Book launch of 'Holidays' by the entertaining William McInnes

For any Australian, William McInnes needs no introduction.  He has been in some of the longest-running and most popular TV shows, such as A Country Practice; Blue Heelers and Seachange, before turning his hand to a very successful career in writing.

McInnes hails from my own small town and writes much of local lore, which I find both familiar and entertaining from his humorous perspectives.  I had heard he was lots of fun in person and his book launch certainly cemented that fact for me.  After entering the library with a mad dash to the loo, McInnes launched into a series of gastro gags, likening the dash to a Tony Abbott power walk.  He really is hilarious and so lively and fun to meet in person. 
His new novel, Holidays sounds like a riotous adventure.  You get such a great visual picture by listening to him speak, whether it is standing open-mouthed under the udder of the Big Cow, to expressing a desire to visit the much famed 'Gay Taree'  (a reference to fun times of the past, rather than of the sexual orientation).
I really enjoy the way McInnes makes the everyday cheapo holiday to a destination at a motel not far away, sound rather exciting and full of fun memories.

There was a touching moment when he mentioned a holiday where the whales off Stradbroke Island reminded him of a previous holiday there with his late wife.  The whales each turned 360 degrees as if in a silent tribute to his late partner.  His sharing of this very personal experience of his grief was very touching and I'm sure I wasn't the only one joining him in a tear. 

A younger McInnes during his acting years

McInnes's writing include: A Man's Got to Have a Hobby 2005; Cricket Kings, 2006; That'd Be Right,  2008; The Making of Modern Australia; and Worse Things Happen at Sea, co-written by his wife Sarah Watt, in 2011.

I'm looking forward to reading 'Holidays' and hoping there is a seriously funny audio book to go along with it.
Bravo William McInnes.