‘See you soon,’ Poppy said, giving Katie a quick hug, then Milly.
‘Promise you’ll come back?’ Katie asked Sarah as she threw her arms around her.
‘If the koala is still here, I will!’
They all laughed at Sarah, but Poppy knew she wasn’t joking. Sarah just didn’t like horses the way she did, and that was okay. They’d still had fun together, and if Sarah wanted to come back again then Poppy wouldn’t feel bad leaving her to go riding if it meant her friend could enjoy helping Uncle Mark with the farm animals. It was just nice having her at Starlight, no matter what they were doing.
Casper let out a loud woof and made them all jump.
‘Casper!’ Milly scolded, dropping and throwing her arms around him. He rolled over, and Milly kissed him before rising and waving.
Poppy watched them drive away, standing beside Sarah in the late sunshine.
‘We need to grab our bags,’ she finally sighed. ‘My mum will be here any minute.’
Sarah looked back over her shoulder and Poppy knew exactly what she was thinking.
‘You want to go back in one last time, don’t you?’ Poppy asked.
Sarah nodded. Poppy had to admit that she loved the koala too. It was impossible to think that an animal so sweet was actually wild, especially after she’d trusted them enough to let them help her and get her to safety.
‘I’ll get your stuff and mine,’ Poppy said.
Sarah grinned and Poppy threw her arms around her. It might not have been the weekend she’d had planned, but it had been pretty awesome.
‘I know you’re not going to believe it, but I kind of loved it here,’ Sarah said in her ear.
Poppy stepped back and laughed. ‘Seriously?’
‘I don’t think I’ll ever love horses like you do, but I get it. The animals, your awesome aunt and uncle, it’s pretty cool.’ She giggled. ‘And Mark asked me to come back to help out whenever I wanted. I think I might like to be a vet one day.’
‘That’s so cool.’ Poppy hugged her tight again. ‘It was a pretty amazing weekend, fire or no fire. I’m so pleased you like it here.’
‘Come on, Casper,’ Sarah called out.
The big dog wagged his tail and got up, trotting beside Sarah all the way back to the shed. Poppy couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she watched her friend. Now she knew for sure that she’d get Sarah back to Starlight again one day.
‘It’s been two weeks,’ Milly said. ‘There’s no way we’re going to find them.’
Poppy rolled her eyes at Milly. Sometimes she was just so impatient! ‘Koalas don’t move a lot. That’s why it never works when people try to relocate them. They always end up coming back to their home.’
Katie was trailing behind, scanning the trees as well. ‘I can’t believe that Belinda’s paws are looking so good. Pity Sarah couldn’t come this weekend.’
Poppy felt bad about not bringing Sarah. For the first time it had been Sarah begging to come, but her parents hadn’t let her because they had some family dinner to go to. She’d promised Sarah that the minute she arrived she’d go out searching for the mother and baby they’d seen together.
‘She’s here!’ Milly shrieked.
‘You mean she was,’ Katie called out, ‘before you frightened the life out of her!’
Poppy pushed Crystal into a trot and quickly joined Milly at the same time as Katie pulled up beside her.
‘It’s her,’ Poppy said. ‘It has to be.’
They all stood there, gazing up at the koala with the big joey on her back. She was chewing a leaf, blinking down at them, baby peering over her ears.
‘I knew she’d be okay,’ Katie whispered. ‘I just knew it.’
Belinda was on the mend, the koala and her baby were safe, the horses were all okay and she was back in the saddle again. They’d been out to check on the cattle, too. The part of bush they were riding through was untouched by the fire, but Poppy shuddered when she thought about the burned, blackened trees where the fire had ignited. This koala was lucky, but she knew that so many more koalas had probably been injured by bushfire elsewhere over the weekend. They were doubly lucky that the Delaney’s neighbour had a helicopter and a monsoon bucket ready in case of fire, not to mention the torrential rainfall.
‘Let’s leave her in peace,’ Poppy said. ‘We don’t want to scare her.’
‘Last one to the log is a rotten rat!’ Milly declared, taking off and leaving them for dead.
