Tag: Book review

Around Australia at 80ks – Your Summer ‘Must Read’

Published on by Mrs Wilson of OzLeave a comment

Summer is almost upon us, and despite international borders reopening (*ahem sort of/don’t hold your breath) I think many of us are still planning to adventure closer to home this year. If, like me, you’re hanging out for an adventure within Australia, this is the book for boundless inspiration. It’s an Aladdin’s cave of experiences, insider travel tips and dog friendly fun, and is full to bursting with possibly the greatest photography of our beautiful country I have ever seen. If you’ve ever wondered what it may be like to hit the open road and really explore what Australia has to offer, here is your inspiration. As you turn each and every page, you could almost be there inside Meredith & Sean’s bright yellow combi, patting Bandit the pup; the warm, salty wind blowing in your hair! Yes, it’s that good!

This great Aussie road trip took Mez, Sean and Bandit across four states, one territory and over
22,400 kilometres. They drove over dirt roads, down four-wheel drive tracks, onto ferries and
boats, to the edges of cliffs, across beaches and up mountains. They ventured through dust
storms and croc-infested waters, over red dirt, into some of the most ancient lands on Earth,
and along some of the most isolated roads in the world. All in their trusty vintage 1975 kombi,
Meredith’s camera at the ready and with a true sense of wanderlust to fuel their journey.

As a photographer, Mez knew this once-in-a-lifetime adventure would offer her the
opportunity to capture Australia in her own unique way, particularly after the dramatic
changes to our landscape since the devastating bushfires, and boy did she do this.. with a cherry on top!


When it comes to travel, Meredith is full of encouragement and enthusiasm.
‘It took guts to head out across this great big country in an old yellow kombi. I hope every
page gives you a little more of the confidence and comfort you need to set out on your own
adventure. If we can do it in a 1975 kombi you can do it too!’


One of my favourite things about this book is the oodles of great tips this awesome team share so you and I can explore to the fullest when we dust off our suitcases. From dog-friendly highlights (yay) and the best camping spots, to locating the tastiest cheap eats and the finest coffee, this is just as much a travel guide as it is an insanely beautiful coffee table book to share with the fam. After our trip to Kangaroo Island earlier in the year (best holiday ever) the children were thrilled to turn the pages and see the little yellow combi getting on the ferry & hitting up all the sites we’d loved too.

Around Australia At 80ks provides all the inspiration you need to get out on the road!

If you’re looking to elevate your next road trip or you know someone who’d love to live this adventure, you’ve got to get this book. I’ve had a copy for a couple of weeks and have picked it up over and over again, diving into a new landscape every time. Whether you’re ready to hit the road, or you’re happy to live vicariously through Mez’s adventure, this is the road trip that keeps on giving. Enjoy xx

About the author


Meredith (aka Mez) is an Australian photographer, writer and educator, based on the South Coast
of New South Wales, Australia. Specialising in landscape, travel and documentary photography,
her passion is in telling stories and capturing images that evoke a response – visually, emotionally,
intellectually or otherwise. Outside of photography, Meredith is an avid car collector and restorer.
She can often be seen at her local beach with Etta, her beloved yellow kombi, Bandit, her dog,
and Sean, her husband. They travel around Australia getting off the beaten track to discover this
amazing vast and wild country. Around Australia At 80ks is her first book.

You can follow Meredith & see more of her work on Facebook, Instagram and on her website.

Around Australia at 80ks
Two humans, one dog and a bright yellow kombi
on the road trip of a lifetime
WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEREDITH SCHOFIELD

Out now. Buy here

Affirm Press
RRP: $35.00

Book review- Love your Brain

Published on by Mrs Wilson of OzLeave a comment

With so much going on in our little people’s worlds at the moment, there was no better time for this fabulous little book to hit our mailbox. Emotions have been running away with us over the past 10 months, (thanks lockdown) and honestly, I’m not sure any of us really took enough time to sit down and talk about how or why we were really feeling the way we were feeling.

Love Your Brain, written by none other than Chaos to Calm legend Chrissie Davies, is a brightly coloured, fun and interactive book that takes the readers on a journey of discovery. Discovery of our emotions, the way our brain works, how we can look after our brains and what we can do when big feelings take over our bodies. *Not just for kids hey. We all need a read!

Love Your Brain is the perfect brain bible, fun fact checker and most importantly, go to guide for parents and children to turn to in order to understand their behaviour more positively, and discover how to become brain builders, together.

