Stephanie Owen Reeder and Briony Stewart

It's a hot summer's day in Sydney Town, and nine-year-old cousins Charlie Smith and Rupert Swallow can't wait to dive into the surf at Bondi Beach. The beach is packed with families enjoying the sun and the surf, and the boys are eager to dive straight in. But the surf can be dangerous, and Charlie's enthusiasm and bravado have got him into trouble before. Does he know that out past the breakers, where the seagulls swoop and soar, lurks a strong rip that can drag unsuspecting swimmers out to sea? Will the brave surf-bathers get to the boys in time? And can Nurse Sadie Sweeney save the day? Travel back in time to January 1907, and learn about the true-life incident that inspired the formation of the Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club and nearly changed Australia's pioneering aviation history forever.

Teachers' notes

Trouble in the Surf – Teachers’ Notes (427.64 KB)

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