Getting to Gondwanaland.

It was another beautiful Saturday for Cayden, at home. Just then, "Cayden!" his mother called to him.

"Yeah, what?" Cayden the puny wimp answered from his upstairs bedroom.

"Get in the car right now, we're going to the shops to buy your shoes and some books. Get you off that phone."

"Oh, do I have to?" Caydent was busy enbancing his devices, developing his own programs.

"Ask Jaz and Cuz to come too, we'll have lunch in the food court. Maybe a movie, if you three behave yourselves, for once."

"Now you're talking," Cayden quickly texted his two best friends, who lived in his street. It was holidays, after all. Geeks like him needed a break sometimes, even if it meant going to Kmart. Maybe they could play games at the Entertainment Centre. That's what Cayden was thinking to himself.

"And wash your face, then do your hair," his mother told him. Cayden obeyed, muttering under his breath about clean freak mothers. Half an hour later, Cayden was still sitting in the car in the driveway, along with Cuz and Jaz. Once again, his mother was checking to see if she'd turned off the iron and the oven. Now she was on her phone again, gossiping about chick stuff.

The three boys were hot, the sun was beaming at them through the car windows.

"Kmart. Seriously?' Jaz asked Cayden.

"Yeah," Cayden replied, fiddling with some of the new icons on his phone. He had added them himself. Suddenly, there emanated flashes of light, smoke billowed, then a strange roaring sound deafened the lads. Cayden covered his ears, as his little dog, Laddie, whimpered in terror. Cayden had smuggled the tiny terrier aboard this trip to the shops.

"What's that?" Cuz yelled.

The weird sounds had stopped, as Cayden opened his eyes, and the three boys uncovered their ears. They were still sitting in the car. Laddie was trembling with fear, and so was Jaz. Cayden blinked, his home and mother had disappeared. So, it seemed, had the shops and his entire suburb.

"What have you been up to now?" Cuz asked, Cayden, very suspiciously.

'Where are we now?" Jaz wanted to know.

Stunned, the three little dudes looked at the different world around them. Vivid colours, bright green giant trees and bushes.

"I think we are in the middle of nowhere," Cayden said, " I was trying to make a time machine." He was still amazed.

"Worked," Jaz remarked, saying "look at that!"

Not far away, the boys spied an enormous, bright blue bird, not flying anywhere. It was strolling through the undergrowth.

"It's massive. Like a giant emu!" Cayden was thrilled. The boys were rapt.

"Let's take a look," Cayden suggested. "I think we are in ancient Australia."

He and Jaz opened their car doors, but they had forgotten about Laddie. Instantly, the tiny terrier took off, no longer scared. He saw the giant emu, nipped off from the car, running, chasing and barking. Laddie was game. He thought he was so tough. The great giant emu started running away, pursued by annoying little Laddie.

"Oh, no! Mum'll flatten me. Come back, you dumb little dog!"

Cayden led the other boys, chasing after Laddie, who was running after the towering emu, who could not fly. The bushland was hot,steamy, thick. The air was muggy. There were no roads or footpaths, only thick bush and gigantic trees. It was more like a tropical jungle. The boys did not have much time to notice the loud shrieks of the awesome great bird-like creatures squawking above them, flying to roost in the trees.

The giant emu kept on running. Laddie was full of energy, still yapping. This was much more fun than shopping for school shoes and books. The bird suddenly stopped. Laddie flopped to the ground. Even he did not want to get too close. The boys hid behind some of the pale green trees, tangled with prickly vines. Cayden was hoping to sneak up and grab Laddie. Somehow, he had to get them all back to the car.

"Why did the emu stop" Cuz asked Jaz. Then the boys stared in disbelief, as Jaz pointed in silence. Right in front of the emu was a wombat. It was bigger than a big rig truck, slowly lumbering along.

"I wonder if there's water up ahead," Cayden whispered to the others. "There's something like a big kangaroo heading that way too."

"How are you going to get Laddie back?" Cuz wanted to know.

"Good question. That is a very good question." Jaz said.

"I brought some dog snacks, if we get close enough." That is all Cayden could think to do.

"Right, quiet now. You go first," Jaz took over, "You're the owner."

Cayden tried to tiptoe through the dense forest, but he was surprised by a huge black beetle, bigger than he was.

"Yeech!" the boys whispered, startled. They carefully trod around it, searching for Laddie, wherever he was hiding in the dark green grasses.

"Can you see him?" Cuz asked Cayden.

"Yeah, he's trotting over that way. He's only got little legs."

"What's over there? Jaz wondered. Cayden and two mates stopped and stood still.

"Ooh, it's beautiful." Fascinated, the three dudes gazed in wonder at a huge waterfall, sparkling in the sunlight. Laddie was lapping up the water thirstily. It was hot work for him, chasing all those drumsticks in the flesh.

"Hope the water's all right." The boys crept closer. Laddie turned around, wagged his tail, and was so pleased to see Cayden.

"Maybe he didn't like being lost," Jaz laughed, as Cayden's face was covered in dog licks.

Apparently, the giant emu had wandered off, so the boys were alone. They were the only mammals in the rain forest, along with Cayden's tiny terrier.

"Back this way to the time machine .We can follow our tracks throught the jungle." Cayden led the way. His phone camera was not working, so he hoped his time machine did.

"Mind out for those insects, they could sting." Cuz warned his mates.

"Hadn't thought of that," Cayden replied.

With Laddie firmly in his arms, Cayden and the dudes trod carefully through the lush, bright green undergrowth, dodging some massive animal droppings, like manure everywhere. Finally, they reached the car.

Cayden took deep breath, and hopefully pushed his icon on the magic phone. Yes. The time machine process was reversed. The car was safe back in the driveway of Cayden's house. Laddie looked at the front yard, wagged his tail, then went to sleep, tired. The boys cheered. Kmart was looking good. There had not much to eat where they had been.

"Good one, Cayden, you wuss!" Cuz laughed.

Just them, Cayden's mother came to the car.

"Shopping's off. I've got to see if Grandma's all right. Go and make yourselves some lunch. Off you go!"

The boys and Laddie stood and stared as she drove off down the street.

"I think we got to Gondwanaland, "Cayden said, "And we got home!"

The three best buddies all grinned, then went indoors to raid the fridge. Cayden knew where his mother's hidden chocolates were. Getting to Gondwanaland made him hungry.