The Mystery on the Great Barrier Reef

What Kids Say About
Carole Marsh Mysteries . . .
“I love the real locations! Reading the book always makes me
want to go and visit them all on our next family vacation.
My Mom says maybe, but I can’t wait!”
“One day, I want to be a real kid in one of Ms. Marsh’s
mystery books. I think it would be fun, and I think I am a
real character anyway. I filled out the application and sent it
in and am keeping my fingers crossed!”
“History was not my favorite subject till I starting reading
Carole Marsh Mysteries. Ms. Marsh really brings history to
life. Also, she leaves room for the scary and fun.”
“I think Christina is so smart and brave. She is lucky to be
in the mystery books because she gets to go to a lot of places.
I always wonder just how much of the book is true and what
is made up. Trying to figure that out is fun!”
“Grant is cool and funny! He makes me laugh a lot!!”
“I like that there are boys and girls in the story of different
ages. Some mysteries I outgrow, but I can always find a
favorite character to identify with in these books.”
“<strong>The</strong>y are scary, but not too scary. <strong>The</strong>y are funny. I learn a
lot. <strong>The</strong>re is always food which makes me hungry. I feel like
I am there.”

What Parents and Teachers Say About
Carole Marsh Mysteries . . .
“I think kids love these books because they have such a wealth
of detail. I know I learn a lot reading them! It’s an
engaging way to look at the history of any place or event. I
always say I’m only going to read one chapter to the kids, but
that never happens—it’s always two or three, at least!”
—Librarian
“Reading the mystery and going on the field trip—Scavenger
Hunt in hand—was the most fun our class ever had! It really
brought the place and its history to life. <strong>The</strong>y loved the real
kids characters and all the humor. I loved seeing them learn
that reading is an experience to enjoy!”
—4th grade teacher
“Carole Marsh is really on to something with these unique
mysteries. <strong>The</strong>y are so clever; kids want to read them all.
<strong>The</strong> Teacher’s Guides are chock full of activities, recipes, and
additional fascinating information. My kids thought I was
an expert on the subject—and with this tool, I felt like it!”
—3rd grade teacher
“My students loved writing their own Real Kids/Real Places
mystery book! Ms. Marsh’s reproducible guidelines are a real
jewel. <strong>The</strong>y learned about copyright and more & ended up
with their own book they were so proud of!”
—Reading/Writing Teacher
“<strong>The</strong> kids seem very realistic—my children seemed to relate to
the characters. Also, it is educational by expanding their
knowledge about the famous places in the books.”
“<strong>The</strong>y are what children like: mysteries and adventures with
children they can relate to.”
“Encourages reading for pleasure.”
“This series is great. It can be used for reluctant readers, and
as a history supplement.”

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Mystery</strong> on the
Great
Barrier
Reef
Sydney, Australia
by Carole Marsh

Copyright ©2006 Carole Marsh/ Gallopade International
Second Printing September 2007
Ebook edition Copyright ©2011
All rights reserved.
Carole Marsh Mysteries and its skull colophon are the property of Carole Marsh
and Gallopade International.
Published by Gallopade International/Carole Marsh Books. Printed in the United
States of America.
Managing Editor: Sherry Moss
Cover Design: Michele Winkelman
Content Design: Steven St. Laurent, Line Creek Creative
Picture Credits:
<strong>The</strong> publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission to
reproduce the cover photographs.
© Carmen Martínez Banús Fishhook;
© 2006 JupiterImages Corporation Sydney Opera House, Kangaroo, Uluru;
© David Mckee, Dili, East Timor | Dreamstime.com Blue Water, Coral Reef
Gallopade International is introducing SAT words that kids need to
know in each new book we publish. <strong>The</strong> SAT words are bold in the
story. Look for this special logo beside each word in the glossary.
Happy Learning!
This book is a complete work of fiction. All events are fictionalized, and although
the names of real people are used, their characterization in this book is fiction.
Dedicated to Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, and his family.
Gallopade is proud to be a member and supporter of these educational
organizations and associations:
American Booksellers Association
International Reading Association
National Association for Gifted Children
<strong>The</strong> National School Supply and Equipment Association
<strong>The</strong> National Council for the Social Studies
Museum Store Association
Association of Partners for Public Lands
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright
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<strong>The</strong> scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any
other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by
law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in
or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. Your support of the
author’s rights is appreciated.

