Cockatoo

by Christopher Cummings

“Emergents,” Mr Creswell said. He then explained that trees that were able to do that got on best. “It is a struggle for sunlight as much as water and nutrient,” he said. “So the thrust for rain forest trees is straight up.” He then wondered how these very big trees had not been cut down back in the days when the timber cutters worked the North Queensland forests. “This is an old timber road we are walking along,” he explained.

  The road ran fairly level for the next two kilometres, with numerous very tall trees along each side. Then the group came to a gate and there was Mr Creswell’s vehicle parked there on a cleared space at a road junction. Tina saw that the road junction was the one where the Danbulla Forest Drive did a sharp curve back to the right and then went winding down the side of the ridge.

  They climbed into the vehicle, Tina with a thankful sigh of relief. It was just after 5pm by then and she felt quite worn out. Mr Creswell started the engine and drove them back to the campsite. They drove down the ridge past where Mr Creswell said there used to be a forestry barracks, past ‘The Chimneys’, Lake Euramo and the old schoolhouse to the Fongon Bay turn-off. There they turned left and went along the gravel side road through the pine plantations. Tina was again surprised by how far it was and how long it seemed to take.

  It was 5:30 by the time they reached the camp and already the sun was well down in the west and a strong, chilly wind was blowing off the mountains to the north. Mrs Creswell and Aiden had dinner ready but insisted the girls have a wash first. This was done in a washbasin in a screened off area at the back of the tent.

  By then petrol and diesel generators were spoiling the evening quiet all around. Tina discovered she needed to go to the toilet but as twilight was setting in she was scared to go on her own. This time she plucked up courage and asked Sarah to come with her. Mrs Creswell told them to hurry and added she would have the meal ready by the time they came back.

  The two girls hurried to the toilet block. As they did several strong gusts of wind buffeted the camp and Tina shivered and commented that it might be a cold night. Afterwards, as they came out of the toilet, she found a cold wind blowing which set her shivering again. They hurried down the slope and through the edge of the camp. As they did Tina looked across the rippling waves on the lake to where lights were flickering in the camp grounds along the north shore. Movement against the last of the daylight caught her eye and she watched a flock of ducks fly across, heading south.

  “Going to be a change in the weather by the look of it,” she commented. Then she puzzled over another dark object that had appeared against the faint glow of the western sky.

  Sarah saw it too and said, “What’s that?”

  Tina stared and saw a football shaped object with something hanging underneath. The object appeared to be drifting with the wind and was so low over the waves that she thought it would get caught in the pines further along the peninsula. But it just scraped across the top of them. As it did Tina heard a person yelling but she could not make out what they were saying over the noise of the wind and the generators.

  As the ‘thing’ vanished from view across the southern arm of the lake, hidden against the darkening sky Sarah said, “Is it a balloon?”

  ‘Balloon?’ Tina thought. Then a conversation came back to her. “I wonder if it is Willy Williams’ airship?”

  “Airship?”

  “You know, like his model zeppelin, but big enough to carry a person,” Tina replied.

  “There was a person under that thing. I could hear him calling out,” Sarah said.

  “I wonder..?” Tina mused. She felt quite uneasy about what they had just seen. “It didn’t appear to be under control did it?”

  Sarah shrugged. “I suppose not. It’s a funny time to be trying to fly something like that.”

  Tina wracked her brain to try to remember what she had heard at school. ‘Willy was going to his aunty’s farm this weekend with Stephen and Stick and that little tease Marjorie and they were going to fly his new airship,’ she thought. ‘I wonder if something has gone wrong?’ She had a vague notion that the farm was nowhere near Lake Tinaroo. “I am just going to ask those people down there what the person in the airship said,” she said to Sarah. “You go and tell your mum I will be there in a few minutes.”

  Sarah wanted to come with her but did as she was told. Tina hurried on along the vehicle track through the camp, past tents, barbeques and boats on trailers until she reached the last few tents. Here she found a large group, several families by the look of it, all seated around pressure lanterns and tables of food. They were just starting to eat.

