The Last Tuatara

Jason and his twin sister Jessy live with their parents on a remote farm in New Zealand. They are home schooled and enjoy the picturesque surroundings and peaceful lifestyle of the country. That is until Shawn Morris crash-lands onto their property. Shawn works for Sudpak Oil and Gas and has been sent by the company to survey and drill on the family farm. He is unhurt from his misadventure but he immediately rubs Jason the wrong way with his rude comments and his flirtatious behaviour with Jessy. When Shawn shows an unusual interest in Jelly Mountain, Jason begins to suspect that he is far more concerned with his own personal gain than the interests of the company.

Jason needs to find a way to get to the top of the mysterious mountain that has fascinated him since he was a young boy. What did Shawn see from the air that distracted him so much he crashed the plane? Just as Jason begins to despair that there is no way to get to the summit his sister finds a journal that belonged to Maria Stockwell, a girl who lived on the farm in the early 1900s. Maria has provided Jason with a map and by following a series of caves and tunnels Jason finds his way to the top. There he makes a fantastic discovery. Jelly Mountain is home to many tuatara, a species unique to New Zealand which is in danger of becoming extinct. Unfortunately Shawn has also discovered the reptiles and Jason soon discovers that he will stop at nothing to sell them to the highest bidder. The fate of the last tuatara on earth rests squarely on Jason’s shoulders.