If you want an absolutely no nonsense book which tells you what it is really like to travel around Australia - then this is the best we have ever come across! It truly is a very hard book to put down once you get a few pages into it. Suffice to say I started reading it, I made noises "this is good" and soon lost it to Bob. In this family, I am the avid reader, Bob the occasional reader. But I had to really fight to get Ian's book back for my turn to read.
Ian Hamilton and wife Fay spent 12 months travelling round the block in their Sunliner motorhome. There certainly is plenty of dry humour lurking just below the surface and there are lots of situations which we motorhomers will be able to relate. One particular episode has Ian and Fay running about naked in the wee small hours of the night when a storm comes rushing in from the sea and he is parked on a cliff top. Of course all the gear from the early evening romantic starlight dinner was still outside! Who hasn't had to make a dive outside in the night to rescue their awning from an unexpected blow. It's a warts and all book and that makes it even more believable. Interestingly Ian and Fay were only challenged once during almost a year of freebies - they must have the gift for finding overnight spots! A lass complained that they were "lowering the tone of the neighbourhood"!
There is no way that this story is boring and to liven things up Ian has recipes for most areas visited using the local produce specialties - Jamie Oliver eat your heart out. Australian wines are featured in this book, as well as the best tours. Most campsites are in picturesque places and generally of the free variety although many National Parks are covered. If you are very clever and have Bush Camping With Dogs you can usually work out exactly where Ian has parked. Make sure you have your travel dream book nearby as there are also quite a number of tours mentioned. All in all it's a really good yarn!