‘Milly!’ Poppy yelled. She raced after her, Katie close on her heels.
‘I win!’ Milly shouted as she flew over the log.
Poppy and Katie ended up midair at the same time, jumping side by side and landing with a thump together. Milly was still cantering ahead of them and Poppy kept her heels down, bottom out of the saddle, as they raced after her friend.
‘Come on, Crystal!’ she urged as her pony stretched out beneath her. They shot past Milly when the track widened again.
‘Woo hoo!’ she cried, punching the air.
‘I’ll get you for that!’ Milly yelled.
Poppy just laughed. ‘You can try!’ She kept her legs tight against Crystal and urged her forward, sun on her skin, wind in her hair.
‘Come on, girl, let’s go.’
Every year, brave firefighters throughout Australia work tirelessly to bring bushfires under control over the summer months. These fires can be devastating to rural communities in particular, and the amount of wildlife injured or killed by fire is heartbreaking. In the past, most bushfires were caused by lightning; however, now a great majority of fires are caused deliberately or accidentally.
The most important thing to do in a fire is to keep safe with your family and prepare your properties and pets in the case of a fire warning. Horses become easily frightened in fire, and if you cannot move them to a safer place, they must be contained to avoid them causing injury to firefighters, other members of the public or themselves. A large dirt or sand area with a border of sand or stones is the safest option, away from trees and other vegetation. Remove their halters or replace with leather ones that cannot burn and melt against their skin and ensure there is a sufficient water supply. If you have time, wet as much of their area as you can to stop fire spreading. If your horse is microchipped, it will make identification easier should they escape from their secure area. Have a fire survival plan, and pin it to the wall of your tack shed or another easy to find place, and make sure you have a horse first aid kit in case of injury.
If you find an injured wild animal such as a koala, possum or kangaroo, approach with caution and make sure you have an adult with you at all times. Wild animals might look cute and cuddly, but they have sharp claws and can be even more dangerous if they’re frightened and/or in pain. Contact your local wildlife centre or carer to ask for help, and don’t put yourself in danger. Remember that wild animals aren’t used to humans, so being careful is very important.
Next time you hear about a scary bushfire blaze, take time to think about how amazing the Australian firefighters are. Every single firefighter deserves our thanks for their incredible work, including those brave people who work on a volunteer basis!
About the Author
As a horse-crazy girl, Soraya dreamed of owning her own pony and riding every day. For years, pony books like The Saddle Club had to suffice, until the day she finally convinced her parents to buy her a horse. There were plenty of adventures on horseback throughout her childhood, and lots of stories scribbled in notebooks, which eventually became inspiration for Soraya’s very own pony series. Soraya now lives with her husband and children on a small farm in her native New Zealand, surrounded by four-legged friends and still vividly recalling what it felt like to be 12 years old and head over heels in love with horses.
READ ALL THE BOOKS IN THE
Starlight Stables series:
PONY DETECTIVES
GYMKHANA HIJINKS
BUSH BOLTS
SAVING STARLIGHT
&nb
sp; Acknowledgements
Penguin Random House would like to give special thanks to Isabella Carter, Emily Mitchell and India James Timms – the faces of Poppy, Milly and Katie on the book covers.
Special thanks must also go to Trish, Caroline, Ben and the team at Valley Park Riding School, Templestowe, Victoria, for their tremendous help in hosting the photoshoot for the covers at Valley Park, and, of course, to the four-legged stars: Alfie and Joe from Valley Park Riding School, and Carinda Park Vegas and his owner Annette Vellios.
Thank you, too, to Caitlin Maloney from Ragamuffin Pet Photography for taking the perfect shots that are the covers.
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First published by Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd, 2016
Text copyright © Soraya Nicholas, 2016.
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Design by Marina Messiha © Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd
Cover photograph © Caitlin Maloney, Ragamuffin Pet Photography
Author photograph by Carys Monteath
penguin.com.au
ISBN: 978-1-76014-303-9
THE BEGINNING
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Starlight Stables: Bush Bolts Page 10