Across the Nullarbor

This fits into Idriess's autobiographical travels book topic (as opposed to a biography about a historical figure, a collection of historic stories around a theme, or a straight out book on mining or precious stones). I have liked his previous autobiographical tales best of all, but this was a little flat.

Idriess was recovering from a bout of malaria, and so was a little low-energy, and that seemed to come through in the writing of this. He joins friends on a driving trip from Sydney to Perth and back (with some side diversions in south-west WA and through Adelaide , Geelong and Canberra on the return): the leader on this journey The Super - L. Colin Smith, who is in the bookselling industry and for work travels across part of Australia visiting bookshops - while the detail is never shared, presumably to make sales to them. The other, co-driver etc is Quiz Kid - CW Priestly, of Canberra - a civil servant.

The three are jokingly argumentative the entire time, each pair ganging up on the third at ay given time to gently mock. Idriess is referred to as Inkpot and is treated as incapable of anything - he is not permitted to drive, has no tasks to perform, he doesn't even carry his own suitcase (an oversized thing his wife insisted on packing). Whether this is due to his recovery from malaria, or whether his friends really judge his as incapable is not really spelled out. Certainly Idriess is singled out for the most mocking.

So primarily a book of their journey of some 10 weeks, 9000 miles across the Nullarbor, but The Super and Quiz Kid throw in lots of random facts, and Idriess fills out local history.

Its a fairly gentle read, telling positive stories at a local level through the four states they travel (New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia on the east to west , with ACT added in on the return journey).

3.5 stars, for its unusual low energy.