Page 46 - Explore - Autumn/Winter 2019

BOOK REVIEWS

Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road,
by Kate Harris. Harper Collins

“What would you study if there was in the northern Indian state of
no such thing as making the grade?” Jammu and Kashmir. A feeling of
That’s one of the many on-the-button excitement is soaked into every RRP
remarks that peppers this rollicking page even before Canadian-born $24.99
and thought-provoking account of Kate, an Oxford graduate who as a
the author’s travels through the child dreamt of being one of the first
countries between Turkey and China. colonists on Mars, sets off to fulfil
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazahkstan, her desire for exploring wild and
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgzstan, unforgiving places.
Nepal and Tibet are all pretty exotic
on their own, but Kate Harris, Part memoir, part adventure travel
accompanied by her childhood friend guide and part history lesson, Lands
Mel, up the ante by exploring these of Lost Borders also offers absorbing
regions by bike. discussions about travel and borders
Within minutes we were completely and what it means to be human. It is a
caught up in Kate and Mel’s journey good read to enjoy over several days,
which started in Istanbul and ended preferably while on holiday, and it Reviewed by the team at
ten months and 10,000 km later certainly inspires you to travel. helloworld Travel Mount Maunganui.

Every Woman’s Guide to Saving the Planet, by Natalie Isaacs. Harper Collins

RRP Isn’t it funny when you pick up a book says it’s easy: let’s all take it is going to have an impressive
$32.99 book and start reading it and say: the Carbon Challenge. So I jumped result if we can pull it off.
online and joined up then and
“This is what I’ve been trying to do
without realising it!” It turns out there. So what did I learn? Funny things
I’ve taken the Carbon Challenge like drink loose-leaf tea because
already! So what is in this book? It’s every teabags contain thin plastic
woman’s guide to saving the waste.
We moved into our house about planet, a handy toolbox packed
four years ago and nearly died with practical how-tos and a Unplug any appliance you won’t
when we received our first power guide to your own climate change be using because appliances are
bill – so for me the first step in journey. It inspires readers: it massive energy hogs around the
saving the planet was that we mentions Jacinda Ardern’s pledge home. Turn off lights when you
swiftly installed energy-efficient to plant 100 million trees each leave the room. Go paperless –
light bulbs: they last up to 20 year to combat climate change, there are apps for this. Bring your
times longer. and how only one per cent of the own water bottle and coffee mug.
trash of Swedish households ends And as a travel agent? Offsetting
I now know from the book the up in landfills because the rest is the emissions of air travel helps
amount of harmful carbon dioxide recycled and turned into energy. reduce the impact on the planet.
emissions that I prevented
from being released into the So what next for me? Single-use So where to from here? I’ve found
atmosphere and I realised I was coffee mugs are a good target. the glass coffee mug and have it
already on the right page. My Now, if I want a coffee I take my ready to go for tomorrow. I’m off
personal result at the time was own mug or go without. It’s about to the supermarket to purchase
cutting our power bill by 20 per turning new behaviours into my groceries with the zero-waste
cent. At the time I still didn’t know habits. The biggest challenge for week challenge. I’ve cleaned the
a lot about climate change and our family is we are going to try a stainless steel water bottle. I’ve
the book told me I was talking zero-waste week: it’s really going also bundled up the book to drop
the talk but not walking the walk. to affect us all but we are all keen off to our local Mayor and I want
Apparently women are the most to give it a try. We have to shop to her to read and share this book.
powerful agents of change. The create a waste-free meal plan and Watch this space, Waipukurau!

Reviewed by Ellen Lee, Senior Travel Consultant/Owner, helloworld Travel Waipukurau.

44 HELLOWORLD TRAVEL : EXPLORE : AUTUMN/WINTER EDITION