{"title":"Travel Writing","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"gaysia-adventures-in-the-queer-eastpaperback","title":"Gaysia by Benjamin Law","description":"\u003cp\u003eBenjamin Law considers himself pretty lucky to live in Australia: he can hold his boyfriend's hand in public and lobby his politicians to recognise same-sex marriage. As the child of migrants, though, he also wonders how different life might have been had he grown up elsewhere. So off he sets to meet his fellow Gaysians.\u003cbr\u003e\n Law takes his investigative duties seriously, baring all in Balinese nudist resorts and taking Indian yoga classes designed to cure his homosexuality. The characters he meets – from Tokyo's celebrity drag queens to HIV-positive Burmese sex workers, from Malaysian ex-gay Christian fundamentalists to Thai ladyboy beauty contestants – all teach him something new about being queer in Asia.\u003cbr\u003e\n At once hilarious and moving,  Gaysia  traces a fascinating quest by a leading Australian writer.\u003cbr\u003e\n 'One of the most surprising and entertaining voices in Australian nonfiction writing . . . Gaysia is a book of powerful, enlightening stories on a fraught topic, told with care, empathy, grace and good humour.'   The Australian  \u003cbr\u003e\n  'Gaysia  is like a Louis Theroux documentary in book form.'   Bookseller+Publisher  \u003cbr\u003e\n 'Benjamin Law is funny and honest and handsome –  Gaysia  is a delightful, occasionally \u003cbr\u003e\nconfronting adventure.'  Josh Thomas\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39619588882567,"sku":"9781863956130-POD","price":29.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/9781922231147_FC.jpg?v=1636455451"},{"product_id":"the-well-at-the-worlds-endpaperback","title":"The Well at the World's End by A.J. Mackinnon","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen A. J. Mackinnon quits his job in Australia, he knows only that he longs to travel to the Well at the World's End, a mysterious pool on a remote Scottish island whose waters, legend has it, hold the secret to eternal youth.\u003cbr\u003e\n Determined not to fly ('It would feel like cheating'), he sets out with a rucksack, some fireworks and a map of the world and trusts chance to take care of the rest. By land and by sea, by train, truck, horse and yacht, he makes his way across the globe – and through a series of hilarious adventures. He survives a bus crash in Australia, marries a princess in Laos, is attacked by Komodo dragons and does time in a Chinese jail. The next lift – or the next near-miss – is always just a happy accident away.\u003cbr\u003e\n This is the astonishing true story of a remarkable voyage, an old-fashioned quest by a modern-day adventurer.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39619600515207,"sku":"9781863956666","price":29.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/cover_81.jpg?v=1636511692"},{"product_id":"ubuntu-one-womans-motorcycle-odyssey-across-africatrade-paperback","title":"Ubuntu by Heather Ellis","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs you travel Africa, you will find the way of  ubuntu  – the universal bond that connects all of humanity as one.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eAt the age of twenty-eight, while sitting in a friend's backyard in the remote mining township of Jabiru, Heather Ellis has a light-bulb moment: she is going to ride a motorcycle across Africa. The idea just feels right – no matter that she's never done any long-distance motorcycle travelling before, and has never even set foot on the African continent. Twelve months later, Heather unloads her Yamaha TT600 at the docks in Durban, South Africa, and her adventure begins.\u003c\/p\u003e \n\n \u003cp\u003eHer travels take her to the dizzying heights of Mt Kilimanjaro and the Rwenzori Mountains, to the deserts of northern Kenya where she is befriended by armed bandits and rescued by Turkana fishermen, to a stand-off with four Ugandan men intent on harm, and to a voyage on a 'floating village' on the mighty Zaire River. Everywhere she goes Heather is aided by locals and travellers alike, who take her into their homes and hearts, helping her to truly understand the spirit of  ubuntu  – a Bantu word meaning 'I am because you are'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n   \u003cp\u003eUbuntu  is the extraordinary story of a young woman who, alone and against all odds, rode a motorcycle to some of the world's most remote, beautiful and dangerous places.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39619601399943,"sku":"9781863958202","price":36.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/cover_57.jpg?v=1636510756"},{"product_id":"the-unlikely-voyage-of-jack-de-crow-hardback","title":"The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow by A.J. Mackinnon","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA couple of quiet weeks sailing the River Severn was the intention. Somehow things got out of hand – a year later I had reached Romania and was still going . . . \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTruly hilarious books are rare. Even rarer are those based on real events. Join A.J. Mackinnon, your charming and eccentric guide, on an amazing voyage in a boat called Jack de Crow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEquipped with his cheerful optimism and a pith helmet, this Australian Odysseus in a dinghy travels from the borders of North Wales to the Black Sea – 4900 kilometres over salt and fresh water, under sail, at the oars, or at the end of a tow-rope – through twelve countries, 282 locks and numerous trials and adventures, including an encounter with Balkan pirates. Along the way he experiences the kindness of strangers, gets very lost, and perfects the art of slow travel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39677856776327,"sku":"9781760643171","price":42.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/TUVoJdC_online.jpg?v=1638832432"},{"product_id":"melanesia-by-hamish-mcdonald","title":"Melanesia by Hamish McDonald","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStretching from Fiji in the east to New Guinea in the west, Melanesia is astonishingly diverse. Its islands are home to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esome 1200 language groups, many of them still isolated from the outside world. In Australia, this complex region \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003etends to make the news only in times of crisis: military coups in Fiji, Kanak unrest in New Caledonia, rioting in\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSolomon Islands. Melanesia offers readers a deeper insight into the people and places behind these headlines, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecombining travelogue, history and astute political analysis.