Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle Read Free Page A

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.’
    â€˜Thanks, Anthony,’ said Lulu.
    â€˜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.
    â€˜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.
    â€˜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 rocksstuck 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.
    â€˜What is it?’ asked Lulu.
    â€˜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.

    â€˜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 totake 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.’
    â€˜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 fromthe sharp rocks. Mum followed more slowly, carrying her camera.
    The