30 Years Ago . . .
As a mother and an author, one of the fondest periods of
my life was when I decided to write mystery books for
children. At this time (1979) kids were pretty much glued to
the TV, something parents and teachers complained about the
way they do about web surfing and blogging today.
I decided to set each mystery in a real place—a place kids
could go and visit for themselves after reading the book. And
I also used real children as characters. Usually a couple of my
own children served as characters, and I had no trouble
recruiting kids from the book’s location to also be characters.
Also, I wanted all the kids—boys and girls of all ages—to
participate in solving the mystery. And, I wanted kids to learn
something as they read. Something about the history of the
location. And I wanted the stories to be funny. That formula
of real+scary+smart+fun served me well.
I love getting letters from teachers and parents who say
they read the book with their class or child, then visited the
historic site and saw all the places in the mystery for
themselves. What’s so great about that? What’s great is that
you and your children have an experience that bonds you
together forever. Something you shared. Something you both
cared about at the time. Something that crossed all age
levels—a good story, a good scare, a good laugh!
30 years later,
Carole Marsh

About the
Characters
Christina, age 10: Mysterious things really do
happen to her! Hobbies: soccer, Girl Scouts,
anything crafty, hanging out with Mimi, and
going on new adventures.
Grant, age 7: Always manages to fall off boats,
back into cactuses, and find strange clues—even
in real life! Hobbies: camping, baseball,
computer games, math, and hanging out with
Papa.
Mimi is Carole Marsh, children’s book author
and creator of Carole Marsh Mysteries, Around
the World in 80 Mysteries, Three Amigos
Mysteries, Criss, Cross, Applesauce Detective
Agency Mysteries, and many others.
Papa is Bob Longmeyer, the author’s real-life
husband, who really does wear a tuxedo,
cowboy boots and hat, fly an airplane, captain a
boat, speak in a booming voice, and laugh a lot!
Travel around the world with Christina and Grant as they
visit famous places in 80 countries, and experience the
mysterious happenings that always seem to follow them!

Hey, kids! As you see—here we are ready to embark on
another of our exciting Carole Marsh <strong>Mystery</strong> adventures!
You know, in "real life," I keep very close tabs on Christina,
Grant, and their friends when we travel. However, in the
mystery books, they always seem to slip away from Papa and
me so that they can try to solve the mystery on their own!
I hope you will go to www.carolemarshmysteries.com
and apply to be a character in a future mystery book! Well,
the <strong>Mystery</strong> Girl is all tuned up and ready for "take-off!"
Gotta go...Papa says so! Wonder what I've forgotten
this time?
Happy "Armchair Travel" Reading,
Mimi

Table of Contents
1 Boomerang, Dingo… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Trouble in Paradise? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3 A <strong>Mystery</strong>? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4 Clues!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5 Down Under Opal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
6 Off to the Outback! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7 Code Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
8 Alice Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
9 Hot to Trot in Camelot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
10 Uluru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
11 A Thorny Devil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
12 <strong>The</strong> Devil’s Marbles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
13 Outback Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
14 <strong>The</strong> Great Barrier Reef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
15 Coral Reefers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
16 Just What I’m Afraid Of! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
17 Scuba, Dooba, Doo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
18 Vanished! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
19 Thunder Down Under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
20 Sydneysaurus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
21 Run! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
22 <strong>The</strong> Sydney Opera House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
23 A Boomerang or a Bust! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
24 Crikey! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Built-In Book Club: Talk About It!. . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Built-In Book Club: Bring it to Life! . . . . . . . . . . 130
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

1
1
Boomerang,
Dingo…
“Boomerang…dingo…kangaroo…” Grant
stared out into space, muttering slowly to
himself. “Crikey, sheila, croc…”
“Grant?” said his grandmother, Mimi,
“what are you doing?” <strong>The</strong>y were standing in the
airport in Sydney, Australia waiting for a taxicab.
“Practicing my Australian,” said Grant,
nonchalantly.
“Your Australian?” Mimi repeated,
confused.
“Yes ma’am,” said her grandson, age seven.
“I know a lot of Australian words: outback,
didgeridoo, koala…I know a lot of Aussie words.”