“When we truly understand that children don’t see the world in the same way as adults, and we teach them how to keep their brains happy and healthy, we understand that this is really the most important parenting tool we will ever need” Chrissie Davies

As a busy mama to an even busier 8 and 12 year old, we can easily forget to stop and be kind to ourselves. Emotions can run high in our house, however, Love Your Brain’s enchanting narrator ‘Little Brainiac’ gave us all a gentle reminder to stop, calm down and love our brains so that they can love us back. I delighted in the calming nature of this read, and we all appreciated the emphasis on everyone’s brain being unique. I particularly loved being able to confirm to my children that “Yes, it’s ok to feel like that”, put a name to the emotion and reiterate how important it is that we are healthy & sleep well. *Thank you Chrissie!

“I created this book specifically for you to use with kids to help them understand the importance of learning about their brains, and it is my goal to hear the words “love your brain” in every family & classroom worldwide. I also hope that this book is used as a tool for teaching children about inclusion, neurodiversity and embracing our differences.” – Chrissie Davies

Love Your Brain emphasises the naming of emotions, and most importantly, how to manage them. This is a huge thing for our little ones. It’s incredibly hard for our children to open up about how they feel if they don’t really have a name for that ‘knotted feeling in their tummy’. Monty loved the idea that his brain is a computer and we spent ages chatting about his ‘amazing super computer brain’.

This is going to be an “always on the table” book in our house. One that we can dip in and out of whenever we need the reassurance, the guidance or the gentle reminder to feed our brains and give them a break every now and again.

If you have children, this is a book that will keep on giving. It is the perfect way to teach your little one about their emotions and about keeping their brain as healthy as can be! Gift this book this Christmas, and think of it as one of the greatest investments you’ll make in your child’s future.

Love Your Brain

Written by Chrissie Davies and Illustrated by Lou Pennisi

RRP $24.95

We were gifted this book, however, as always, these words are my own and honest opinion xx

Book Review – ‘Be Your Own Man’ by Jessica Sanders

Published on by Mrs Wilson of Oz1 Comment

We were kindly sent a copy of Jessica Sanders latest book, the beautifully written and illustrated Be Your Own Man. When it arrived in the mail I had a flick through, and tears instantly sprang to my eyes. This is a glorious read from start to finish, and one that will cement feelings of acceptance within any young man who is struggling to feel ok with himself.

Be Your Own Man invites boys (in fact anyone who reads this) to broaden their ideas about what it is to be a boy, to feel proud of who they are and to feel like they can be anything they want to be. I would encourage boys & men of all ages to get a copy, sit down and take it all in. *All of it!!! Be Your Own Man should be handed out at maternity wards for all families expecting boys, and quotes from it chanted in the halls of all schools.

You and your body are together for life, so always treat your body like you would your best friend.

We’ve become so very good at encouraging girls to reach for the stars, be leaders, mechanics, engineers and soldiers. We reassure our daughters that girls can be who they want to be, they can strive for greatness; but for our boys, being strong and getting to the top is mostly just expected. Be Your Own Man is such a refreshing change to the selection of ‘boy books’ available, it’s a ‘Be Your Own Man’ guidebook, a life journal and a bible for boys to live by.

Boys have inherited an outdated story around what it is to be male, Be Your Own Man gives them permission to rewrite that story and embrace a new masculine identity that feels right for them – Jessica Sanders

I highly recommend you purchase 10 copies of this book and give them out to every boy you know, it has to be the Number 1 gift for boys! It’s not only a conversation starter for our little guys and their caregivers, it’s a page by page realisation that “I am ok”, “I am normal” “I want to be like this”, “I can be me”, “my body is ACE” which ultimately turns any reader into a happy, life loving, young man, who treats himself and others in the best way he can.

All you need to do is be your own boy so that you can become your own man.

In a world where men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, and who are far less likely to ask for help, it’s time we allowed and encouraged our boys to be who they are, and not who we expect them to be.

When you’re tucking in your little man this evening, when you’re giving those last kisses of the day, the last hugs before he falls asleep, remember to whisper: “You are one of a kind, there’s absolutely no one else quite like you, and that’s amazing!”

You can buy this beautiful book by Jessica Sanders at all good book retailers (RRP $24.99) Published by Five Mile

I have to mention the RAD illustrations in Be Your Own Man as they really capture everything this book is about. Robbie Cathro is a British (*Yay*) illustrator from Bristol, and is well worth a follow! Think “illustrator that our kids will grow up with and think fondly of when they share his illustrations with their own kids!!!” THAT GOOD!!

Be Your Own Man was gifted to my son, however as always, these words are my own and honest opinion. Liv xx