THE BUS FOR CAMP WILL BE LEAVING PROMPTLY AT 8 O‘CLOCK. PLEASE BE PUNCTUAL!

It was so funny last year. Adrian was charging round at four o’clock in the morning yelling, ‘Come on! Hurry up! We’ll be late for the bus!’ He had on his Mambo T-shirt, with his lunch in a paper bag and everything, at four o’clock in the morning! He woke up jude and Bruno!

At 8.30, the bus is still there, and the engine has been going for fifteen minutes. Mr Murphy, who is driving to camp in his car, so that we have an emergency vehicle, left ten minutes ago. The bus driver is in a grump because Tommo, who was helping to pack the bags, threw a heavy pack onto the driver’s bag which had his thermos in it, and Mitch’s luggage is too heavy to lift.

The bus is crawling with excited kids. Azza is bouncing a little superball off everything including Lily’s head. Kids wave down from the windows, parents wave up. Wormz is doing a handstand on his seat, waving goodbye to his parents with his feet.

‘Hey, Wormz, your parents have gone!’

‘I can still wave goodbye to them.’

From high up in the bus I can see Nicko’s little sister ripping buds off the daisy bush, but Mrs Nicko is chatting so hard she doesn’t notice.

Renee is flapping around screaming, ‘I’ve totally lost my teddy!’

‘Don’t catastrophise!’ goes Miss Cappelli. look for him! I bet I’m hoarse when we get back!’ she says to Lisa. Mrs Somerville is wearing dark glasses. Her dear little Lukie Pukie is going so very very far far away all by himselfie welfie.

Parents are making signals, miming last instructions, blowing kisses and looking deliriously happy.

‘I’ll miss you, darling!’ yells Mrs Mitch to Mitch, then she turns to Mrs Powell and says, ‘Won’t it be lovely to have a bit of peace and quiet?’

‘Bliss!’ says Mrs Powell.

‘All those who get sick, sit up the front!’ yells Chook.

‘Stow your small bags above your head,’ yells Miss Cappelli.

Mr Holmes counts us for the sixteenth time. He’s still wrong. Suddenly the driver swings into his seat and reaches for the lever. With a chee-oooooooof the bus door folds shut. There’s a flap of pink hands.

Goodbyegoodbyegoodbyegoodbyegoodbyegoodbye...

We’re off at last!!!!!!!!!!!!!

‘It begins when the bus wheels start rolling,’ says Nicko.

‘It begins when the bus driver shuts the door,’ says Azza.

‘I reckon it begins when you put your foot on the ground from the bus when you get there,’ says Mitch.

‘It’s begun,’ says Jonah as we pass The Bomb’s car.

‘Want a lollie?’ says Wormz.

We look out of the bus window and we’re passing people in the street who are having an ordinary day.