Our life in the outback

“...If you only read one book this year, ‘Don’t Try This At Home’ has to be the one.” – The West Australian

Whether it’s trying to discourage her handsome personal karate expert, Gary Hammer, from bringing helicopter parts home from the tip, fending off giant lizards in the laundry shed or bouncing along dirt tracks on a tiny scooter with 3 dogs on board, this long-awaited collection of Anna Johnson’s “Don’t Try This At Home” humour columns from The Meekatharra Dust features some new pieces, extended versions, old favourites and plenty of laughs as she describes the daily madness of living in her adopted - and slightly feral - remote outback town.

“Bloody funny . . . yer got any smokes?” – Old Mate

”Sister Betty had quite a giggle, even at the rude bits.” – the nuns

“Please help me.” – Gary Hammer

Reviews

The West - Countryman 14th July 2016 – Jo Fulwood

Even in one of my darkest hours, Anna Johnson managed to make me laugh.

Don’t Try This at Home is the latest release from the Canadian-born former city girl, whose hilarious and often irreverent tales of life in Meekatharra are sure to make even the most metro-centric among us want to instantly be part of the new outback life she has accidentally fallen into.

You will also find it hard not to fall slightly in love with Johnson’s handsome personal fire-fighting partner Gary Hammer — as long as you don’t mind men without teeth or underwear.

Click here to read full review.

About the Author

Anna Johnson lives in Meekatharra, remote Western Australia, with her handsome personal firefighter, Gary Hammer, and highly alert guard dogs Ted and Missy. She has written many articles and news items for The Meekatharra Dust and is the co-author (with her mother) of "The Trailer Diaries" (available on Amazon). She has had work published in Canada and Australia in various small publications and was a winner in the Diamond Valley Short Story competition for her story, "Here Comes The Twister".

In her former city life, she was a film maker and director, best known for her internationally-awarded film, "Seven Days Under Mavis". She also directed many episodes of Neighbours, Home and Away and Shortland Street in New Zealand. Her proudest television moment was directing the Neighbours scene in which Madge died. As Anna likes to put it, "I killed Madge."

Anna also worked for many years as a television commercial production manager, the lunacy of which finally led to her running away from her Melbourne home and enjoying the adventures described in this collection.