Greater Nowheres
Wanderings Across the Outback
by Dave Finkelstein and Jack London
Overview
From the Publisher
Armed with a Toyota truck, insect repellent, and an esky full of beer, intrepid journalists Dave Finkelstein and Jack London set out for the Australian bush in pursuit of the deadly salty-a real man-eating crocodile. Though the croc proves elusive, the authors find an entertaining cast of characters-imaginative entrepreneurs and hearty pioneers-who color the baked and barren landscape.
From one-horse shantytowns and desolate stretches to cosmopolitan Sydney, they experience a peculiar variety of uniquely Australian phenomena: a dwarf-throwing contest, cold spaghetti sandwiches, and a regional rash called "Karumba rot"-the inevitable souvenir of a visit to this sweltering port city.
Rich in the history and geography of a vast, fascinating continent, Greater Nowheres is also an exploration of solitude, mateship, contemplation-and adventure.
My thoughts
I am a huge fan of anything Australian, thus I have read a lot of books about Australia and about traveling in Australia. Had this been the first book I'd read on the subject, I probably would have been enthralled. Having read so many books and thus not being surprised by the discoveries the authors have made, this particular book is not one I simply can't put down.
That is a harsh criticism, however. The book is very well written, it has interesting stories with interesting characters and is written about a world that is very foreign to most of us. It's a very good read, and I've enjoyed it a lot.
Favorite Passage
"I reckon the best thing about goin' out 'roo shootin' is when you pull up at night, light a fire, an' boil the billy."
He gathered pieces of snakewood off the ground and, arranging them in a pyramid-shaped pile, struck a match to them. The kindling was so dry the fire was blazing in a matter of seconds. Both Dave and I were shivering, and we huddled close to it for warmth. Guy filled the billy with water from a container in the back of the truck and added some tea he spooned out of a lidded tin can.
"It's not Earl Gray," he joked, grinning, "but she'll be right."
