‘This bit gets a little choppy,’ shared Callie, holding on to the safety rail at the side of her. ‘Every time it gets me.’

‘Eek, my stomach has literally flipped,’ exclaimed Ella, mirroring Callie’s actions and holding on. All of a sudden, she was beginning to feel a little queasy and her whole body felt warm. The last time she’d felt this way was when riding a rollercoaster at the local theme park. Unzipping her lightweight jacket, Ella felt the colour drain from her face.

‘There’s calmer waters up ahead. Do you normally get travel sick?’ Roman asked with concern, slowing the boat down.

Ella thought back to when she was a child. She’d been on a ferry a couple of times, but couldn’t remember feeling this queasy. ‘Not that I can remember, but I’m going to have to get used to it, if I’m doing this journey twice a day.’ Ella felt the churning in her stomach, and hoped she didn’t look as green as she felt.

‘Here, come and drive the boat. Sometimes it helps if you are in control. It’ll take your mind off it.’ Roman stepped sideward but kept his hand on the wheel.

Ella stood up and took the wheel. ‘It’s just like driving a car.’ She gripped the wheel and Roman pointed in the direction they were heading.

‘Over towards those trees… this lever slows the boat down if you pull it towards you, like this.’ Roman gently pulled down and the boat began to slow. ‘Have a go.’

Ella’s hand brushed against his as she took over the controls. She pulled back the lever and the boat slowed, then pushed it back up again to make the boat go faster. ‘It’s like driving a remote-control car, but on a bigger scale.’

‘And not forgetting we are on the water… not the road,’ kidded Callie.

‘This is actually fun.’ Ella kept her eyes on the water and successfully sailed the boat towards the trees. With the breeze in her face, she was already feeling better.

Jokingly, Roman took his cap off his head and placed it on Ella’s head. ‘You are a proper captain now. But there’s a tricky part coming up.’ Roman pointed to the small opening in between the trees. ‘We need to slow the boat right down.’

Ella began to steer the boat into calmer waters, slowing it down gently.

‘How are you feeling now?’ asked Roman.

‘The queasiness has subsided,’ replied Ella, breathing in deeply and filling her lungs with fresh air.

‘We’re nearly there,’ confirmed Callie. ‘The Lakehouse is just around this corner.’

‘Take a look over at the secret coves.’ Roman pointed to the left of him. ‘There’s lots of stories about pirates hiding treasures in there.’ He smiled. ‘But are you ready for this? This will take your breath away.’