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy land and sea, Hamish McDonald travels from one end of Melanesia to the other. Speaking with locals from all \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewalks of life, he uncovers the histories, values, aspirations and tensions that have shaped their communities. He \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eexamines the impact of outsiders: the Indians recruited to work in Fiji; the white \"blackbirders\" who kidnapped \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIslanders for the Australian cane fields; the Americans during World War II; the Indonesians in New Guinea. And he \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003econsiders the big changes unfolding today, as shifting demographics and the growing influence of China produce a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003enew balance of power across the region.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVividly written, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eMelanesia\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is essential reading for anyone looking to understand this fascinating part of the world \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand its growing international significance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41884533031047,"sku":"9781760642037","price":36.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/Melanesia_online.jpg?v=1724633915"},{"product_id":"voyage-of-the-southern-sun-by-michael-smith","title":"Voyage of the Southern Sun by Michael Smith","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUniversity dropout Michael Smith built a multimillion-dollar business fitting out movie theatres around the world, before restoring Melbourne's Sun Theatre and becoming one of the country's last independent cinema operators.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'The blue-sky dreaming of Walter Mitty, the resourcefulness of Phileas Fogg and - dare I say it? - the over-confidence and geniality of Mr Toad in a flying machine. Surely these literary figures were the inspiration for such an adventure. A marvellous exploit and wonderfully told.'\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eA.J. Mackinnon\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, author \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'Great Aussie spirit in a good old-fashioned, seat-of-the-pants adventure - a remarkable journey retracing the golden era of aviation, for both the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSouthern Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and Michael Smith, who is very lucky to be alive.' -\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eDick Smith\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUniversity dropout Michael Smith built a multimillion-dollar business fitting out movie theatres around the world, before restoring Melbourne's Sun Theatre and becoming one of the country's last independent cinema operators. After a business deal went bad, and shaken by how close he had come to being wiped out, Smith took an even bigger risk- to become the first person to fly solo around the world in an amphibious plane, retracing the 1938 Qantas, Imperial and Pan Am flying boat routes between Sydney, Southampton and New York.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith limited flying experience, no support team and only basic instruments in his tiny single-engine flying boat, the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSouthern Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Smith risked his life to make modern aviation history. His adventures include an unexpected greeting by Special Branch on his arrival in the UK, a near-death experience while leaving Greenland, and a journey up the Mississippi, landing on the river and sleeping on sandbanks at night. He made eighty stops on his flight around the globe, exploring cities and communities, as well as visiting some seventy cinemas. All along the way Smith was updating his online journal, cheered on by more than 50,000 followers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSmith's historic flight lasted seven months, and took him from Australia to East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Crete, Croatia, Italy, France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the United States, Japan and the Philippines, before finally returning to Australia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the incredible story of his journey.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Schwartz Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43317968535687,"sku":"9781863959308-POD","price":49.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/9781863959308.jpg?v=1760395374"},{"product_id":"realms-of-gold-by-a-j-mackinnon-preorder","title":"Realms of Gold by A.J. Mackinnon (PREORDER)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen A.J. 'Sandy' Mackinnon sailed a tiny dinghy through twelve countries from North Wales to the Black Sea, he survived pirates, the English Channel, international incidents and all the disasters, big and small, that can befall a little boat on a long voyage. Those adventures became his beloved bestseller \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDecades later, that trip is a happy memory and Sandy is firmly back on land – until a message from a stranger presents an opportunity too good to refuse. Sandy picks up where his first voyage left off, sailing and rowing single-handedly around the coast from Romania to Venice. From Istanbul to Ithaca, Mount Olympus to the ruins of Troy, he finds himself immersed in the legends of antiquity, plays chicken with mercurial border police, and is saved more than once by the kindness of strangers. He recounts it all with his unbreakable enthusiasm and self-deprecating humour, taking the reader on a hilarious and unforgettable adventure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43785576054919,"sku":"9781760645199","price":36.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/RealmsofGold_online.jpg?v=1769562756"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.schwartzbooks.com.au\/collections\/travel-writing.oembed","provider":"Schwartz Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}