2 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Mystery</strong> on the Great Barrier Reef
Mimi laughed. “You do know that
Australians speak English?”
Grant looked at his grandmother like she
was crazy. “<strong>The</strong>n why do they sound so funny?”
“It’s their accent,” said Mimi, looking all
around for Papa and Christina. She wondered
where they could be and how long it could take
to get a taxi in a busy airport like Sydney, which
was bustling this morning. “I think the
Australians have a wonderful accent. And, the
Australians are so friendly. And, yes, they do
have their own Aussie jargon.”
Grant grinned. “<strong>The</strong>y must be friendly,”
he said. “<strong>The</strong>y’re always saying ‘G’day, mate’ to
me. But Australia is a mystery to me already.”
Again Mimi was puzzled. “Why is that?”
Grant made a list: “<strong>The</strong>ir seasons are
backwards, they spell funny, have funny money,
have weird measurements, and stuff like that.”
Once more Mimi laughed. “Grant, this is
a foreign country, you know. We’re in a different
hemisphere, that’s why their seasons are
opposite from ours in the United States. And
they spell the English way, like colour instead of
color. You’ll get used to the currency. And they
use the metric system.”

Boomerang, Dingo… 3
Grant shook his head. “I still think it’s
mysterious here. I just feel it in the air.” He
waved his arms slowly through the air as if he
really could feel mystery in the air.
“Oh, Grant,” said Mimi. “Don’t be silly.”
Suddenly Papa and Christina came
running toward them, dodging other tourists
loaded with luggage. Christina’s face was red;
she looked like she might be going to cry. Papa’s
face was red; he looked very angry.
“What’s wrong?” asked Mimi.
Papa huffed and puffed. “This place is a
mystery to me!”
Christina grabbed Mimi around her waist.
“Oh, Mimi,” she wailed. “<strong>The</strong>y say all our
paperwork is messed up. <strong>The</strong>y say we can’t stay
in the country. And we just got here!”
Now Mimi’s face got red. “Who says?
Why? I know our passports and immigration
papers are in order. Who says we can’t stay?”
Mimi was not the kind of person who took “NO”
graciously.
Suddenly, they all turned to see a tall
gentleman in a snappy blue, double-breasted suit
with shiny brass buttons. <strong>The</strong> man sported
brilliant white hair, more or less stuffed beneath

4 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Mystery</strong> on the Great Barrier Reef
a billed cap, and a matching white walrus-style
moustache. He looked like a ship captain from
time past. In a deep, booming voice, he
announced: “I DO!”

5
2
Trouble in
Paradise?
“Are you Captain Kangaroo?” Grant asked
the bespectacled, moustachioed man. Everyone
else was momentarily speechless, waiting for the
mysterious man’s answer.
For a moment, the man (who looked a lot
like Mark Twain to Christina) looked like he was
angry. Or at least his cheeks turned an even
brighter red and his glacier blue eyes narrowed
beneath his bushy white eyebrows. He pursed
his lips. Christina thought he looked like a
person about to “blow their top.”
But suddenly, he let out a whoosh of air so
loud that it made a shrill whistle. <strong>The</strong>n the man
broke into a roar of laughter so loud that many

6 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Mystery</strong> on the Great Barrier Reef
passing travelers stopped to stare.
“Just look at this motley crew!” he
bellowed. In turn, he stared at each of them:
Mimi in her smart black and white suit; Papa in
his usual neatly starched and pressed jeans and
shirt, leather vest, cowboy boots and ten gallon
hat; Christina, carrying her American Girl dolls,
Savannah and Juliette, beneath her arms; and
Grant, wearing cargo shorts and a bush jacket
with toy dinosaurs sticking out of every pocket.
<strong>The</strong> man laughed once more. “You all must
have jet lag not to know a joke when you hear it!
Don’t you know me?” he bellowed again, this time
followed by a big grin and outstretched arms.
“Jervis?” Mimi inquired at last. “Dr. Jervis
Rottnest?”
<strong>The</strong> man bowed deeply. “At your service,
madam,” he replied.
Mimi turned to the others. “Dr. Rottnest
is a world-famous marine biologist,” she
explained. “His specialty is Australia’s Great
Barrier Reef. He’s helped me before with
research for some of my mystery books, but we
have never actually met—until now.” She beamed
at the professor who looked plum tickled to be
“found out” and gave Mimi a bear hug.

Trouble In Paradise? 7
Grant looked puzzled. “So if you have
never met, then how did you know him?” he
asked his grandmother.
“Because,” said Mimi, “he talks just like
he writes in his e-mails and letters!”
“Nice to meet you,” said Papa, shaking
hands.
Following his grandfather’s lead, Grant
shook hands with Dr. Rottnest too.
Since Christina’s arms were filled with
dolls, she just gave a little curtsey. Dr. Rottnest
laughed. “I hope your dollies brought their
swimsuits and snorkeling gear?” <strong>The</strong>n he turned
to Mimi. “Why don’t we have a spot of tea and I’ll
tell your delightful family a little about what they
are going to see while they are in Australia?”
“Wonderful!” said Mimi, looking around
for a convenient café. But that was not what Dr.
Rottnest had in mind. For the next thing they
knew, he waved his arms and porters appeared
and carted their luggage to a waiting town car.
Grant and Christina grinned when Dr.
Rottnest directed the driver to take them to
Woolloomooloo where they sat down to tea in a
pretty outdoor café overlooking the famous and
beautiful Sydney Opera House.

