Maggie Brooke

The sequel to 'Stella and the Elephant'. Stranded in the middle of Africa, in the year 1875, Stella Stardust has parted from her friend, Fortune the elephant, so that he can follow his destiny to the Elephant's Graveyard. Now she must find her way, alone, back home to her family in Australia. On this journey she encounters wild animals, bogs, heat, storms and magic as she is hunted by a slave trader who wants to sell her for gold. Stella can talk to animals (at night) and encounters help in unexpected places but can she find her way home?

When Stella Stardust, a ten-year-old girl from northern New South Wales in 1875, was born the mysterious Aboriginal midwife who delivered her placed a strange-smelling amulet around her neck, for a 'special child'. Fortune, the oldest elephant in captivity in the Southern Hemisphere, has been with The Amazing Travelling Stardust Circus for most of his life but wants to return to Africa so he can die there. The night they meet he and Stella save the townspeople from a burning Big Top and Stella discovers that she can talk to animals at night. She hears Fortune's plea and the adventure begins. Girl and elephant stowaway on a three-masted schooner. They encounter hunger, thirst, pirates, slavers and wild animals as they trek across wild seas and into deepest Africa. They find Fortune's family and then they set off once again. Fortune goes to the elephant's graveyard to die, leaving Stella alone in the middle of Africa, to find her own way home to her own family.

Naughty but nice - wealthy socialite Louisa Smith has it all: Sydney North Shore mansion; brilliant, handsome fianc ; new engineering degree and three lucrative job offers. But when she takes a solo journey to the Northern Territory and gets arrested, she can't charm - or buy - her way out of it because Daddy cuts off her credit cards. Stranded, Louisa must work off a Community Service Order by escorting ten juvenile offenders on a tour of the Outback designed to teach them respect for their country and themselves. For Louisa the punishment is extreme. To make matters worse, she feels a fierce sexual attraction between herself and Warren, their uptight, moral but absolutely gorgeous Aboriginal tour guide. For two long weeks Louisa endures encounters with wild animals, wild teenagers, wild adventures and wild desire. Will this spoiled rich girl develop social values (and an appreciation of a rollicking good sex life)? (Please note: Welcome to Outback Tours was previously published as The Guided Tour.)