Don’t Call me Nev begins with the adventures of a boy growing up in the North Queensland bush with constant companion Rover the kelpie-cross, an air rifle and a pet cockatoo.
Early chapters recall shooting pigeons from the walls of one of the state’s major jails, almost drowning in a flooded creek, being stung by a freshwater stonefish, exploring a sinister hidden cave, surviving a cyclone, and attending a primary school where pupils learnt to cope with a sudden influx of migrant children who couldn’t speak English. He also learns how to catch mud crabs without setting a pot, after a chance encounter with an indigenous man willing to pass on his skills in a remote setting.
Moving back to his old hometown of Bundaberg brings its own problems, teen romance and adventures in having to deal with a bullying teacher. He quits to begin a successful pharmacy apprenticeship, eventually meets his soulmate on a blind date, but tosses all that in to head off on a spearfishing adventure around Australia with a vagabond young Victorian.
Not all goes smoothly. One chapter recalls a close encounter with a two metre shark while diving alone in a big swell.
Fate awaits as the road trip leads back to new horizons, more misadventures and a chance new career in journalism on life’s long and winding road. Quirky humour mixed with drama, romance and adventure make it an M-rated tale with a uniquely Aussie theme. $2.99 on Kindle.