8 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Mystery</strong> on the Great Barrier Reef
As they settled into their seats, Mimi
asked, “Dr. Rottnest, it is wonderful that you met
us, but such a surprise. I know we have
corresponded frequently when I had research
questions for one of my books, but what
prompted you to show us such hospitality? It’s
quite appreciated, but I know you are a busy man
and we would not want to infringe on your
schedule.”
Christina knew her grandmother well.
She could tell that Mimi was being extremely
polite, but a little suspicious. However, Dr.
Rottnest answered Mimi’s question with no
hesitation.
“I thought you could use some assistance
while you are visiting here in Australia,” Dr.
Rottnest said, then confessed. “And, I thought
that perhaps if I helped you, then you might
help me.”
Mimi looked confused. “With what?” she
asked.
Dr. Rottnest lowered his head, lifted his
bushy white eyebrows, and twitched his wooly,
white moustache. “With a mystery!”

9
3
A <strong>Mystery</strong>!
“Uh, excuse me,” Grant interrupted, as
Mimi caught her breath at the unexpected request.
“Mimi doesn’t really like to do mystery stuff when
she’s on vacation,” he warned Dr. Rottnest.
Next Christina interrupted. “But she
always does.” Christina really wanted to know
what the mysterious mystery was. After all, what
fun was a vacation without a mystery? She and
Grant traveled with their grandparents often,
especially when Mimi was doing research for one
of her mystery books. But this was supposed to
be a vacation; a break from mystery for Mimi.
“Well,” said Dr. Rottnest in a serious
voice. “I hope she will make an exception this
time.” He looked at Mimi entreatingly. “It is life
or death.”

10 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Mystery</strong> on the Great Barrier Reef
For a moment there was stunned silence
at the table. Finally, Mimi asked in a soft voice.
“Life or death for whom?”
Dr. Rottnest lowered his head even
further. Unconsciously, the others did too, until
they were all sitting hunkered over the table as if
in a huddle. When he had their full attention, Dr.
Rottnest explained. “Life and death for the
creatures of the Great Barrier Reef—one of
Australia’s most famous and beloved places.
And, life or death for my career.” He frowned.
“And I, a marine biologist, not a master
detective, have been charged with solving the
mystery post haste.”
Dr. Rottnest rared back and folded his
arms across his broad chest in a “how do you like
them apples?” stance. He was clearly waiting for
Mimi’s response.
Finally, Papa saved the day—sort of. “You
know that my wife writes children’s mystery
books,” he began. “She is not a master detective
either. And, she’s on vacation to get away from
her writing chores for a while.”
Giving a grave bow of his head, Dr.
Rottnest responded apologetically. “I
understand,” he said in great earnestness. “I’m

A <strong>Mystery</strong>! 11
fearfully sorrowful to even broach the subject.
But under the circumstances I feel compelled to
seek all the expert help I can possibly muster.
Time is of the essence. And with all my head and
heart I believe that the solution to this curious,
curious mystery can only be solved by a person
with a pure mind and a pure heart…someone
who sees with clarity and simplicity…who is
creative…and caring.”
Papa began to cough. Christina knew her
grandfather well. If it would not be impolite, she
thought he would say that Dr. Rottnest was full
of hot air and just trying to bamboozle Mimi with
false praise. Even Christina thought this could
be the case, but she was still curious to at least
learn what the mystery was, no matter what
Mimi decided to do—or not do—about it.
Mimi cleared her throat. “Well you know,
Dr. Rottnest…”she began.
He interrupted. “Jervis, please,” he
insisted. “Call me Jervis.”
Mimi cleared her throat again. “Jervis. It
would help to know exactly what this mystery is.”
Christina and Grant exchanged a grin.
Good for Mimi, Christina thought. Make him
put up or shut up. Mimi did not mess around

12 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Mystery</strong> on the Great Barrier Reef
with mystery. She was surprised to see Dr.
Rottnest look very uncomfortable. He sighed
several times. Almost as if it pained him, he
finally nodded.
“So be it,” he said and began to pull small
cards from his vest pocket. He laid them gently
in a fan before them.
“And these are…?” Mimi asked.
Dr. Rottnest said one word: “Clues!”