  Hoping she wasn’t being foolish Tina self-consciously moved forward into the light until she was noticed. A big, burly man in shorts and pullover saw her and said, “Hello. What do want Sweetie?”

  Tina had to clear her throat to speak. “Did you see a thing fly past a few minutes ago?” she asked.

  “We were just talking about that,” the man replied. “Yes we did, a big balloon thing with some bloke hanging underneath it.”

  “He was calling out wasn’t he?” Tina asked.

  “Yes he was, but we couldn’t make out what he was saying- too much wind.”

  A woman sitting across the table spoke up. “I thought he was calling help. I told you that Jack.”

  “Yeah. Mighta been,” Jack agreed.

  “Have you reported it?” Tina asked.

  The man shook his head. “Nah. We were just talking about what to do.”

  They discussed the sighting for a few more minutes and as they talked Tina’s doubts became certainties. “We must report this,” she said.

  “You do it then,” the man said. He looked a bit annoyed and lifted a beer to his lips.

  Tina turned and made her way back the Creswell’s tent. When she arrived they were all seated at the table ready to eat but were also curious about the sighting. As Tina sat down she apologized for being late and then said, “I think it was Willy’s airship and I think there is something wrong. Can we phone the police please?”

  Mr Creswell at once looked serious and quizzed her about what they had seen and why she thought what she did. He then nodded and took out his mobile phone and called the police. As he talked Tina saw his eyebrows go up and her heart skipped a beat. He then confirmed that she had been right when he said, “So it was an airship?”

  That comment got Tina really interested and also relieved her fears over possibly having made a fuss about nothing. After more talk Mr Creswell held the phone aside and said to her, “This airship, which way was it headed?”

  “South, towards Python Point,” Tina replied instantly.

  There was some discussion over whether it might have run into the ridge leading up to Python Hill. Tina could see that clearly outlined against the night sky but was sure the airship had been heading more to the west of it. “Towards the Yunguburra end of the lake,” she said.

  This information was relayed to the police and Mr Creswell then ended the phone call. As he slid the mobile phone into his pocket he looked at them all and then said, “You were right. It was Willy William’s airship. It has been blown over the mountains from near Davies Creek and his parents have just phoned in to call for help to find it. The police were afraid it would be crashed up on the side of the Lamb Range and that they would not be able to look before tomorrow morning. Now they are going to start searching south of the lake. Well done you two.”

  As he said this Tina was simultaneously glad and anxious as an appalling thought came to her, along with images of the clutching hand sticking out of the water. “I hope he doesn’t crash in the lake and drown,” she whispered.

  They had to calm and reassure her after that and then they settled to eating. Tina was so anxious she felt ill and said she was not hungry but Mrs Creswell said that she had to eat and if she wouldn’t they would call her parents to come and get her. Faced with that possibility Tina managed to force some food down.

  It was then early to bed. There were no reports on the
radio news and no return phone calls from the police so all they could do was speculate and look at the Lamb Range in wonder. ‘Right over those mountains!’ Tina thought. ‘Willy must have been terrified!’

  After that Tina did not think she would sleep but found she was tired out from the boating and hiking and she was sound asleep within minutes of placing her head on the pillow.

  Once again it was the motors that woke her up at dawn when campers switched on generators or started powerboats. For a few minutes she lay half awake while she cursed them for being selfish and inconsiderate, She snuggled down against the cold and tried to go back to sleep. Sarah lay beside her, still sound asleep. Both boys and the adults were already up moving about outside. Through bleary eyes and a gap in the tent flaps Tina saw that there was a thick fog and that made her even more determined to sleep in. She burrowed into her pillow and drew her sleeping bag close around her neck to keep warm.

  At that moment the content of a conversation in the next tent penetrated her consciousness. She heard a man call, “Come and look at the TV John.”

  Another man, presumably John, replied, “Why? What is it?”

