Rating: 
Summary: A great tale
Review: As an Australian I loved the way the author described the characters in this book. They all seemed to be giving, friendly folk who saw this "Epic" trip as a cool thing to do but nothing to get too excited about. It made me a little homesick. Eric Stiller writes with a style that slowly hooks you and then gently pulls you along for a wild ride without getting too worked up. He almost gets too emotional and then he'll break away just in time, especially with regards to a girlfriend back in the states. While some will say Eric was a bit of a whinger, and to some degree he was, I noted with interest that it was Eric who did the majority of planning before and during the trip and that Tony while having a she'll be right mate atttitude also came accoss as a guy who was used to having the mundane things done for him by someone else and that he was there for the adventure. I really enjoyed this book and I have never been in a kayak before. Highly recommended to those like myself who enjoy all travel narratives.
Rating: 
Summary: Realistic look at Adventure tourism
Review: For anyone that has read Don Starkell & sons account their 12,000+/- mile canoe from Winnipeg, Canada to the Amazon will have experienced a true account of individuals setting out on an adventure of discovery and strengthening a close bond.After reading Starkell's famous book, who hasn't thought finding a partner and setting of on such an adventure? Eric Stiller and Tony Brown went on such an adventure! The book has some awkwardness, as did the trip. It is a good book over-all and a necessary book for anyone needing to re-evaluate some of the romantic notions of stepping out of modern society into the life of "adventure" and the "wilderness". All the power to Eric & Tony for all the fun & experiences they had!
Rating:
Summary: If you've got adventure in your blood... you'll LOVE IT!
Review: If you ever catch yourself sitting in your office and daydreaming of abandoning everything to embark on something really big and stupid then this is the book for you. Once I started i couldn't put it down. I agree that the writing style has something to be desired, although in a way i think it adds to the book. Remember the author is a kayak salesmen not a professional writer. Bottom line is I can't remember the last time i read a book that really inspired me to do something. Those of you with any adventure in your blood will surely be planning your next outdoor excursion by the time you finish this book, and just maybe you'll try something bigger and stupider than you ever thought yourself capable of...
Rating: 
Summary: Macho kayaking; this is no "vision quest"
Review: If you had a word-search program you could connect to this book, I wonder how aften yo'd come up with the word "Klepper". My first qualm is that it reads like a 410-page ad for Klepper Kayaks. Paul Theroux, in his "Happy Isles" book also uses a Klepper kayak but he mentions it so discreetly that only the interested reader will know it's a Klepper. I realize that the difference was that Klepper was one of Stiller's sponsors, but this could have been mentioned in the acknowledgemnts section of the book. Secondly, as I kayaker myself, these two characters are not "couragous" as a reviewer suggests, but foolhardy as best. Trying to log as many kilometers as possible each day they often decide to make landfall way past dusk, often in the dark of night squinting to see where they can see lighter shadows that will indicate sandy beaches. Dog-tired and weary, they also think nothing of launching in stormy seas, and risk capsizing several times. Where is the courage in this type of behavior? Sea kayaking magazines are full of accident stories of kayakers such as these who don't understand "reckless endangerment". And thirdly, what is irritating is that Stiller, a New Yorker, picks up Australian slang and from about the 3rd chapter onwards, peppers the text with words such as "mate", "dosh" (money), brekky (breakfast), "tucker" (food), and there's more. There's not much introspection as one would expect for such a long journey but rather much gnashing-of-teeth as Stiller pines for his N.Y. girl friend who eventually ends up by finding someone else, as well as near-constant arguments between himself and his Australian kayaking partner. The focus of every stop is a mad dash to the post office to see if there are letters from Nicole. The entire journey reads like a race; launch, paddle-or-sail-as-fast-we-can-go to the next point on the map, eat, sleep, repeat. The best part of the whole book is when they cross the Gulf of Carpentia, a trip that takes them five days and is an epic unto itself. Not for the fainthearted.
