September in North Queensland. The second week of the school holidays. Four teenage boys: Graham, Peter, Stephen and Roger set off from Cairns on an expedition to explore an old mining area. They are all keen model builders and their current project is to build a model layout based on the old mining railways in the dry hills of the Stannary Hills area.

The four friends, who call themselves 'The Hiking Team', are all experienced bushwalkers. They have been Scouts for years and are also army cadets and have just spent the first week of the holidays on a 9 day cadet camp.
The trip to Herberton is enjoyable and filled with memories of previous expeditions but within minutes of arriving they encounter problems. After lunch they set off by bicycle and quickly discover that the hills are bigger than they thought. As a result they do not reach Stannary Hills that night. They camp at Hales Siding, now deserted bush with the earthworks of the old railway and only a few scattered items to indicate a settlement once existed there.

On the second day they travel to Stannary Hills and explore the area, camping on the second night beside Eureka Creek at the old railway station site. The third morning is spent exploring on foot down the line of the dismantled light railway. During this time they encounter a number of challenges, dangers and minor adventures.

Then, on the afternoon of the third day, the boys find themselves in a situation that places all their lives in peril. Surviving requires all their skills, determination and courage. For 14 year old Roger, the youngest, chubbiest, and least fit, the whole expedition is a real test of his character and courage and he is forced to confront and overcome some of his darkest fears.
Suitable for Primary School children and teenagers.

It is January in tropical Far North Queensland: hot and wet. Kanaka Creek flows down out of the jungle covered mountains to run through areas of rain forest and sugar cane farms. It is a lovely creek in a beautiful valley. Six teenagers are on a day trip in two canoes. In the first canoe are 13 year old Graham, his friend Roger and 11 year old Margaret, Graham's devoted admirer and his sister's best friend. In the second canoe are the other two boys of the 'Hiking Team': Peter and Stephen, plus Graham's little sister Kylie.

So far the holidays have been relatively boring and the friend's time in Innisfail has been uneventful. But just around the next bend is something that will involve them in danger, mystery and adventure.

Family legend says that the Idol is the key to locating a treasure. But is it? And if it is, how does it work? What is the secret? Join the team while they grapple with the puzzle and race to beat the others who are also searching.

This is a canoeing story with teenage romance and a treasure hunt woven in. Set in the South Johnston and Innisfail area, rivers, creeks and jungle. Suitable for Primary school children and teenagers.

Barbara, Fiona, Roger and Lofty are 17 year old Year 12 students at a High School in Cairns. They are also the Cadet Under-Officers of the school's army cadet unit. When Fiona goes missing just before the June school holidays they begin a search for her. Barbara becomes convinced that Fiona has been kidnapped by a religious sect nicknamed 'The Smiley People'. She also believes the police are not making a serious effort to find Fiona.

Three more CUOs: Gordon, Jennifer, and Karen, arrive for a holiday. Gordon is in love with Barbara. His arrival doubles the emotional stress on Barbara who is torn over whether she prefers women to men.

The group set off on a hiking trip. But it becomes no ordinary sightseeing march as they try to follow a group of Smileys. This leads them into a succession of encounters with strange characters. Small clues lead to deadly discoveries and the friends find themselves in a situation where they cannot call on help and must act.
During the resulting life and death struggle Barbara finds herself torn between conflicting desires and making difficult moral choices. Her leadership and character are tested to the limit and her physical endurance stretched to near breaking point in the jungle covered mountains around Kuranda. During this time of extreme testing she discovers her true self.

Throughout this the group is torn by personality clashes and shifting romantic relationships, all of which makes it harder for Barbara to hold them together as a team and adds to the difficulty of her decision making.

The story is a blend of intense personal interaction and fast moving adventure. The story is written for young adults and contains violence, some coarse language and sexual references. It is not suitable for Primary School children.

Air Cadet Willy Williams is 14 years old and in Year 9 at High School in Cairns, North Queensland. Because his ambition is to become a pilot in the Air Force he takes every opportunity to go flying. He is also a very passionate young male who is discovering girls. To complicate his love life he is torn between the beautiful red-haired Barbara in his class and Marjorie, who is a year younger. The problem is that Barbara, the object of Willy's admiration, does not respond to his advances, while Marjorie is head over heels in love with him.

When an opportunity to go for a flight in a restored World War 2 PBY 'Catalina' seaplane is offered Willy jumps at it. But during the flight up the east coast of Cape York Peninsula he makes a discovery that leads him into mystery and danger.

During the following weeks Willy is tested to his limits, both emotionally and physically as he travels to the remotest and most dangerous parts of Far North Queensland during the torrid months of the tropical summer. He finds that there are rivals, false friends and dangerous enemies in the world of aircraft wrecks and vintage planes.

What is the mystery, and how do Willy and his friends cope? To find out read on and join the flight up the coast of Cape York.