Lulu Bell and the Koala Joey Read Free

Zac,’ said Dad.
    Lulu gave Zac a thumbs-up. He stepped off the board and onto the sand.
    Lulu paddled extra hard. She was determined to stand up and ride theboard to the beach. Dad pushed her onto another wave. She kicked and paddled to get up speed. Then she pushed up with her arms, snatched her feet underneath her and leapt to her feet in a half-crouching, half-standing position.
    For a moment she was flying. Her honey-blonde hair streamed out behind her. She held her arms up on either side to help her balance. But the wave lurched and Lulu tumbled off again, cartwheeling into the sea.
    Lulu came up for air. She pulled a disappointed face.
    â€˜Never mind, sweetie,’ said Dad. ‘Let’s have another try.’
    Lulu spent the next hour practising. She tried and tried. But every time she leapt to her feet, she soon lost her balance.
    Â 
    After a while Mum called them in. She had sculpted a sand spaceship for Gus on the beach. It had a comfy seat, a pointed nose and jet propellers at the back. The control board had dials made of shells and stones. Gus was sitting in the pilot’s seat, steering with a stick. Asha and Jessie sat in the back seat.

    â€˜Look, Lulu,’ called Gus. He waved madly. ‘We’re flying.’
    Asha panted in the hot sun. Jessie grinned.
    â€˜Great spaceship, Gussie,’ said Lulu. ‘Where are you flying to?’
    â€˜The moon,’ said Gus.
    â€˜Enough outer-space travel for one day, honey buns,’ said Mum. ‘Let’s go home for lunch.’

Chapter 5
Discovery
    Everyone walked back up the beach. Lulu carried her board. It felt heavier going home than it had this morning. Her arms and legs were tired. Her wetsuit was gritty with sand.
    Lulu held Jessie by the lead, while Rosie led Asha. The dogs were tired too. Back at the house, Lulu dropped Jessie’s lead so she could peel off her wetsuit.
    Everyone rinsed off under the hose. Zac leaned the surfboards against the wall. Mum and Alison hung the damp towels on the clothes line. Mia squirted Rosie with the stream of water. Thankfully the noise of the bulldozer had stopped.
    Asha ran to the base of a gum tree, on the edge of the bushland next door. Jessie followed her. They sniffed and snuffled around the base of the tree. Lulu saw that the dogs were excited about something. She wondered what they could smell.

    Lulu looked all around the tree. There was nothing there. Then she peered up.
    High, high up in the branches she spied a fluffy grey bundle.

    â€˜Look!’ cried Lulu.
    â€˜Up in the tree!
    There’s a koala!’
    Everyone gathered around. They craned their necks to gaze up into the branches.
    â€˜You’re right, Lulu,’ said Mum. ‘It is a koala.’
    â€˜Not just one koala,’ said Dad. He smiled. ‘She is a mother koala. Can you see she has a special little bundle clinging to her back?’
    Lulu felt her heart thump with excitement. ‘A baby koala?’
    â€˜The koalas do still live at Tarni Beach,’ said Zac.
    Lulu moved a little to the left. She could see a smaller fluffy creature riding on its mother’s back. The joey peered down at Lulu, blinking in the sunlight.
    Everyone stood watching the animals. Mum grabbed her camera and took some photos.
    â€˜Do you think the koala came over here because of the bulldozer?’ asked Zac. ‘She wasn’t here this morning.’
    Dad nodded. ‘It’s quite likely.’
    â€˜She might have been scared by the noise,’ said Rosie.
    â€˜Bulldozer got big noise. BROOOM,’ roared Gus.
    Rosie and Mia covered their ears.
    Mum picked up Gus and kissed the top of his head.
    â€˜I think it’s time for lunch,’ said Alison.
    Dad shook his head. ‘You go on up,’ he said. ‘I’d like to see Mr O’Connor. He probably doesn’t know the koalas are here.’
    â€˜Can I come, Dad?’ asked Lulu.
    â€˜See bulldozer too, Dadda?’