Cold Beer and Crocodiles: A Bicycle Journey Into Australia

I loved this book. I like reading adventure travel books, but this one really caught my imagination. Roff Smith is a humorous writer with a knack for capturing the nuances of speech and behavior that make Aussies Aussies. Unlike many travel writers, Smith is neither condescending to his subject nor is he blind to the faults of the subject matter. Instead, he discusses the Australian psyche from the viewpoint of an adopted son, pointing out both the foibles of the Aussies as well as the things that make them a great country. HIGHLY recommended for anyone with an interest in our antipodean neighbor or in bicycling!

...but I wouldn't have wanted to have been there with him. The author does an exceptional job writing up the landscapes, his experiences and thoughts. I was captive. I didn't want this book to end.As other reviewers have stated, the only flaw is that we would have wanted more detail, more information. If ever there is a second edition, I will be among the first to buy the book. I would love to take the trip again, looking for more details in every encounter and circumstance. I highly recommend reading about this painful, enjoyable, amazing journey.

The force of my desire to hear more from an adventurer like Roff Smith is the litmus test of how much I enjoyed this summertime page-turner. Although I longed for greater detail at every leg of his journey, I sensed Smith's efficient writing style pulling me forward to the next landscape and the next experience. Smith's adventures complete the Australian experience started by Eric Stiller's "Keep Australia on Your Left: A True Story of an Attempt to Circumnavigate Australia." While cycling 10,000 miles puts Smith in contact with many more aspects of this unique continent, Stiller's failed kayaking attempt deals more with the problems of bringing another personality onboard. Both are compelling reads.While Smith seems open to making new acquaintances along the way, his reported loneliness is magnified by the adsence of a certain warmth - a feeling conveyed by descriptions of the support and concern from friends and family that surely must have accompanied him. On the other hand, this might just be a carry-over from the sanitized writing requirements of the "National Geographic" series. "Cold Beer and Crocodiles" is a stop-and-start-anywhere book. Each chapter offers readers the craft and closure of a short story.

When I was 26, about 8 years before the author made his journey, I almost undertook exactly the same adventure (even following the same roads - I had the whole thing planned out, with significantly more detail and prep than the author made), so when I heard about this book, I had to read it. I was not disappointed. His effusive story telling style was a pleasant surprise to me, and read it cover-to-cover. I think his National Geographic piece on the trip was more reflective, if I recall correctly, and you didn't get as much insight in the book as to what sort of turmoil made him take the trip, but I guess he felt it wasn't relevant. I would have also liked a bit more detail about his personal transformation, and a bit more about what certain regions were like. For example, his terrifying journey (or is that "escape"?) across the south of Australia was gripping reading, but there wasn't much about the geography, such as the spectacular coast. It didn't exactly paint a picture. It's not as poetic about the natural beauty of Australia as I'd like, but he HAD been a resident of Australia for some time before he took the trip. He wasn't exactly looking at it with tourist's eyes. My only real complaint, then, was that the book was too skimpy. I would have happily travelled with him for another 100 pages, as I didn't want it to end. If there's ever a second edition, I hope he fleshes it out a bit, maybe borrowing from the NG article. I have to say that after reading it, I'm both glad I didn't go (I might be dead now!), and even more sorry I didn't (it's dangerous, but possible and rewarding). Congratulations to the author for his courage, and thanks for satisfying a bit of my wanderlust.