Lost! (2 page)

An hour later the search party was still scouting the area. Robert was very keen to help find the German tourist but there was so much to see at Kakadu. The National Park was included on the World Heritage List for its amazing cultural
and natural resources. There were many different types of mammals, birds and reptiles but Robert was particularly interested to hear that there were more than twenty-five species of frogs living in the area.

As far as Robert was concerned, Kakadu was like
Jurassic Park
, but for frogs, not dinosaurs. It wasn't as though people discovered new species every day, but it did happen in Kakadu. He had seen three different types of frogs that morning. Unfortunately they had all already been discovered.

‘You are a beaut example of your species.' Robert crouched down by a dried-up waterhole and turned to
a brown tree frog who was watching him. ‘I know there are species of frogs here that nobody has ever seen, so why don't you let me know where they are?'

The amphibian eyeballed Robert.

‘Come on,' he coaxed, ‘I can be trusted.'

But the frog continued to look at the boy suspiciously, giving nothing away. Robert wasn't impressed. Here he was on the brink of a major scientific discovery and the wildlife wasn't coming to the party.

‘Robert!' called Bindi, for what felt like the tenth time. They were meant to be looking for Jonas but she was spending most of her time keeping tabs on her little brother.

An exasperated Bindi peered down from the rock she was standing on. ‘Robert Irwin! We'll never find Jonas if I have to keep track of you all the time!'

Robert gave a small sigh as he rejoined his sister. ‘I'm sorry, Bindi. I want to find Jonas too but I also have some frogs that need my attention.'

Bindi shook her head in amusement. It was difficult to stay cross with her brother for long.

Robert decided DJ might be able to help with the frog hunt. ‘Tell me more about the lizards and frogs around here. Do you think I might be able to discover a new species?'

DJ shrugged. ‘I'm not sure but Dad would know.'

Robert sped off in the direction of Terri and Tommy who were searching nearby.

Bindi groaned, ‘Uh, oh, we've lost him again!'

Ines stepped in. ‘I'll keep an eye on the boy. I want to check in with the others anyway.'

Bindi knew Robert couldn't get into too much trouble with Ines
watching. ‘Okay. DJ and I will keep following this creek bed.'

The children moved off in the direction of the dried-up creek and continued their search. Bindi looked over at DJ. ‘Remember that time we hid from our folks to avoid bathtime?'

DJ laughed. ‘We were, what, about five years old? We thought we were so clever hiding in the cupboard under the stairs until we accidentally locked ourselves in!'

‘I seem to remember it was your idea, DJ. I also seem to remember we got sent to bed very early that night!' They both laughed.

The two friends walked on in
companionable silence when, all at once, Bindi stopped and stood quite still. She cocked her head to one side. ‘Did you hear that?'

DJ listened. Aside from the usual chatter of birdlife and the chorus of nearby frogs all he could hear were the distant calls for Jonas from the search party. ‘You might need to be more specific.'

A sulphur-crested cockatoo in a nearby paperbark tree let out a loud squawk.

‘There!' Bindi pointed to the bird.

‘You mean that fella?' asked DJ. Bindi nodded.

The cockatoo let out another
squawk and flew to a different tree a few metres in front of where Bindi and DJ were standing. The bird turned its head towards the friends and fanned its yellow crest as if trying to gain their attention.

Bindi began jogging in the direction of the cockatoo, indicating for DJ to follow. She tried not to get her hopes up in case it turned out to be nothing, but some instinct told her to listen to this bird.

She called back to DJ, ‘Cockatoos are very clever creatures, and they're good at communicating. I think it's trying to tell us something.'

‘Errrkk!' The cockatoo let out another loud shriek as it hopped
from one foot to the other on a low branch in a nearby tree. It was a very handsome-looking member of the parrot family with a dark grey, almost black, bill. It kept flapping about while it jumped and seemed very proud of the yellow wash that ran down the underside of its wings.

‘What a show-off!' observed DJ.

‘Takes one to know one,' giggled Bindi.

DJ pretended to be hurt. ‘Unfair.'

Bindi turned her attention back to their new feathered friend. ‘It's definitely persistent. Don't you think it's going to a lot of trouble to get our attention?'

Bindi continued walking in the direction of the cockatoo and motioned for DJ to follow. ‘Let's see what happens when we approach it.'

The cockie began to nod its head up and down as it watched the children draw near. The bird didn't seem the least bit shy. ‘Erk! Erk!' Its head bobbed up and down and its crest fanned out beautifully.

Bindi and DJ stood beneath the tree the cockatoo was perched in and looked up. ‘Now what?' Bindi asked.

Before DJ could answer, the cockatoo flew into the air with a screech and landed in another tree. It was in the opposite direction
to where the search was being conducted.

‘It wants us to follow,' announced Bindi, with certainty.

‘It sure looks that way,' agreed DJ.

Bindi was unsure of what they should do. ‘We shouldn't leave the others. We don't have a walkie-talkie or a phone with us.'

DJ dismissed her concerns with a wave. ‘I know this place like the back of my hand. It will only take a minute to see what this fella wants to show us.'

DJ walked purposefully in the direction of the cockatoo and, after a minute of hesitation, Bindi followed. They wound their way deeper through the tall grass and shrubs. It became obvious that the bird was encouraging them to continue.

