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    Crown Park
    Crown Park
    Crown Park
    Ebook130 pages1 hour

    Crown Park

    By Des Hunt

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Jack Stewart hates his new life in Taupo. Everyone at school picks on him; his only friend is a stray cat called Chainsaw; and his parents are always away working.

    Then he meets Fluoro, Taupo’s most visible street person. Fluoro’s home is an old explosion crater in Crown Park where steam and poisonous gases still hiss and ooze from the ground. Jack soon finds that Fluoro has chosen this place, not just for the heat coming from deep inside the earth, but because it provides a link to the last eruption of Lake Taupo, two thousand years before. With the man’s help, Jack learns how to take his mind back to when moa and other ancient animals faced the world’s greatest eruption since history began. Along with a group of creatures called the Luce Crew, they embark on a rescue mission that threatens not only animals in the past, but humans in the present.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDes Hunt
    Release dateMay 30, 2015
    ISBN9781927199411
    Crown Park
    Author

    Des Hunt

    Des Hunt is a well respected educationalist and teacher, responsible for writing the national primary schools science curriculum. He has written a series of successful environmental adventures for 9-12 year olds. He lives in Whitianga, NZ and teaches at the Mercury Bay Area School.

    Read more from Des Hunt

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      Book preview

      Crown Park - Des Hunt

      About Des Hunt

      After more than forty years working in education, Des Hunt is now a full-time writer living on New Zealand’s beautiful Coromandel Peninsula. Since the 1970’s he has shared his fascination with science and technology through textbooks, electronic devices, and computer programs. More recently he has turned to fiction as a way of interesting youngsters in the world that surrounds them. His first novel, A Friend in Paradise, was published in 2002.

      Three of his books have been finalists in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards; one a LIANZA finalist; and seven listed as Storylines Notable Books.

      For more visit www.deshunt.com

      Other Books by Des Hunt

      Fiction

      A Friend in Paradise Harper Collins

      The Moa Cave Harper Collins

      Frog Whistle Mine Harper Collins

      Where Cuckoos Call Harper Collins

      Shadows in the Ice Harper Collins

      The Tooth Harper Collins

      Whale Pot Bay Harper Collins

      The Last Tuatara Scholastic

      Cry of the Taniwha Harper Collins

      The Crocodile Nest Harper Collins

      The Peco Incident Harper Collins

      Cody’s Unexpected Catch Harper Collins

      Steel Pelicans Harper Collins

      Phantom of Terawhiti Harper Collins

      Project Huia Scholastic

      Nonfiction

      The Naughty Kid’s Book of Nature

      Illustrated by Scott Tulloch Harper Collins

      Physics 2000 Longman Paul

      Beyond 2000 Longman Paul

      Crown Park

      Des Hunt

      www.oceanbooks.co.nz

      Copyright

      Des Hunt asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work under the terms of Section 96 of the Copyright Act of 1994 (New Zealand.) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher.

      © Des Hunt 2013

      ISBN 978-1-927199-41-1

      Cover: Nikki Slade-Robinson

      Editor: Jenny Argante

      References to Magic Thinks Big by Elisha Cooper published by Greenwillow Books ©2004.

      ISBN 978-0-06-058165-7

      Contents

      About Des Hunt

      Other Books by Des Hunt

      Copyright

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Chapter 17

      Chapter 18

      Chapter 19

      Chapter 20

      Chapter 21

      Chapter 22

      Chapter 1

      School was nearly over for the day and for Jack Stewart it couldn’t come soon enough. The whole day had been trouble. The whole week! He hated the place.

      Jack, called Miss Finch.

      No response.

      Jack Stewart!

      Jack looked up at her. What?

      Could you pick up the paper under your place, please?

      I already have.

      Then what are those three pieces I can see?

      Jack tilted his desk forward until he could see the paper. How did that get there? He looked around, and sure enough Liam Bennett was smirking at him.

      Be a good boy and pick up your rubbish, Jack Spewit, said Liam.

      Jack breathed deeply for a time before kicking the papers into a heap. He bent over, crushed them into a ball, and took it to the bin by the door.

      The bell rang.

      Everyone scrambled to sit up straight.

      Miss Finch stood at the front, slowly scanning the room, looking for anything that was not quite perfect. The scan stopped at Jack’s desk. A frown crossed her face.

      I told you to pick up those papers.

      I did.

      Her eyes narrowed. So how come they’re still there.

      Jack looked down. Now there was more rubbish than before. His face tightened.

      Liam Bennett put it there, he said.

