backpack and pulled out the compass and map.
‘Meg should navigate,’ said Charlie, handing out the items. ‘She’s used to doing it on the yacht. I’ll take the list and mark things off as we find them.’
‘I can take photos of everything we find,’ I said. Charlie passed me the small camera, which I slung around my wrist by the strap.
‘Ariana can be on the walkie-talkie and I’ll carry the backpack,’ said Cici, taking the bag from Charlie.
‘No, I don’t want to work the radio,’ said Ariana, stepping back. ‘I might muck it up.’
‘You’ll be fine,’ I said, passing her the walkie-talkie. ‘It’s really easy but we can help if you need it.’
Ariana clipped the walkie-talkie onto her belt.
Just then Zoe blew the whistle shrilly. Alex’s group broke into a jog, heading north along the shoreline. The other boys headed east into the dense rainforest while Olivia waved her arm and her group headed south along the beach. Meg was checking the compass against the map in her hand.
‘Let’s go,’ urged Charlie. Meg set the pace at a quick walk as she continuously checked the map, compass and the path ahead. The rest of us scanned the rainforest for items on our list. Ariana lagged behind.
In a matter of moments the other teams and camp were out of sight. All around us were massive trees, stretching to the sky. Vines climbed up towards the light. Down in the shady undergrowth were delicate wildflowers, ferns and thick, deep leaf mulch. The smell of sweet, damp earth filled my nostrils. Birds twittered above us in the canopy, while unseen creatures rustled through the leaves. I had the strangest feeling that we were the only people on the planet.
‘Fern leaf and palm leaf,’ called Cici.
‘And a vine leaf,’ added Charlie. I snapped photographic evidence.
‘Purple wildflower,’ added Meg, pointing to a delicate orchid half-hidden in the mulch.
‘Fallen tree,’ called Cici, running ahead.
‘Lizard,’ I called as a pale olive-green gecko scuttled up a tree trunk. He ran so fast it was almost impossible to photograph him. For a moment I thought I’d only get his tail. But then he froze and I snapped a quick image. He made a chuk-chuk-chuk noise. ‘Isn’t he cute?’
So far we were doing brilliantly.
We slowed down and began to enjoy exploring the wild beauty of the islan
d. Further north, we found a babbling, bubbling creek that tumbled and churned over round, grey rocks. We followed it upstream until we came to a waterfall that gushed and gurgled over a ledge and into a deep, clear pool.
‘A waterfall. Tick,’ said Charlie, marking it off the list. Charlie, Cici and Meg took off their shoes and dipped their feet into the pool. I carefully framed up some beautiful shots of the waterfall, the pool dappled with reflections and the girls wading. I was enjoying using the photography skills I’d learned when we did our stories for the school newspaper. Ariana stood by herself on the path. She shuffled from foot to foot, hesitant to join in.
‘We’ll have to come back later for a swim,’ suggested Cici, water trickling through her fingers.
I pulled off my runners and socks, then splashed my hot, sweaty face and the back of my neck. The water was icy cold and clear. Tiny fish darted across the rocky creek bed as I gingerly stepped into the pool. It felt wonderful.
‘Take your shoes off and splash your feet, Ariana,’ I suggested. ‘It really is gorgeous.’
Ariana paused for a moment, then pulled off her shoes and socks and slowly stepped into the pool.
‘Oooh.’ Ariana shivered. ‘It’s freezing.’
‘It’s much colder than the sea,’ agreed Meg.
‘It’s beautiful,’ said Ariana. She had been fairly quiet on our walk, not really participating in the scavenger hunt.
I smiled at her. ‘I told you it was gorgeous.’
Charlie called out a loud ‘Cooee!’ just to hear the sound echo around the clearing.
‘We should keep going,’ said Cici. ‘We’re doing well but there’s still a lot to find, and we want to make sure we tick off everything before we head back to camp.’
Reluctantly, the rest of us dried our feet on our socks then put them on with our shoes.
Meg directed us to climb around the waterfall, then keep clambering up the hill. Ariana stooped and picked up a black knobbly rock, pockmarked with holes.
‘Looks volcanic to me,’ she said shyly. ‘I think it might be basalt.’
Camp Castaway Page 3