  “Some kid on a homemade airship adrift over Atherton,” the first voice replied.

  Tina sat up, wide awake. ‘Airship!’ she thought. In a moment she was on her feet and struggling into slippers and dressing gown. Then she hurried out, barely noting the good mornings from the Creswells. Without considering the rudeness of her actions she went to the next tent and looked in. Two men and two women were there and they glanced at her.

  “Yes?” one of the women queried, surprised rather than hostile.

  Tina pointed to the portable TV on a table. “May I watch please? The boy on the airship goes to my school and I was the one who reported it to the police.”

  That satisfied them and she was given room to see. As she did Mr and Mrs Creswell came to the entrance and apologized and were in turn invited in. Tina stared in astonishment at the images on the TV. There was no doubt it was Willy’s home made airship. It was flying along just above the buildings in Atherton. It appeared to be floating in the top of a layer of fog and a person could be seen clinging to what looked like a bicycle frame hanging below the gas bag.

  There was a large and growing crowd following it along the street, as well as a variety of vehicles. From time to time the TV camera was directed on the crowd and during one of these scenes Tina recognized some of the people.

  “That is Graham Kirk,” she gasped, pointing to him. “And there is Stephen Bell- and Peter Bronsky.”

  Sarah pointed at the screen “And that little minx Marjorie,” she added.

  Tina also noted two air cadets: Marjorie’s big brother Stick and Noddy Parker. “How did the boys get there?” she asked no-one in particular. She thought that Graham and his friends had been going to climb Lambs Head that weekend.

  The group watched the drama for the next twenty minutes and Tina found she was biting her knuckles with anxiety as the airship drifted across the grounds of the Atherton State High School. As it scraped over the roof of one of the buildings Graham and Stephen scaled the outside of the building and tried to grab a rope dangling under the airship. Tina found she was holding her breath as they risked a terrible fall in their efforts. Finally it was Stephen who took a fearful risk and jumped off the roof as the airship began drifting clear. He grabbed the rope and hung on. His weight brought the airship down. Tina found she was disappointed that it had not been Graham who had made the heroic leap.

  There were more surprises as the TV crew pushed through the crowd to where the airship was now grounded. The camera zoomed in on the boy on the frame underneath and she saw it was not Willy. “That is Roger Dunning in Nine ‘B’,” she cried.

  “It is,” agreed Sarah. “How did he get on the airship?”

  “And where is Willy?” Tina added.

  CHAPTER 30

  WHERE IS WILLY?

  That apparently was the question being asked in Atherton but the answer was not forthcoming as the TV station switched back to its scheduled program. Tina could have cried with frustration. Amid the babble of talk and speculation she sat there trying to sort out in her own mind what on earth had gone on. But she couldn’t. So all she could do was thank the owners of the TV and ask them to let her know if there was any more news.

  She joined the Creswells at breakfast and again the main topic of conversation was the airship and what had happened. Tina was now consumed by curiosity and wanted to drive to Atherton to find out what had happened but when she hinted at this the Creswells would not hear of it.

  “Your parents will be here to pick you up at lunch time. We aren’t driving anywhere. We have to pack up the camp and that will take an hour or so.”

  At that both Aiden and Michael began to grumble. Michael said, “Aw Dad! Can’t we go sailing again?”

  “Only after the camp is packed and only for a short sail,” Mr Creswell replied.

  So they finished eating, washed up and began packing. As they did a red and white helicopter buzzed low overhead. Tina looked up and saw that it was heading towards Atherton. “That’s the Rescue Chopper isn’t it?” she asked.

  “Yes it is,” Mr Creswell answered.

  “Looking for Willy maybe?” Sarah suggested.

  When Tina again saw the helicopter half an hour later she was sure. It flew across the lake over near the town but high up and then began circling around the very top of the Lamb Range. ‘Searching for Willy alright,’ she decided.

