Water Goes Mad

• Georgia King, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2014

If you are hyperactive and after some fun, white water rafting is made for you. Water can start calm then become crazy, thrashing around like it is angry. Chloe’s family and my family went on holidays to the Tully River, the wettest place in Australia where we went white water rafting.

The eight of us put on a helmet, a lifejacket, water shoes and grabbed a paddle. Chloe and I were giggling because we looked very funny and were excited about rafting. Our Dads told us to listen to our instructor. He sat in the back of the raft and told us about how to steer and what to do if you capsize. Then we got into the raft.

We started to paddle through the smooth, crystal water. The clear water was dazzling and sparkling as the sun shone on it. We felt very relaxed until I noticed white foamy bits on top of the water. The water started spraying us and splashing against the side of the raft. Water kept flowing into the raft and we were worried we were going to sink as we paddled though a dip in the water. The force of the water turned the raft and we started going backwards. The instructor turned us around just as we were paddling into the part of the river they call The Great Throat of Death where the swirling water sucks you up.

Then the raft capsized, and my dad was swept away by the thundering and raging water. Mummy gasped and held on to my sister and I as we crawled back into the raft. When it was tipped up the right way, the raft kept rocking and we chased after dad. We found him a long way down the river clinging onto a rock with water rushing past him. I said, “Climb aboard Dad”.

The water went back to being calm. I was dripping wet when we finished. Chloe and I loved our holiday together and now know that water can be strong and dangerous yet exciting.