This is a fantastic opportunity for our local Primary, Intermediate, and Secondary students to shine as writers!
The Kahui Ako o Kaipara is a Community of Learning that includes our local ECE centres and 8 local schools, all working together to support our tamariki across Kaipara. What follows is the story by Zoe Supeck who won “First place overall”
The waterfall that got stuck in time
By Zoe Supeck, Year 8, Waimauku School
Hannah and Leo Jenks always go camping near Waitangi waterfall. They have been going for as long as they could remember and were practically tour guides. Long days would be spent in the plunge pool that the waterfall poured into, splashing each other, and diving off the rocks; until the day ended, when they would traipse out of the water sopping wet. This summer was no exception.
‘Mum, Leo and I are just going to the awaterfall,’ Hannah cried, as she and her brother jumped out of the car. ‘Ok then.’ Mrs Jenks called back, ‘Just be back before 4.’ Hannah turned around, expecting to find Leo there, before realising he had already sprinted off. Waitangi Holiday Park was a decent campground, with playgrounds and picnic tables; all of which were walking distance to the beach.
The waterfall was a five minute walk and a two minute run. Hannah ran. Bushes and trees were cramped into the path. Hannah could hear her brother splashing about in the water, and she didn’t hesitate to join him. She hit the surface hard, but that didn’t matter. Everything was right. The Tuis were singing and there was a cool breeze blowing. The sky was blue, the sun shining brightly; and in the small plunge pool, two children played happily. That was, until the Tuis stopped singing and a horn sounded. Not a horn, but a shell. And that shell was the only thing to be heard as it echoed.
Skies that were blue mere seconds ago, were now inauspicious and the clouds were black. The sun had run away and was nowhere to be found. The two children froze in the pelting rain, as the light disappeared. Hannah and Leo swam to the sand; Leo bounded to shelter under the foliage whilst Hannah grabbed her towel.
Just as she reached the edge of the bush, lightning struck, and the storm was gone. It stopped as soon as it had started. Leo appeared from the bush, absolutely soaked. His hair clung to his forehead, water dripping from his chin. ‘That was crazy,’ Leo said, ‘Where did that come from?’
‘I have no ide-’ The ground shook violently. Hannah and Leo fell to the ground, as the waterfall behind them ceased. Grinding stones could be heard, but neither dared to look.
Eventually, the ground stopped rumbling, and that was when Leo peeked.
‘The waterfall vanished!’
Warily, Hannah turned her head. Sure enough the waterfall had vanished, but it had been replaced with a sort of cavity in the side of the wall; and there was a polished, purple lever in the middle.
As abnormal as this sighting was, the children hurriedly swam across the pool to the cavity. Hauling themselves up desperately into the hollow. When they reached the top, they slumped against the wall. A dripping sound could be heard, almost as if the ceiling were crying. Hannah reached her hands above her head in an attempt to get up, accidentally pulling the lever in the process. CLICK! The cave whipped around and both Hannah and Leo were trapped in total darkness. It was only a minute before the cave swivelled around again; and Leo and Hannah were basking in sunlight.
‘What was that?’ queried a dizzy Hannah. ‘I have no idea, but let’s get out of here before it happens again.’ ‘Agreed.’
The two children scrambled out of the hollow quickly, like people trying to get the best seats at a concert before they sold out and plunged into the shallow pool.
Still shaken up by recent events, Hannah and Leo both hurried home, desperate to tell their parents what had happened to them in the past five minutes.
Only, when they finally reached their campsite, their parents were nowhere to be found, and a muted orange tent stood where their grey tent was only minutes ago.
‘Excuse me, but have you seen Elsie and Isaiah Jenks?’ Hannah asked timidly, her voice sounding quiet as she approached the strangers. ‘I don’t know any Elsie, but my name’s Isaiah Jenks,’ a small boy appeared from behind the tent. ‘ Hey, our Dad’s name is als-’
Hannah grabbed Leo by the arm and pulled him away before he could say anything else. ‘ Leo, don’t you get it? That’s Dad! But he doesn’t know that yet, and you are certainly not going to be the one to tell him that!’
Leo realised what he had almost done and let Hannah do the talking. ‘Hi Isaiah, it’s us again,’ Hannah said, ‘we were wondering what year it was.’ ‘Well it’s 1984, duh,’ Isaiah answered. ‘Of course, silly me. Thank you.’
Leo stood there with his mouth wide open as Hannah strode away, before he turned and followed like a dog.
‘Hannah, I think we went back in time…’ ‘Well obviously! 10 minutes ago it was the year 2025, and now we’re in 1984!’
Hannah spoke rapidly, before pacing back and forth on the beach. ‘I bet you it’s that rock!’ Leo exclaimed.
Once again, the children swam across the pool and pulled themselves up onto the shelf, making sure they were all inside, before pulling the lever.
Grind! Hannah covered her ears, because hearing rocks grinding was not a pleasant sound to hear. Soon enough, sunlight poured in. Everything seemed normal, until the children looked down and saw that the plunge pool was replaced by cracked dirt. ROAR!!!! A humongous dinosaur that appeared in the trees, started racing towards them.
‘PULL THE LEVER, LEO!!!! NOW!!!’ screamed Hannah at the top of her lungs. The dinosaur was metres away from biting their heads off, when Leo did as he was told.
The stone opened again, but there were no dinosaurs anywhere, just birds whistling. Their parents, Elsie and Isaiah Jenks, were back at their campsite; pitching up their grey tent. I think it’s safe to say Hannah and Leo Jenks would be steering clear of that waterfall for a while, just in case any unwanted adventure comes their way.
