It was the start of summer, and Kyri’s whole family was heading off on a tropical holiday. Mum and Dad had promised white sandy beaches, blue seas, and plenty of adventures. Kyri, Reef, Lucy, Casey, Auntie Mel, Daisy, and Nanny were all packed into the biggest plane Kyri had ever seen.
“Are we there yet?” Kyri whispered to Auntie Mel as the plane rumbled through the clouds.
“Almost,” Auntie Mel said, pointing out the window. “Look, Kyri! Islands!”
Kyri pressed his nose to the glass. Below, the sea sparkled like a million tiny mirrors, and little green islands dotted the water like splashes of paint.
“That one looks like a dinosaur,” Reef said, pointing at a long, thin island.
“That one looks like a shoe,” added Casey, laughing.
But Kyri wasn’t looking at those islands. He was staring at a tiny, round island all by itself, with one tall palm tree sticking out of the middle.
“That’s where we’ll have an adventure,” he said quietly.
The Boat Ride
The next morning, after they’d settled into their beach hut, Dad suggested hiring a boat to explore the nearby islands. “It’ll be fun,” he said. “We’ll have a picnic and a little swim.”
They all climbed into the boat: Reef at the front, holding onto the ropes like a pirate; Lucy and Casey taking pictures with their phones; Daisy bouncing with excitement; and Nanny holding onto her hat as the boat sped across the waves.
“Where to, Captain Kyri?” Reef teased, handing Kyri a pretend map.
Kyri grinned and pointed straight ahead. “The little island with the tree!”
Landing on the Desert Island
The boat slowed as it reached the tiny island. The sand was soft and golden, and the single palm tree stretched up into the bright blue sky. It looked like something out of a storybook.
“This is perfect,” Lucy said, spreading out a blanket under the tree.
“We’ll make it our secret camp,” Kyri announced. “A real explorer’s camp!”
“What do we need for a camp?” Daisy asked.
Kyri thought hard. “A shelter, a fire, and treasure!”
“Treasure, huh?” Reef grinned. “Alright, let’s get building.”
Building the Camp
Everyone had a job. Reef climbed the tree and dropped down coconuts to crack open later. “Don’t try this at home,” he called down with a wink.
Kyri and Daisy gathered driftwood to make a little fort around the tree, with Casey and Lucy helping tie leaves and vines together to make a roof.
“Perfect for keeping pirates out,” Casey said.
Meanwhile, Nanny sat on the blanket, waving a palm frond like a queen. “I’ll be camp lookout,” she announced.
Auntie Mel brought out sandwiches, fruit, and biscuits from her bag. “Every great camp needs a feast.”
Finally, with the shelter finished and a circle of stones for a pretend fire, Kyri stood back and beamed.
“This is the best camp ever!”
A Mysterious Discovery
After lunch, Kyri spotted something shiny near the water’s edge. “What’s that?”
He ran over, and Reef followed, squinting at the object. Half-buried in the sand was an old glass bottle with a piece of paper inside.
“A message in a bottle!” Kyri shouted.
They carefully pulled the paper out. It was crinkled and faded, but Reef read the words out loud:
“Find the X beneath the tallest tree, and you’ll discover what belongs to the sea.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “A treasure map!”
“Or a trick,” said Casey, smirking. “But let’s find out.”
The Search for the X
They searched high and low, checking every bit of sand under the island’s one and only tree. “No X here,” Daisy said, frowning.
Then Kyri had an idea. “What if it’s under the tree roots?”
Reef climbed up the trunk again and hung upside down like a monkey, peering between the roots. “You’re right! There’s something here.”
He jumped down, and they dug carefully until they found a small, wooden box, worn smooth by time. Everyone gathered around as Kyri opened it. Inside was a beautiful seashell, glowing softly in the sunlight.
“It’s not gold,” said Casey, “but it’s pretty.”
Nanny smiled. “Some treasures don’t need to be shiny to be special.”
Kyri held the shell up to his ear. “You can hear the sea!”
Everyone took turns listening, and Reef ruffled Kyri’s hair. “Good find, Captain Kyri.”
Back to the Beach Hut
As the sun started to set, they packed up their camp and climbed back into the boat. Kyri held the shell tightly, already thinking about where he would put it when they got home.
Back at the beach hut, Mum and Dad were waiting.
“Where have you all been?” Dad asked.
“On an adventure!” Kyri said proudly. “We built a camp, found a treasure map, and discovered something amazing.”
That night, Kyri placed the shell on his bedside table. As he drifted off to sleep, he could still hear the faint whisper of the sea, like the island calling him back for another adventure.