Awatea and his brother Tai are staying with their nan and pop on the farm. It's summer, andthey're free to explore. They're also helping spruce up Mrs Carol's house and shed, which Nanand Pop inherited, because the aunties are coming to stay. There's always been a mysteryaround Mr Carol, who disappeared. Uncle Kim says he came to a sticky end. But in the shed,Awatea finds an old satchel with some coins, a notebook, some receipts and two envelopesthat make him think differently. With the help of old Mr Willoughby, Awatea pieces togetherwhat happened to Mr Carol when he came back from the war, why he suddenly left one dayin secret and where he went

It's the holidays, and Awatea is staying with his grandparents at the beach. He's got lots of time and freedom to explore, visit the treehut and have adventures with Carrot, the talking parrot. Awatea catches fish, cooks over a campfire and spends a stormy night in the treehut with Carrot for company. When fending off some territorial magpies and keeping an eye on a pair of leopard seals, Awatea and Carrot notice signs of poachers. So Awatea and his friends at the beachwork out a plan to stop them.