Rating:
Summary: You Thought Backpacking in Europe w/ Your Roommate was Tough
Review: Keep Australia on Your Left is a very interesting book on a number of accounts. People who travel with friends in foreign lands know the inevitable strains that traveling in unfamilar territory places on a relationship. Couple that with the harrowing experiences that Eric and Tony encounter daily in their kayak, Southern Cross, and you've got an adventure that is not only taxing on the body, but also the psyche. To me, a non-kayaker, the fact that the trip was made in a kayak is irrelevant. It is interesting because it is about traveling in a foreign land, travelers finding themselves in dangerous circumstances, and the strain of travelers extracting an irreparable toll on the travelers' relationship. Unlike a couple of my fellow reviewers, I do not know Eric Stiller. But based solely on what I have read, I have to say that the one major issue that I have with the book is that I don't exactly like Eric! I commend him for his honest feelings throughout the book, but I found him to be extremely self-involved, quite unrepentant, and for lack of a better phrase, "smarter than thou." And I question how much he has learned or has changed as a result of his experiences. I feel for Tony's having had to endure this for the duration on the trip under life-threatening circumstances. That said, I enjoyed the book and commend both of them for making it as far as they did.
Rating:
Summary: The Adventure of an adventure...
Review: Let me first start off by saying that I have a little more insight on this author. I lived next door to him most of my childhood. We played basketball, electric football, touch football and even street hockey. This book does not surprise me about him. Growing up, he was very intense. When Eric had an idea that got into his head, he took it upon himself to plan, re-plan and do whatever it takes to get the job done. My review title is a summary of what this book is really about. I too, had the opportunity to go one an adventure with one individual. Our transportaion were bicycles. I surely learned toleration, acceptance, frustration, compassion and any other feeling for the other person. The journey is only part of the story. There was a definite personality clash between the two and that is what finally did the trip in. This is real life. Not everything happens the way we want it to or ends the way we intend it. I give him major credit for even attempting this unfathomable journey. I know I surely wouldn't attempt it; not even with my wife, who is my best friend....
Rating:
Summary: Discovering Onomatopeoia
Review: No, that's not another name for Australia. It's the use of words whose sound suggests the sense. Mr. Stiller employs the technique ad nauseum. Never have I read a paragraph that consists entirely of the letters B (1 time), O (6 times), M (9 times), S (22 times), and H (5 times). You can imagine my suspense, which was only heightened by a paragraph on the next page, as follows: "Whoooowhhooooouuuuuouuuwhouuuuuuu." This goes on and on. There is a fascinating story underlying the poor writing style. The technique is bad, as is the failure to provide more insight into the effect of the journey on character development. Ultimately, these issues render the book nearly unreadable.
Rating:
Summary: Discovering Onomatopeoia
Review: No, that's not another name for Australia. It's the use of words whose sound suggests the sense. Mr. Stiller employs the technique ad nauseum. Never have I read a paragraph that consists entirely of the letters B (1 time), O (6 times), M (9 times), S (22 times), and H (5 times). You can imagine my suspense, which was only heightened by a paragraph on the next page, as follows: "Whoooowhhooooouuuuuouuuwhouuuuuuu." This goes on and on. There is a fascinating story underlying the poor writing style. The technique is bad, as is the failure to provide more insight into the effect of the journey on character development. Ultimately, these issues render the book nearly unreadable.
Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: this book catches your attention, and from the very first page on, you can't put it down. The author does't bore you, yet he tells many details. There's humor, anger, fun, and much, much more. Even if you've never picked up a kayak paddle or don't even know what a klepper is, READ IT!
Rating: 
Summary: Why not read Paul Caffyn's books ?
Review: this is a great story marred by incessant whinging. mr. stiller's priorities seemed to be the number of kilometers acheived per day and making a relationship withstand the strain of time and distance. very little was mentioned about wildlife and sights along the way, even less about the author's personal growth. transcribing your journal is not a literary effort!
however, the accomplishment of these two fellows was outstanding!
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