Matainui.

Day one

8:45 Am

We had all spent one whole week preparing for our trip, and we were all ecstatic.It was a long drive to Kawhia harbour, we were all ready before hand and didn't really know what to expect.We all piled on the bus and sat in our usual cliques. Behind the constant chattering, we could hear the hum of the bus constantly swerving in different directions.

9:15 AM

After about fifteen minutes,we stepped out of the bus, and I gained that sickly feeling you always seem to get once you step off a vehicle after a long journey.I yawned, stretched, and walked towards the sandy beach of Kawhia.

We were all buzzing with excitement as we sat down to eat our lunch on those old mossy tables that always have birds all around them. I didn't feel like eating after the bus ride, so I threw most of my sandwiches to the ducks, and they seemed to thank me. Weird.

9: 25 AM

"RRRRRRUUUUUUUMMMMMM" The plane, or should I say brick, literally it was HUGE!! Not as in, lots-of-space, as in thick! If you have any spare time, you know, and you're bored, you should check out a picture of one. But for now, I'll just explain it to you. Well, the exterior of the "Grumman HU-16 Albatross" had two thick envelope white wings, and there was about 12 windows, that were about 30 Cm's across and 30 Cm's down. "AYE! Welcome to Kawhia harbour. I see you're looking at this here fine sea plane! Well, shiver me timbers! Ye are! I'll be ye co-pilot, David Woodcock for this here journey across the seven skies! Please step in single file into this hear sea plane, and sit in ye groups! Aye!!!!"

"Well, come on me Hearties, what are ye waiting for???!!!"

9:30 AM

After giggling at Mr Woody's ridiculous pirate outfit and impersonation, we did what we were told, and walked in single file, with a few odd students walking in two's. And sat in our groups, my group sat in the second row from the front, and after chatting with Kieran, who was sitting beside me, and Haylee who was sitting to the left of me, I buckled my seat belt, and chatted some more.

9: 35 AM

"RRRUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM" The plane hummed some more, as we wriggled around in our seats, buzzing more than bee's, which , as you may know, buzz quite a lot. "CCCRRRRACCCKKLLLEE CCCRREEAKKK" I covered my ears as the intercom crackled, and creaked, which was caused by some one obviously using it for the first time, in a very long time, at least I think that's why it crackled, I doubt it was because it disliked whoever was trying to speak into it. However, if I had've known then, who was about to speak into the intercom, I probably wouldn't have been able to hold in an "eeekk" either.

9:40 AM

"HELLO!!!!!!! This is you're pilot speaking! My name is Sam! Now, before you start freaking out, and reminding me that I am only twelve don't worry, I have had tests, to see if I am a suitable pilot, and I passed all of them."

Everyone went silent.



"So, have a nice flight!!"


The rest of the flight was completely silent, and behind the rattles of the Grumman HU-16 Albatross, you could hear a variety of gulps, sighs, whimpers, and the occasional shuffling around in seats. " O.k so here's what I know" I murmured to whoever was listening, " Sam is only 12" I was very surprised when sudden sounds of agreement were made by literally everyone in my class, almost as if they were waiting for someone brave enough to break the silence, and, to be honest, I wasn't expecting that to be me. " We need to stay calm, It's a nice day, Sam's flying skills seem to be genuine, and we havn't crashed yet, so far, nothing that bad has happened." I was trying to be the strong one, you know reassuring everyone, and it seemed to be working, as I looked around I saw that everyone was nodding in agreement. I was just about to reassure some more, when a large "BBOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!" Interupted my efforts.

10:10 AM

After another series of creeeeaaakkks and ccccrrraakkles we turned our heads towards the old intercoms, just in time to hear Sam's worried voice, "uuuhhhh. There has been some unreported lightning, and thunder, aaannnddd rain, but, no need to uhhh worry, we will be arriving shortly" I strained towards the intercom just enough to hear a little "I hope" at then end of his sentence, and then everything went crazy.

10:15 AM

"AHHHHHHHH" "NOOOOOOOO" "II WAAAANNA LIIIIIIVE"


"CALM DOWN!!!!!!!!"

I yelled, remembering my imaginary job as, what would you call it? A brave knight? A mature person? A some what leader? Kind of all of them I guess. Anyway, where was I up to? oh, right,sorry

"CALM DOWN!!!!!!!!!"

I yelled racing up to the front of the plane where everyone could see me "everyone, this is serous! Grab hold of your bags,and buckle your seat belts!! Choose a partner, and stick with them, to make sure thet're O.K if anything happens". It didn't take long after my " if anything happens" for the screams to start up again "TRUST ME!!! WE NEED TO STAY CALM!!"

