Lois Nicholls is three months pregnant. With husband and clingy toddler in tow, she sets off from Durban, South Africa, to a sweltering Brisbane, arriving on Australia Day 1997. She is not prepared for the sheer magnitude of the move but battles on in a fog of homesickness using humour to get by. Aussie, Actually is a warts-and-all account of Lois's eleven-year sojourn as a migrant wife and mother. Illustrated by her 10-year-old daughter, Lara, the book's 22 chapters capture her humorous and honest life experiences living as a new Australian. Who is this book for? Aussie, Actually will allow born and bred Australians a tiny glimpse of an immigrant's impression of living Down Under. It will also strike a chord with new and established immigrants who will no doubt relate to many of the humorous episodes mentioned in the book. And for those contemplating a permanent move to Australia, Aussie, Actually will reveal the everyday experiences not covered in the emigration manual!
