160,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ 

Happy Halloween!  Our Hobsonville Bookstore is open today for spooky fun and sweet treats! πŸŽƒ

Great Australian Odysseys

By sea, sky, road and rail
By Jim Haynes
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
Trucks, trains, boats, and planes – welcome to a treasury of unsung heroes and extraordinary journeys that have shaped Australia's history. From the bravery of Australia's sailors to our great age of rail, the resilience of the truckers crossing the Nullarbor to the daring aviation pioneers... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Amazing true tales of travel and adventure from Australia's master storyteller

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Trucks, trains, boats, and planes – welcome to a treasury of unsung heroes and extraordinary journeys that have shaped Australia's history.

From the bravery of Australia's sailors to our great age of rail, the resilience of the truckers crossing the Nullarbor to the daring aviation pioneers who turned the skies into a new frontier, Great Australian Odysseys is a rich tapestry of adventure and ingenuity, with a good dose of Aussie laughs.

Journey through tales of hardy truckers braving isolation, mechanical mishaps, and political battles. Navigate the high seas with our first submariners' record-breaking journeys and daring rescues of the shipwrecked and marooned. Relive the golden age of rail with evocative stories celebrating Australia's railway heritage, from Mark Twain Down Under to Ben Chifley's locomotive legacy. Soar through the skies with aviation legends such as Smithy, Bert Hinkler, and Francis Birtles, whose courage and innovation transformed how we travel.

With humour, heartbreak, and a deep respect for history, bestselling chronicler of Australia Jim Haynes brings to life the pioneers, larrikins, and legends who define our country's unique spirit and who dared to dream big and journey across this vast continent.

'It's fair to say that Jim certainly knows how to pull together a collection of ripping good yarns.' - Australian Rural & Regional News

'Aussies love a good story and entertainer Jim Haynes has been telling them for decades.' - Courier-Mail

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761471469

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 November 2025

Country: Australia

Imprint: Allen & Unwin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 349g

Pages: 320

Collections

Arts & Culture Biography & Memoir Jim Haynes Non-Fiction

About the Author

Jim Haynes OAM is one of Australia's most prolific and successful authors. Before becoming a professional entertainer, song writer and verse writer in 1988, Jim taught writing, literature, history and drama in schools and universities from outback New South Wales to Britain and back again. In 2016, he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for 'services to the performing arts as an entertainer, author, broadcaster and historian'.

