3
SCHOOL’S OUT!!
AT LAST LESSONS
ARE OVER!
WOW! I JUST COULDN’T
WAIT FOR THE TIME TO
MEET MY PARENTS...
MANUEL, SON. I’VE BEEN OFFERED
A JOB I CAN’T REFUSE. IT’S
IN DARWIN, AT THE KAKADU
NATIONAL PARK.
HE’S GOING TO BE A
CROCODILE KEEPER. HE’LL KNOW
HOW TO LOOK AFTER THESE
CREATURES, THERE USED TO BE SOME
OVER THERE IN THE TUMBES, BUT YOU
WERE SO SMALL WHEN WE LEFT PERU
I DON’T SUPPOSE YOU CAN
REMEMBER...
WELL, THEN,
WE’RE OFF TO
DARWIN.
YOU’LL SEE SON. YOU’LL
BE COMING, BUT A BIT LATER.
YOU HAVE TO FINISH YOUR
COURSE: YOUR STUDIES ARE
THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING.
Some months before...
4
WHAT? YOU’RE GOING
AND I’M STAYING?
IT’S FOR THE BEST,
SWEETIE. YOU HAVE TO STUDY
AND CHARLES WILL LOOK AFTER
YOU. DON’T THINK WE’RE LEAVING
YOU ON YOUR OWN...
CHARLES?
I DON’T WANT HIM
TO LOOK AFTER ME.
I’M ALREADY
GROWN UP!
IT’S NOT LIKE THAT
MANUEL. CHARLES LIVES
HERE, NEXT DOOR, AND
WE TRUST HIM.
AND HE’S GOING TO COME
WITH YOU ON THE JOURNEY
BECAUSE WE’VE FOUND HIM
A SUMMER JOB IN DARWIN. GRRRR...
AT LAST THE
TIME HAS COME
TO GO TO DARWIN.
IN A FEW DAYS
I’LL BE WITH
THEM...
CHARLES, IS
EVERYTHING READY
FOR THE JOURNEY?
WELL LET’S GO!
THERE ISN’T A MINUTE
TO LOSE!
IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG
TRIP. WE’LL BE GOING
THROUGH ADELAIDE,
THROUGH ALICE
SPRINGS...
ALL YOU’VE
GOT TO DO IS
CLOSE YOUR
BACKPACK.
OK, OK!
YOU DON’T NEED
TO GIVEME SO MANY
DETAILS, I CAN LOOK
AFTER MYSELF.
5
WATCH OUT
MANUEL!YOU WOKE ME UP!
YES, ONLY SO YOU
DON’T GET YOUR HEAD
SMASHED UP. WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
GLUP!
6
ADELAIDE IS A BIG CITY:
IT IS VERY MODERN. PITY WE
HAVEN’T GOT TIME TO VISIT IT.
WE HAVE TO GET THE TRAIN.
OUCH... HE’S
ALWAYS GIVING
ME ORDERS.
COME ON, HURRY
UP MANUEL.
WE’RE HERE MANUEL,
THE GHAN AWAITS US.
YES, AND BESIDES,
IT’S GOT A LONG HISTORY,
MANY YEARS AGO THE PIONEERS
AND MERCHANTS TRAVELLED
ON IT. THIS TRAIN BROUGHT
NEWS, LETTERS, HOPE...
WOW! IT’S AN
INCREDIBLE TRAIN!
YES, SIR. IT’S A BIG TRAIN BUT,
WELL. WHAT HAVE WE STOPPED FOR?
LET’S GET ON!
7
NOW YOU CAN SEE
MANUEL. LUXURY IS
RESERVED FOR THE
RICH.
I’VE HEARD YOUR NAME’S MANUEL.
MY NAME’S ELSA. YOU KNOW WHAT?
I’M WITH YOUR FRIEND: SURE WE CAN’T
EVEN TAKE A LITTLE TOUR ROUND
THE FIRST CLASS SECTION.
WE SHOULD TAKE A LITTLE TOUR
ROUND ALL THE TRAIN. SEE
WHERE WE CAN END UP...
IT WOULDN’T
BE A BAD
IDEA.
YES, BUT
TAKE CARE.
I DON’T THINK IT
CAN BE DIFFICULT
TO GET IN FIRST
CLASS.
OOOH!
WE DID IT.
MUM. MANUEL AND I ARE
GOING FOR A WALK IN
THE CORRIDOR. RIGHT?
8
HAVE YOU SEEN
THE BED? IT’S
ENORMOUS!
YES. BUT
LET’S CARRY
ON.
PHEW! WHAT A
RESTAURANT!
OH, DARLING! LOOK AT THOSE
KIDS, AND THE WAY THEY WERE
EYEING THAT FOOD. THEY
MUST BE HUNGRY...
PERHAPS THE POOR
THINGS HAVEN’T GOT
ANY FAMILY. WE SHOULD TAKE
THEM OUT SOMETHING TO EAT...
GRRRR...
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME
LUNCH?
WE ARE NOT
HUNGRY.
OUR FAMILY LOOKS AFTER
US VERY WELL. AND FEEDS US AT
THE SAME TABLE THEY
EAT FROM!
UNGRATEFUL!