“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
The gestation has been bumpy and the birth timing appalling, but Kahuku Publishing is proud to announce the arrival of not one but two publications. Due to the intrusion of the Covid 19 coronavirus, at this point in time both will be available as ebooks only.
George Lockyer is a motorcycle writer well-known for his regular column in Bike Rider Magazine (NZ) and his previous books Living The Dream – Kiwi Bikers and The Long and Winding Aotearoa.
His new release, titled Tales and Trails Down Under, is the result of George’s adventure, riding Percy his trusty Kawasaki KLR 650, around Australia interviewing interesting folk along the way. As always George is informative, witty and reflective.
His interviewees range from the internationally famous to the met-on-the-way randoms. This is an enjoyable ride that will make you also want to do ‘the big lap’. Lavishly illustrated, you’ll be captivated and entertained by this master scribe.
The Last Hurrah was first published in 2006 by Panther Publishing (UK). This was done, as was the norm of the time, via the traditional publishing method of deciding on a number of books to print (3,000), printing them, warehousing and distributing etc. This was prior to the digital revolution and ‘print-on-demand’ (POD), so when the stock was exhausted, the only availability was via the second-hand market.
That being what it is, you might pay $2 (as we have), or be offered one on-line from America for $1,500 … and everything in between. Due to a persistent trickle of requests for copies and with the ceasing of trading by Panther Publishing, it was decided to produce a second edition so that small thirst could be quenched. It was also an opportunity to record ‘what happened next’ and take the tale through to Dick’s passing. The first edition was extremely well-received and many positive reviews resulted, to the point of having a loyal fan base and cult following.
Even now Beijing to Arnhem stands up as a pretty magnificent ride. Doing it on obsolete old British bangers make it even more so. As Motorbikes Today (UK) put it at the time “…this is a book that you really should read. Don't get it from the library, buy it, because you'll want to read it again and again. … The Last Hurrah is a beautifully constructed piece of work. It's written with humour, with passion and with care. It is supremely readable and manages to be both difficult to put down and easy to dip in and out of at will. That's quite an achievement.”
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