Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle by Belinda Murrell Page B

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.
    â€˜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.’
    â€˜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.
    â€˜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.
    â€˜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.
    â€˜This is one of Anthony’s new paintings,’ explained Mum.
    â€˜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.
    â€˜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 maleturtles woo the females. Soon after, that the females come ashore to lay their eggs.’
    Anthony traced the yellow curves of the painted beach.
    â€˜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.’
    â€˜It sounds wonderful,’ said Mum. ‘I can’t wait to see the finished painting.’
    â€˜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 whereyou 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.
    â€˜Can we swim in the pool?’ asked Lulu.
    â€˜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.
    â€˜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