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The Road to Innamincka
When a 9-year-old R.A. Dalkey decided he was going to become an Outback truck driver, the poor Australia-besotted boy had no idea what he was getting into.
He’d been born on the wrong continent for a start. And even if he could make it out of Africa one day, where was an Australian work visa to come from? Or, for that matter, a licence to drive 53-metre trucks on red desert roads?
A sensible adult would have filed that dream away as a juvenile fantasy and gotten on with life. Especially after taking five attempts to get the most basic of car licences.
But R.A. Dalkey never claimed to be a sensible adult, did he?
Join the author as he pursues the ultimate whimsical travel quest . From that careless moment of childhood inspiration, this true account will take you to small town South Africa, the ugly side of Cape Town, the claustrophobic sprawl of Greater London and New Zealand’s sleepy Waikato. And then on to the Holy Australia.
Once there, Dalkey digs deep into this puzzling, generous nation as he travels to every one of the mainland states. He explores Australia’s quirky history and its modern cities, from seductive Sydney to bad-ass Brisbane. He rides trains across the Nullarbor Plain and watches cricket everywhere. But all this is merely the backdrop to his dogged pursuit of that decades-old driving heavy loads to tiny rural specks deep in the Outback …
He’d been born on the wrong continent for a start. And even if he could make it out of Africa one day, where was an Australian work visa to come from? Or, for that matter, a licence to drive 53-metre trucks on red desert roads?
A sensible adult would have filed that dream away as a juvenile fantasy and gotten on with life. Especially after taking five attempts to get the most basic of car licences.
But R.A. Dalkey never claimed to be a sensible adult, did he?
Join the author as he pursues the ultimate whimsical travel quest . From that careless moment of childhood inspiration, this true account will take you to small town South Africa, the ugly side of Cape Town, the claustrophobic sprawl of Greater London and New Zealand’s sleepy Waikato. And then on to the Holy Australia.
Once there, Dalkey digs deep into this puzzling, generous nation as he travels to every one of the mainland states. He explores Australia’s quirky history and its modern cities, from seductive Sydney to bad-ass Brisbane. He rides trains across the Nullarbor Plain and watches cricket everywhere. But all this is merely the backdrop to his dogged pursuit of that decades-old driving heavy loads to tiny rural specks deep in the Outback …
334 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2021
About the author
R.A. Dalkey
6 books3 followersR.A.Dalkey (nom de plume) was born in Cape Town, holds British citizenship and now lives halfway up a steep, wooded incline on the edge of Vienna. Between growing up in the euphoria of post-Apartheid South Africa and settling (Brexit-permitting...) in Austria at 35, he's lived in the USA, Australia and the UK.
An incorrigible dreamer, he's driven outback trucks in Australia, spent two years trying to be a professional golfer and slept rough everywhere from Monte Carlo to Siberia, visiting over 70 countries along the way. Including Ireland, where he cracked up every time he rode the DART train past a town called Dalkey, and an author name was born.
As for the occasional bout of real work, he's known to do his fair share of editing magazines and journalism. His words on sport and travel have been published by GQ, Reader’s Digest, The Sunday Times, Australian International Traveller, Reuters, Autosport and Sports Illustrated, to name just a handful.
An incorrigible dreamer, he's driven outback trucks in Australia, spent two years trying to be a professional golfer and slept rough everywhere from Monte Carlo to Siberia, visiting over 70 countries along the way. Including Ireland, where he cracked up every time he rode the DART train past a town called Dalkey, and an author name was born.
As for the occasional bout of real work, he's known to do his fair share of editing magazines and journalism. His words on sport and travel have been published by GQ, Reader’s Digest, The Sunday Times, Australian International Traveller, Reuters, Autosport and Sports Illustrated, to name just a handful.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 17, 2021
I enjoyed this contemporary book about a Capetown born Brit almost achieving his dream of driving road trains in outback Australia. An unlikely starter, the author often fails his road tests and has difficulty with bureaucracy. He has many positive experiences which endear him to Sydney and Perth in particular and makes humorous observations. eg "Perth Airport was awash with fresh-faced Europeans bounding into Australia to commence their working holiday adventures. They weren't difficult to spot. All of them sported bright-coloured backpacks and quickly began asking each other what part of Ireland they were from.'
When he does finally drive in two driver marathons across the continent, Dalkey is not so entranced .
"I was face-to-face with The Working Man - and we didn't gel.' 'After several months in the country , I was at long last getting to know the arrogant, homophobic, xenophobic, racist kind of Australian'. Luckily for Dalkey and the reader there are many other positive and enjoyable encounters and experiences written about with warmth and humour.
When he does finally drive in two driver marathons across the continent, Dalkey is not so entranced .
"I was face-to-face with The Working Man - and we didn't gel.' 'After several months in the country , I was at long last getting to know the arrogant, homophobic, xenophobic, racist kind of Australian'. Luckily for Dalkey and the reader there are many other positive and enjoyable encounters and experiences written about with warmth and humour.
December 19, 2021
Fantastic entertaining read, similar to a Bill Bryson but in the author’s unique style. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 30, 2021
The one book you need to read this summer
Without doubt, the book we all need to read right now. It's a story about having a dream and making it happen despite the hardships thrown at you. Also as someone never really interested in going down under, this book gives an incredible account of Australia, to the point Dakey has actually sold it to me (I'm surprised he wasn't acknowledging the Australian tourism board for sponsoring the book!). A truly inspirational, funny, easy and insightful read and a great find. A MUST READ.
Without doubt, the book we all need to read right now. It's a story about having a dream and making it happen despite the hardships thrown at you. Also as someone never really interested in going down under, this book gives an incredible account of Australia, to the point Dakey has actually sold it to me (I'm surprised he wasn't acknowledging the Australian tourism board for sponsoring the book!). A truly inspirational, funny, easy and insightful read and a great find. A MUST READ.
August 17, 2021
I really really enjoyed this book. Having read all of Dalky's work this is his best yet. A simple journal of a man trying to achieve a childhood dream (this one of driving road trains in the Outback) is funny, inspirational and insightful. From frustration with pointless bureaucracy, to colourful characters that pop up along the way, to long drives through the outback, I felt like I was in the front cab with Dalky the whole ride. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews