Book - Meanwhile Back in the Jungle...
Meanwhile, Back in the Jungle…
Living and working in New Zealand in the 1980s isn’t much fun when there are leech-infested jungles somewhere out there to be explored and isolated tribespeople to befriend. So when Ross Lockyer’s mate, Swampy, telephones him with a job offer that seems like simple madness, Ross jumps at the chance to escape civilization yet again.
In his latest book, Ross heads into the remote, unmapped jungles of Indonesian West Papua (Irian Jaya) to set up a base camp from which to survey and establish a new forestry concession. He’s spotted the perfect camp site from the air, but there’s nowhere to land an aircraft, so first he must find his way to it by water, riding a drum of avgas in an overloaded dug-out canoe into the unknown, across the open sea and up a tangle of crocodile-infested, mangrove-clogged creeks. And that’s just the start of it!
The new concession is located in an area where there are no roads, no communications, few villages, and no airstrips—only dense jungle inhabited by a few small, primitive, nomadic tribes, some of whom still practice cannibalism and head hunting. There are no maps, no doctors, and no trappings of civilization. It’s just the way Ross likes it! And with the only decent bathing spot around infested with crocodiles, thousands of miles of jungle to lose his survey crews in, and a mysterious Papuan with blood on his hands for a body-guard, what could possibly go wrong?
Ross is in for some real eye-openers this time, experiencing the miracles of modern medicine, eating bizarre bush tucker, meeting jungle tribespeople so isolated they have never seen a white man before, and narrowly avoiding death on numerous occasions. Then there’s the flood that threatens to wipe out all he’s worked for.
And when that’s all sorted to his satisfaction and life begins to get a bit cushy, it’s time to take on the jungles and tigers of Sumatra. Throw in the odd corrupt official, heart-stopping boat ride in the dark, wild buffalo encounter, a round-the-world trip with more trips across the Argentinian-Brazilian border than Ross cares to remember, and trouble with the Sumatran locals, and surely it’s time for Ross to bring his wife and kids over to join in the fun!
Get ready for more hilarious and heart-stopping tales from the author of An Accidental Bushman, Cannibals, Crocodiles and Cassowaries and The River is my Highway. This time the yarns go global!
This book contains some 100 photographs from Ross’s vast collection, which richly illustrate his writing.
For more information go to the author's website: www.rosslockyer.co.nz...
This book is available on TradeMe by clicking on the following link: www.trademe.co.nz...
Price $28 + postage.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Poll: Over summer, how do you reclaim your sense of home in Northland?
When tourists take over the streets and parking disappears, where do you find your calm?
Or is summer’s hustle something to enjoy rather than escape?
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66.7% I enjoy the summer hubbub!
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33.3% Please, give me some peace
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0% I escape the region during summer
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