THE RIVER IS MY HIGHWAY. Adventures of a NZ Forester in Indonesian Borneo

Ross was offered a forestry supervisor’s job based in Samarinda, Indonesian Borneo in 1973. He worked on the rivers & in the remote jungles of Indonesian Borneo for the next five years, learning local languages, immersing himself in the Indonesian way of life & learning the ways of the mighty Mahakam River & the Makassar Straits on which he spent most of each working day. This third book in the adventurous series about Ross’s life, brings to life a whole new series of exploits, including provoking & then assuaging a local Dayak war, single-handedly destroying village ablution facilities with a speed-boat & facing a barrage of nasty consequences, hunting local wild-life in the most committed way imaginable, loading log-ships at sea, smuggling hi-fi gear, searching for log pirates, and fronting up to the Dayak Queen. Between escapades, Ross somehow finds time to get married and start a family. This book includes some 75 photographs from Ross’s vast collection. REVIEWS: This, the third instalment in Ross Lockyer’s account of his life experiences, is another rip-roaring tale of adventure, excitement & danger. Lots of danger, as Ross recalls his time in Indonesian Borneo, experiencing the most challenging of circumstances. Experiences that most of us could only ever dream of (or more likely have nightmares about) and promptly run away from. Not Ross. New Zealand’s answer to Indiana Jones. Except that Ross’ authentic adventures are real life & not staged for any studio cameras. I cannot but admire reading about his can-do attitude to life from his time in Kalimantan and Samarinda, his readiness to learn & embrace the local language & culture, his journeys into the forests & mountains and travelling the length of the local rivers. His regular contact & brushes with the local tribes’ people must have been both exciting and equally fraught with danger. This is a brilliant piece of writing from a man who, more than most, has lived his life to the full. Lyn Griffiths, Abertawe, S.Wales