'Get out of the bloody water, mate. There's a tiger snake behind you!'

Within seconds I was on the ledge, breathing hard as I caught sight of the creature. It looked to be a metre long, its banded stripes impossible to miss, as it moved silently across the pond with barely a ripple.

As a newly arrived migrant, Alistair was keen to experience the people and places that make Australia one of the most sought-after holiday destinations on the planet -----and home to the world's cutest animal - the quokka - but also to some of the deadliest.

In A Taste of Australia, the author explores the 'Lucky Country', from the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge to the hippy vibe of the east coast and the boom and bust of Kalgoorlie, where everyone in town knows the price of gold.

Sometimes alone, or with family and friends, these escapades have taken him into the outback, foraging for bushtucker with Aboriginal guides. At other times he's travelled by campervan to Byron Bay and swam alongside turtles over untouched coral. Along the way he's stayed in remote mining camps and discovered a new way of working, where heat and dust are a way of life.

If you enjoy getting off the beaten track, these bite-sized stories will inspire you to travel far and wide - and perhaps to experience a different kind of life. Don't forget to slip on a shirt, slop on the sunscreen, slap on a hat and slide on your sunglasses, before seeking a shady spot to enjoy each tale.