‘You were right,' said DJ. ‘It definitely wants us to follow.'

Bindi walked on ahead, calling softly to the cockatoo.

DJ glanced back in the direction they had come. He had been confident that he knew the way they were going, but now he wasn't so sure. The huge expanse was a mass of tall grass dotted with trees and to him it all looked the same.

‘Everything okay?' asked Bindi when she realised he had slowed down.

DJ flashed her a big smile. ‘Absolutely. Let's find out what this fella wants to show us!'

It didn't seem as if they had
gone very far when all of a sudden the terrain changed dramatically. Bindi and DJ left the grasslands behind and were soon scrambling up steep ground. The going was slow. They found themselves climbing up the slope of a rocky sandstone escarpment. The cockatoo flew from tree to tree, always keeping a watchful eye on them.

Bindi paused in her climb to look at the ground below. She could just make out the rock-shelter of Ubirr. It startled her to realise how far away from the start of the search they were.

DJ sensed Bindi's hesitation. ‘Do you think the cocky might
just be taking us to see his nest or something?'

Bindi frowned. ‘I don't know.'

‘If we can just get high enough we should have a pretty good view of the lowlands,' said DJ. ‘If there's nothing to see, we can make our way back.'

DJ continued to scramble his way up the rocky embankment. He was quicker than Bindi and the gap between them widened. Bindi was beginning to feel uneasy. The climb was risky and they were now far from their starting point. She looked up again but could no longer see DJ. He had climbed out of sight. The cockatoo began squawking
loudly. It didn't seem to like them separating. It swooped down close to Bindi, letting out a loud screech. Bindi felt the rush of air on her face as the wings swooped past.

‘Okay, cockie. I'm going as fast as I can!' Bindi stopped to catch her breath. ‘DJ!' she called out. ‘DJ, wait!'

Bindi listened but heard no reply. She had no choice but to climb after her friend, and so on she went. She received another telling off from the cockatoo.

‘I don't understand what you're trying to say to me!'

Bindi felt a little annoyed with DJ and a little frustrated by the
cockatoo. Was DJ just showing off by going so fast and leaving her alone on the rocky wall? They should always stick together – that was the first rule of hiking.

Bindi tried to make her way as smoothly as she could but the rocks became smaller the higher she climbed and the ground underneath crumbled easily. She finally caught sight of DJ up ahead.

‘There you are!' Bindi pulled herself up to where the boy was standing. She reached into her backpack for her water bottle. The sun was getting hotter and hotter by the moment.

DJ seemed oblivious to Bindi's
anxiety. He was staring at the valley below, trying to figure out where they were. He didn't want to worry Bindi, and turned to her with a big smile.

‘Check out the view!'

As DJ gestured towards the incredible scenery, his arm collided with Bindi and he lost his balance. He immediately tried to right himself but kept slipping on the unstable ground. All of a sudden, he was falling.

‘No!' cried Bindi as she watched DJ scramble for something to hold onto and almost tumble off the cliff. She reached out and, just in time, managed to grab DJ's outstretched hand. It took all her strength to hold on as her friend tried to find
a secure foothold. No matter how hard DJ tried, his feet kept sliding on the loose ground. Fragments of shale rained down the escarpment as he struggled for traction.

‘Come on, DJ!' Bindi called through gritted teeth. She didn't think she could hold on much longer. After what seemed like an age, DJ finally managed to wedge a foot between two rocks that would hold his weight. With Bindi's help, he slowly pulled himself up until he was standing on level ground.

With trembling hands, DJ shook the loose pebbles and dirt from his clothes. His jeans were ripped and there was a hole in his hoodie where
a grazed elbow poked out. His face was scratched and smeared with dirt. The two friends were silent as they contemplated what might have happened. Bindi leaned forward to peer over the edge and only then did she realise how far down the drop went. If DJ had fallen he would have been seriously injured.

DJ cleared his throat. His mouth felt dry and he found it difficult to keep the tremor from his voice. ‘Some of the escarpments are pretty high. Seems like we found one of them.'

‘You don't say,' observed Bindi, dryly. She assessed DJ's wounds. Nothing too serious. ‘Are you okay?'

DJ nodded, still a bit stunned. He knew he should thank Bindi. After all, she had just saved his life. He was searching for the right words when he was interrupted by a loud ‘ERK!'

Bindi and DJ both looked over at the bird, which had begun the now familiar raucous squawking. They hadn't thought it possible, but their feathered friend seemed to be cranking up the volume!

‘Are you okay to keep going?' Bindi asked DJ over the noise.

DJ nodded. He walked stiffly behind Bindi, inspecting his scratches as he did so. The friends followed the cockatoo from a distance. It led
them away from the steep edge and further along the narrow path that wound around the top of the rocky plateau.

They were still getting their breath back when Bindi spotted a flash of colour among the dull grey rocks.

‘DJ, look!' Bindi pointed to the red shirt in the distance. ‘The cockatoo did have something to show us!'

The two friends broke into a run. As they approached, it became clear that the red clothing belonged to a young man, who fitted the description Ines had given them of her boyfriend.

‘Jonas!' cried DJ. They hurried towards the body but despite their shouting, the figure didn't stir.

The young man lay motionless.