  They watched it for a few minutes but it vanished out of sight over the other side of the mountain. Just looking up at the Lamb Range gave Tina some uncomfortable memories and she hoped Willy hadn’t fallen foul of the bird poachers. But there was nothing more to see so they went back to the chore of breaking camp. Each person packed their own gear and moved it out of the tent. This was then taken down and folded up.

  While they were doing that Mr Creswell’s mobile phone rang and he answered it. After a short conversation he closed the phone and said, “That was the police. They want to question us about the airship.”

  That information got Tina all interested again and she became quite restless. But they did not just sit and wait. The remainder of the camp, except for a few chairs and a table, were packed and loaded into the vehicle. While they worked similar scenes were being enacted around them. Tina saw that some families were busy packing while others seemed determined to stay till the last moment. She noted the first vehicles towing boats already leaving the camp ground.

  As she watched one vehicle drive off into the pines she saw a police car coming into view from the other direction. That got her heart beating faster with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. She drew Mr Creswell’s attention to it and they stood and waved until the police saw them and drove over to their camp. A tubby sergeant and a skinny female constable got out.

  The sergeant introduced himself to the adults and began questioning them but Mr Creswell indicated Tina and Sarah so the sergeant questioned them. He asked which direction they thought the airship had been travelling in.

  Tina had no hesitation in pointing to the Lamb Range. “From up there,” she said. “It was being blown along by the wind and went across the pines down at the end of the peninsula and then went on out of sight to the south.”

  The sergeant looked doubtful but noted this and then went to his car to radio the information. Having done that he thanked them for helping. “Your information made it much easier last night,” he said.

  “How is Roger?” Tina asked.

  “Roger?”

  “The boy who was on the airship when it was brought down at Atherton,” Tina answered.

  The sergeant looked surprised. “How do you know about that?”

  “Saw it on TV this morning,” Tina answered.

  “How do you know his name?” the sergeant asked suspiciously.

  “He goes to our school. So do the boys who grabbed the airship,” Tina explained.<
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  That satisfied the sergeant and he and the constable climbed into their car and drove away. Soon after that Tina again saw the rescue helicopter buzzing around the crest of the Lamb Range. ‘Poor Willy, if he is lost in all that jungle,’ she thought. Memories of pushing through where there was no track made her shudder and she feared for his life. ‘If he is down in that jungle they will never find him. If he is injured he will lie there until he dies,’ she mused.

  They returned to packing up and by 9am had this done. Mr Creswell looked at his watch and said, “We have two hours before your parents are due Tina. Do you kids want to do one last sail?”

  Tina didn’t but Sarah at once said yes and looked appealingly at her so she nodded.

  “Canoe or sailboat?” Mr Creswell asked.

  “Canoe,” Sarah answered before Tina could say ‘sailboat’. Once again vague and nameless anxieties related to her nightmare of two nights before surfaced to bother her. But she said nothing and helped prepare. It was decided that, as they had gone southwards on the previous trips that this time they go northwards. That suited Tina as it meant she could watch the helicopter as it buzzed around the top of Mt Edith.

  The boat trailer was pushed across the narrow neck of the peninsula and the sailboat rigged and launched. Michael went with his parents on it while Sarah and Tina carried the canoe across and launched it. Aiden was checked to ensure he had his PFD on correctly. Then the girls buckled theirs on. Tina stepped in and made her way to the bows and got settled. Then she used her paddle to help push the canoe into deeper water. Sarah lifted Aiden in and when he was seated she pushed off and settled in the stern.

  They set off northwards across the lake but almost immediately Aiden began to ask them in, a very anxious voice, not to go too far from land. That suited Tina as well so she suggested they coast along eastwards. Sarah was happy to do this as this was the direction the sailboat was also taking.

  Aiden did very little paddling but that did not bother Tina or Sarah. They settled to a good rhythm and soon had the canoe skimming nicely along in the calm water close to the pine tree clad southern shore of that part of the lake. As they did Tina kept glancing up at the jungle-covered slopes of the Lamb Range, watching the helicopter when it was visible, and brooding over Willy’s possible fate when it was not.