No phones ; communication with loved ones happened on a monthly , or even annual basis , with letters and news passed by sending posted correspondence to Poste Restante destinations in central cities - Poste Restante being a stop point for mail at a city ’ s major designated post office . It was a time when to travel meant making decisions on the fly and dealing with the consequences without external support , and it ’ s a fascinating look back at the world of that time . I particularly enjoyed remembering my own experiences overseas and I found myself bringing up maps and mulling over events in my own life – like a glorious sunbaked , mirror watered ferry crossing on the Dardanelles , from Eceabat to Cannakale , the Gallipoli Peninsula and the memory of being so cold that I could not walk on a floor without pain flowing into my feet through the soles of my shoes . The memory of a night I once spent in a house that was so alarmingly bitter that I burst out laughing when I read of Des relating how he was ‘ so cold his hair hurt ’. Along the way , the collection of characters

and interactions gets clearer and stronger , the bullshitting Scotsman being a case in point , we ’ ve all met them , and it was joy to find these gems littered throughout . Their discovery of rare and exotic foods of the time is a joy , but hot Vegemite drinks I can leave in the distant past of struggling student pauperdom . As a travelogue , the Ernie Diaries is a wonderful journey . As a record of those days , and those times , and that world , it is invaluable . It was a rare treat to read and to find myself so thoroughly immersed in their journey . I heartily recommend it to anyone who rides , who has been in love , and who has been changed by the world they observed . Most clearly thoughout , is the extraordinary development of camaraderie with people of every stripe and race , regardless of religion , colour , temperament , or language . The overarching lesson is that of the kindness of strangers ; the happiness that is imparted in sharing with others . Both sides come out better off . The book ultimately , for me , is a testament to the love of people for their fellows , and it just doesn ’ t get better than that . Unless it ’ s on a motorbike . Peter Elliot

I think that at some stage in every young person ’ s life , they dream of riding off into the sunset on a noisy , anti-social motorbike . Sometimes it is simply a thirst for adventure , other times it is to throw off a yolk of convention that is threatening to define … and constrict .

www . kahukupublishing . com Everyday People . Amazing Adventures .