Also by Jim Haynes

View all
  • Australia's Most Unbelievable True Stories
    Did you know that in 1932 the Australian army was called out to wage war on an invading army of 20,000...emus? Or that the first royal personage to arrive in Australia was the King of Iceland and he came as a convict? And how about the spooky phenomenon of the mischief-making Guyra Ghost? From Jim Haynes, one of our most...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Best Australian Trucking Stories
    The trucker's jobβ€”so vital to our nation's everyday lifeβ€”makes for a diverse treasure trove of stories. This first-ever collection of stories about Aussie truckers captures the humour, tragedy, and fascinating history of their world, proving once again that truth is often stranger, funnier, and more inspiring than fiction. The unlikely yarns and tales, collected by Jim Haynes, quickly transport the...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Best Australian Bush Stories
    Australia's national character and spirit have always been defined, rightly or wrongly, by 'the bush'. This entertaining, thought-provoking, humorous, nostalgic and, above all, highly readable collection of stories for the modern reader shows why the romance endures. From Jim Haynes, one of our most successful and prolific Australiana authors, comes a collection of classic and iconic stories from the remote...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia
    'Aussies love a good story and entertainer Jim Haynes has been telling them for decades' - Courier-Mail In Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia, our master storyteller Jim Haynes has collected a fascinating cast of characters who embody the resourcefulness, bravery, defiance, successes, and tragedies of the convict era, the men and women who forged the nation we would...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Great Furphies of Australian History
    With all the skills of the master storyteller that he is, Jim Haynes exposes some of the great myths of Australian history. Did you know that Portuguese and Spanish explorers probably found the east coast of Australia before Captain Cook, and that the Rum Rebellion was not caused by rum? And what about Banjo Paterson writing Waltzing Matilda? As for...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Big Book of Australian Yarns
    'Aussies love a good story and entertainer Jim Haynes has been telling them for decades.' - Courier-Mail The Big Book of Australian Yarns is master storyteller Jim Haynes' comprehensive collection of factual and fascinating stories and humour. The yarns range from the poignant to the hilarious, from the ridiculously Australian to the unexplained and spooky. There are heroic and inspiring...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Great Australian Rascals, Rogues and Ratbags
    The bold, the bad, and the slightly mad... Criminality, some say, is part of Australia's national identity, and in Great Australian Rascals, Rogues and Ratbags, Jim Haynes profiles fifteen larger-than-life Aussie rogues - some of our greatest ne'er-do-wells from colonial times to the modern era. These stories uncover the truth and expose the myths about characters ranging from the most...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Big Book of Australia's War Stories
    'The bravest thing God ever made,' said a British officer of the insubordinate Aussies at Gallipoli. And before the Normandy invasion, Field Marshal Montgomery's chief of staff remarked, 'I only wish we had the Australian 9th Division with us this morning'. But there is more to the Australian experience of war than heroic endeavour and bravery. Jim Haynes has rediscovered...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Best Australian Racing Stories
    Did you know that Jorrocks raced till the grand old age of 19? Or that Melbourne Cup-winner Grand Flaneur never lost a race? Or that Sunline was the top stakes-winning mare in the world in her day? The Best Australian Racing Stories is chock-a-block with the victories and tragedies of these amazing champions and many more. Insiders reveal fascinating stories...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Australia's Best Unknown Stories
    Australia's Best Unknown Stories
    'Not only are there many things we don't know, we should never be too sure about the things we are sure we do know.' From Jim Haynes, one of our most successful and prolific tellers of yarns and bush tales, comes this collection of classic Australian stories: the unknown, the forgotten, the surprising. Jim reminds us that things are not...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Big Book of Convict Stories
    Pre-order
    The Big Book of Convict Stories
    Australia's convict past is alive around us, and bestselling author Jim Haynes has brought together an unforgettable cast of rogues, rebels, survivors and visionaries from this fascinating era. Spanning the years of transportation from the First Fleet to its abolition, this rich and lively collection reveals the human drama behind the founding of the nation: daring escapes, remarkable reinventions, brutal...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    $3999
    Pre-order
    Out 3 Nov 2026
  • The Big Book of Australian Racing Stories
    Jim Haynes, Australia's favourite tale teller, loves the sport of kings as much as he loves Aussie yarns and bush verse. From country picnic tracks to the thoroughbred racecourses of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, from Archer to Black Caviar, from the mysterious punter Louis the Possum to the great trainer Bart Cummings, he brings these two great loves together in...
    By Jim Haynes
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    By Jane Ussher
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    I’ll Believe in Anything
    From Jacob Tierney, the creator ofΒ Heated Rivalry, in partnership with Brendan Brady and AccentΒ Aigu, comesΒ I’llΒ Believe in Anything, an official and complete collection of annotated scripts for the biggest cultural sensation of the year, with all new exclusive behind-the-scenes content.Based on Rachel Reid’s blockbuster Game Changers book series,Β Heated RivalryΒ premiered on Crave and HBO in late 2025 andΒ immediatelyΒ took the world by storm.Β I’ll...
    By Jacob Tierney
    Hardback
    $5499
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    16% off
    New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoirΒ Home Again.This is more than a rock story.Β Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it.Β From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    21% off
    The Iliad
    When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017β€”revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)β€”critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    A Life in Lyrics
    Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world. But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse...
    By Freddie Mercury
    Hardback
    $5000
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Birdlands Birdlands
    New Release
    Birdlands
    A rare, intimate journey into the wild islands where Aotearoa's birds live beyond the reach of most human lives. In the most remote outposts of Aotearoa, our islands are populated not with people, but with birds. From the storm-lashed Subantarctic Islands in the deep south to the scattered volcanic islands of Tikapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf in the north, Birdlands offers a...
    By Edin Whitehead
    Hardback
    $4199
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    21% off
    This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $5800
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Artist's Way
    The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a transformative guidebook that has captivated millions, including luminaries such as Elizabeth Gilbert and Tim Ferriss. With its profound ability to inspire and elevate, this book invites readers to embark on an enriching creative journey, fostering a deeper connection to one's artistic process and sense of purpose. The heart of Cameron's groundbreaking programme...
    By Julia Cameron
    Paperback
    $3700
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Beautiful Chaos
    New Release
    Beautiful Chaos
    Featuring five exclusive new poems, this stunning foil-embossed hardback edition is a collector's item and a gorgeous gift. The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller. Selected poems on motherhood from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'Reading Jess's poems makes me feel like she's somehow reached into my own personal reflections and articulated them in a way I never could.' –...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Hardback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Mah Jong Player's Companion
    Since the arrival on the market of Patricia Thompson and Betty Maloney's two previous books, The Game of Mah Jong Illustrated and Improve Your Mah Jong, a wide range of hands from many parts of the world has been sent to them. In this player's companion, the authors have put together a cross-filled reference guide where over 120 hands, illustrated...
    By Patricia Thompson and Betty Maloney
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 160,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Arts & Culture lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all