On and Offshore Tales

In 1967 Peter Evans left his regular job as a maths and science teacher at Eltham High School and set off to see the world. Undaunted by inexperience, the next part of his life involved barging around European waterways, where he began what has now become an important tourist industry. It is on these exclusive barge tours that we meet the rich and famous, Wallaby the barge dog, an adopted duck, the illustrious Napoleon and an endlessly delicious array of vignettes that take you back to a more relaxed pace and era.

Peter's recollections of iconic characters and their antics are injected with irreverent humour drawn from memories of his childhood in the Australian bush. The anecdotes are brought to life in a series of hilarious cartoons by artist Paul Woolfenden, depicting rural life.

After many years on the European waterways, Peter and wife Carol built a 17 metre sailing vessel, the Evanna, and their lively tales span some 80,000 nautical miles at sea from Indonesia to the Arctic Circle and Greenland to Cuba. The armchair traveller will delight in delving into stories of dangerous encounters on the Evanna - from unsavoury pirates to corrupt officials - on their intrepid discovery tours to wild and exotic places.

This book captures the extraordinary adventures of an enterprising Australian who had the courage to follow his bliss and live the kind of life we all secretly wish for.