      She shook her head slowly.

      I don’t care how they got there. It’s your job to pick them up.

      No! Make Liam Bennett do it. It’s his rubbish.

      That’s when Miss Finch finally lost it.

      Jack, get out of your chair and do it now, she yelled.

      Unfortunately, Jack had trouble hearing people who yelled. Buzzing in his ears would turn the words into something else. This time he heard, Get out of here! Do it now!

      So that’s what he did. He stood, picked up his bag, and marched towards the door.

      Where are you going? screamed Miss Finch.

      Jack stopped and glared at her. You told me to get out.

      She pointed to his desk. Get back there and pick up that rubbish.

      Jack returned to his place, mumbling to himself. Make up your stupid mind.

      Instantly the room was silent. Jack looked around. The whole class was staring at him with shocked faces.

      Miss Finch marched up to him with her hands on her hips. What did you say?

      Nothing, Miss, said Jack avoiding her eyes.

      Oh, yes, you did. Are you prepared to repeat it?

      No, Miss.

      Jack Stewart, at this school, students do not insult teachers. If they do, they usually end up going someplace else.

      She spun around and moved back to the front where she glared at the silent class. OK, she said. Chairs up and you may leave.

      The silence exploded into a clatter of chairs and noisy voices as the class left. Jack moved to follow.

      Not you, said Miss Finch. You’re coming with me to see the principal.

      Jack was about to reply when the principal marched into the room.

      Has there been some trouble in here?

      Yes, replied Miss Finch, pointing at Jack. Him!

      Oh, it’s you, said the principal. Why am I not surprised?

      Maybe because she always picks on me? suggested Jack.

      The principal snorted. Children who say they’re being picked on usually deserve it because of their bad behaviour. She glared at Jack. And that’s certainly true in your case. Come with me and I’ll show you the long list of things that you have done in the five weeks you’ve been with us. After that I’m going to contact your parents. It’s time to get this sorted once and for all.

      An hour later Jack finally left school. Nothing much had happened except he now had a letter to take home. The principal’s attempts to phone each parent had failed. All she’d got was voice mail. Jack could have told her it was useless. His mother’s phone would be turned off while she was working. His father’s might be on, but there was no signal in the places where he worked.

      Jack pulled the hood of his jacket over his head, and set off towards Crown Park. There was no rush to get home — no one would be there. Instead he would mess around with Chainsaw. But first he needed money.

      Crown Park is a large open area at the back of Taupo. It’s a nice spot for those wanting to enjoy a bit of time out. It’s also a place that tourist buses visit as it has great views of Tauhara, the ancient volcano that watches over the town and the lake beyond.

      Jack sat on a low rail that surrounded the car park. For him the best thing about Crown Park was the steam that rose from a narrow gully. He liked the idea of being close to a geothermal area. It was about the only good thing he’d found in Taupo — that and Chainsaw.

      As he watched, a touch of colour appeared in the steam drifting across the park. It was Fluoro Fred, the town’s most visible homeless person.

      Jack didn’t know if his name was Fred or not. Probably nobody knew except Fluoro himself. Jack had never seen anyone talking to him. Certainly the kids at school didn’t. They generally kept well clear unless they wanted to show off. Then they would throw stuff and call him names. Madman, nutter, psycho, sicko, freak… and worse. All because Fluoro wore strange clothes and mumbled to himself.

      The clothing was every shade of orange, beginning with a fluorescent beanie and ending with the brightest basketball boots you would ever see. In between was an orange tracksuit covered with a fluorescent orange worker’s vest.

      Fluoro’s arrival at the car park was a sure sign that the afternoon tourist bus was due. Fluoro might be mad, but he still kept good enough time to be sitting on the grass when the bus arrived. He took his beanie from his shaved head and tucked it in a pocket. Next he pulled a bowl from under the vest. He put this in front of his crossed legs and began mumbling.

      To Jack the mumbling was just that. He had trouble enough hearing people when they spoke clearly. The way Fluoro mumbled made it impossible to make out anything. To Jack it seemed like a few words were repeated over and over. Just what you would expect from a crazy man.

      Within a minute of Fluoro’s arrival, the tourist bus pulled into the parking area. About thirty tourists climbed from it and walked around taking photos. Last out was the tour guide, who quickly arranged the group so that they were facing Tauhara.

      Tauhara, he shouted, "is a volcano just like Lake Taupo. They’re both part of the same system except Tauhara oozes lava whereas Taupo really blows its top. Tauhara last erupted 65,000 years ago. Taupo’s last blast was

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