The rain has gone and Harriet and Mickey are up early to go down to the beach. They are walking down the winding bush path, hoping to meet Peggy.

Peggy was at the end of the path waiting for them.

"G'day you two," said Peggy. "It's going to be a nice day today."

"Good morning Peggy," said Harriet and Mickey.

"How is your side where Basil bit you, Mickey?" asked Peggy.

"It's better today, thank you Peggy, but I would rather not talk about it," said Mickey.

Harriet and Peggy smiled at each other.

Harriet watched their human friends come down the winding bush path and go in the opposite direction to Charlie's Creek.

"Looks like we are going somewhere new today Mickey," said Harriet.

"It seems your human friends are going to the big creek," said Peggy. "They are walking very slowly. Let's go on ahead, I know the way."

The tide was coming in and was about half way, and while the humans walked on the sand, Harriet, Mickey and Peggy liked to walk along in the shallow water.

Mickey saw a small grey fish swimming near him and jumped on it. He caught in his mouth and took it up onto the sand and dropped it there.

"Look Harriet, I caught a fish," cried Mickey.

"Oh Mickey, you have too," said Harriet.

"Be careful Mickey," said Peggy. "That is a toad fish and they are poisonous and if you eat them you will get very sick."

"Oh thanks Peggy, I didn't know that," said Mickey. "I had better not catch another one. But it was good fun."

They were all walking along quietly, when there was a big swirl in the water near Harriet.

"What was that?" asked Harriet. "I stood on something and it moved."

"That was a stingray. Remember I told you about them a while ago?" said Peggy.

"Oh yes," said Harriet, "I remember you saying something about them."

"Look!" said Peggy, "There's another one. They come in with the tide and stay in the shallow water."

"Why?" asked Mickey.

"Well, that's where they get their food," explained Peggy. "Stingrays bury themselves in the sand by flapping their side fins to push the sand away, until it is deep enough that they can get the small crabs and yabbies that are hiding there. Stingrays mouths are underneath their bodies and they can quickly feel any food moving around."

"That's the hollows we see in the sand after the tide goes out, isn't it Peggy?" asked Mickey.

"Of course it is," said Peggy. "You can see where the stingrays have been feeling the sand with their mouths to see if there were any crabs. They are very interesting animals and are wonderful swimmers. They fly through the water like I fly through the air. We both have wings, you see! Come on, let's keep walking. We are nearly at the big creek."

Harriet and Mickey ran on ahead of Peggy and stopped and looked at the big creek. There were a lot of fishing boats tied up to small wharves and quite a few people on the other side of the creek fishing with fishing rods.

"Oooo," said Harriet. "I like this creek, Mickey. I'm going in for a swim."

Peggy had caught up to them and was watching Harriet in the water.

"She is a good swimmer, isn't she Mickey?"

"Yes she is," said Mickey. "Oh look, there's Trevor."

Mickey shouted out, "Hello Trevor. How are you?"

"Hello everyone," said Trevor the Turtle. "I'm very well, thank you. I quite often come up this creek when the tide is coming in, to eat the jellyfish that are floating in with the tide."

"Look, there's a big jellyfish over there," said Mickey, pointing.

"No it's not," said Peggy. "It's a plastic bag. Leave it Trevor."

Trevor said sadly, "We turtles have to be careful that we don't eat plastic bags by mistake, as they look so much like jellyfish. Plastic bags make us very sick if we eat them. I wish people wouldn't throw them in to the water. Must keep going."

Trevor waved goodbye and kept swimming up the big creek.

"Bye Trevor," said all three together.

"Harriet?" called Mickey. "We have to go now."

Their human friends had turned around and were walking back the way they had come. Harriet got out of the water and shook herself. Mickey had already moved away from her, because Harriet had soaked him before. Poor Peggy got it all this time.

"Sorry Peggy," said Harriet. "But this is what dogs do when they get wet. Are you coming back with us?"

"No," said Peggy. "I think I'll stay here for a while and dry off and wait for Trevor to come back."

"Ok," said Harriet. "See you tomorrow Peggy."

"Bye Peggy," said Mickey. "Quick Harriet, we will have to run to catch up."

"Bye you two," said Peggy.

The two adventurers ran quickly to catch up to their two human friends, who were already turning onto the winding bush path.