"she's right!!"
"yeah she is"

I looked beside me to see all of my group members standing beside me, supporting me. I smiled, mouthed "thank you" and continued.


" Once again, hold tightly onto your bags and choose a partner!"

I glimpsed at Kim, nodded and continued again " So once you've done that, buckle into your seat be . . . . . ." I was interupted by the sudden weightless feeling, as I floated around the cabin "O.k? Why are we floating?" I was floating around towards my seat with Kim close behind, I was just about to join Kieran and Dilshen, who were already in their seats, when I noticed Haylee behind Kim still at the front of the plane, looking worried, obviously, " Kim, we have to help Haylee! She's still at the front of the plaaannn . . . . "


I was again interrupted, and to be honest it was getting to be quite annoying, by the end of the weightlessness, and I slammed down towards the floor, feeling a sharp pain shoot through my ankle, I winced, as you tend to do after a painful experience, and crawled towards Haylee and Kim, and noticed that Kim seemed to be experiencing the same shot of pain. I glanced towards Haylee to see that she was dead, well, not dead, unconscious, I gasped, and helped Kim carry her back to her seat. We got her to her seat just before another series of rumbles started up again. the plane seemed to suddenly start spiralling downwards, TOWARDS THE SEA!!!! "O.k, I never passed my pilot tests!!" I heard Sam admit as we were plummeting towards the silky, aqua-coloured ocean.

10:50 AM

I joined the chorus of screaming, "took my own advice", and grasped my bag tightly, keeping an eye on Haylee, making sure she would get out alive. Yes, I had predicted that we were about to crash into the sea. So I stood up, opened the hatch on the roof of the plane, and told Kim, Kieran, and Dilshen to jump. No, I'm not crazy, but I knew that we might get more hurt if we stayed in the plane so I helped Kim, Kieran and Dilshen carry Haylee and, well, to put it simply, we jumped.

11:00 AM

I felt the icy cold water engulf me as I felt the burning in my chest while I was fighting like crazy, through the water for breath. I felt my fingers "grasp" the air, followed suit, and fought hard, to get my head above the water, just as much as my fingers were. Straight after I gained enough Oxygen, I looked around to see Kieran and Dilshen helping each other to shore, I smiled, proud of how well my "choose a partner" instructions were working.

I froze, remembering Haylee, and Kim, and swam in a circle trying to find them. I spotted Kim, breathing heavily, and trying desperately to keep Haylee's head above the water. I swam over to them , and helped Kim drag Haylee to shore. Everyone in my group was safe. I looked around at everyone panicked faces, and realised that no one had save their bags. I panicked, looked out towards the ocean, and saw my bag floating further out towards the sea, without thinking, I dived into the ocean, in which I nearly drowned, and free-styled towards my bag. After what seemed like hours, I reached my bag and towed it to shore, looking out to try and spot other bags. I failed dragging my soaking wet bag towards my group. Suddenly I heard a loud "BBBOOOMMM" and turned towards the ocean to se the Grumman HU-16 Albatross plummeting towards the ocean.

11:05 AM

I covered my eyes not wanting to see the disaster. and after another long series of screaming, I peeked through my cold hands, to see a group of people swimming towards the shore, and then it hit me. I ran towards my group and started talking.

"O.k so here's what's gonna happen, do you remember the maps we looked at for this island?" Murmurs of agreement came from my group. I continued. "yeah well, I just reaslied that we only have 3 litres of water, right? So we need to get to that small mountain nearby, that has a fresh water spring, we need to walk across this beach, and get to that mountain, It will take about two days, so we'll put up the tent in my bag, and sleep on that beach before the small mountain, then we'll walk up to the mountain to the fresh-water spring. O.k?"

I heard mumbles of agreement from my group, so I nodded and lead the way.

6:00 PM

I sat on the beach, grasping for five protein bars, and handed them out to my now exhausted group, despite our circumstances, I was smiling, I had become a real leader since we landed on the island, and thanks to me, we now have a plan, and have already accomplished half of it, us already being on the beach. I also grinned at the tent, I had kept in my bag, and reminisced about the full 12 minutes it took to put up the tent, and lastly I smiled at my group, my safe group, sitting by the fire, we had lit with my matches. I picked at my protein bar, sipped some water from our 4 litre drink bottle, and smiled, once more.

6:30 PM

Sure, 6:30 is a pretty early time to go to sleep, but I managed to convince my group that we needed a lot of sleep, after what we had been through. They quietly nodded. And we all went to sleep, we all slept in a long row, using the communal blanket to keep warm. I lay still, thinking, you may wonder what I was thinking about, well you know everything, how we were going to get off the island, how we were going to survive etc. I was just about to think about my family, when I felt my eye lids flicker.

And then the darkness closed in.