Over The Top: Chalk Dust

"Want to go for a ride somewhere?" he said to me and Mum.

"Yeah!"

Mum started packing some food and clothes together.

Dad hitched the caravan to the car and threw some gear into the boot. In less than an hour we were ready.

"Where are we going?" Mum asked.

"The coast!" said Dad.

"Why?"

"Because we've got two days and I want to do some fishing. And it isn't raining over there at the moment."

That was a wonder. No rain! The coast usually got metres of rain. Sometimes it would rain for weeks at a stretch.

We drove all morning and reached the coast by lunchtime. It was the best place to be. On one side of the road was a cliff, with the sea boiling at the bottom. On the other side was a forest, with huge ferns and palms and trees with moss all over them. Cool?

We got to the lake by one o'clock and pulled into a flat piece of lawn. It was good to be able to walk around.

Mum unpacked some lunch while Dad and I got the fishing lines ready. We were the only ones there. The thick native bush all round us was full of birds singing, and the lake was as flat as a mirror. It was beautiful.

After three hours dangling hooks without a bite, I wanted to do something different. I walked round the parking area and found a sign with an arrow.

"Walk 20 mins." I read out loud, "Hey Mum, can we go for the bush walk?"

"OK" Mum said.

"Dad?"

I saw Dad's face change. He looked as if I'd said something rude to him.

"I'm not going up there" he said, "You can if you want!"

"Come on Dad!"

"No!"

I went up the track with Mum and tried to figure out what I'd said wrong.