Cheers, Mate!

CHEERS, MATE! is an enchanting chronicle of the author's visit to the world's smallest continent and its biggest island. On this marvellous journey through Australia, he experiences the magnificent spectacle of Uluru, the solitude of Katajuta, the deadly lonesomeness of King's Canyon, the rainforests of Daintree and Kuranda, the fascinating undersea world of Great Barrier Reef, and the storm-beaten coasts of Tasmania and Victoria. He wanders through "many towns, big and small, where nothing is faded or tarnished, squalid or dirty, and all the blood stains of the natives have been removed." Blending culture, ecology, history and current affairs, the compelling narrative gives a revealing account of the settling of Australia by Europeans and the murkiness and turpitude involved in the consequent butchery of the Aborigines. The book is peppered with entertaining anecdotes, tickling humour, and striking portraits of explorers, administrators, convicts and bushrangers.