The author kept a diary that he wrote using carbon paper. The carbon copies provided the letters that were sent home whenever there was an opportunity to post a letter. The diary itself, which has survived to this day, provides the basis of this book and the unexpected events that resulted in the author living in Australia. Travelers at this time found a world far different from that which we see today. Those who set out on this adventure represented all sections of society from the well off adventure seeker to the tough job seeker, traveling on a shoestring.