Snowflake Goes to Western Australia: a Travel Memoir

by Shirley Read-Jahn

Two old nomads drive through the desolate Nullarbor Plain to cross the huge Australian continent from New South Wales to Western Australia in their camper van, Snowflake. Not only do they cross this treeless desert, but also the wide embayment of the Southern Ocean, known as the Great Australian Bight, extending westward along the states of Victoria and South Australia all the way to Western Australia. It’s an epic almost two-month journey for these intrepid travellers, involving seeing much of the vast land’s wildlife, flowers, and iconic ‘big’ structures representative of each area they pass through. Many new adventures of all types for the author, in her first year of being a resident of a brand-new country for her, and now married to her fourth husband! A descriptive, fascinating, armchair-travel of a read including snippets of fascinating local history, that will make you feel you’re along for the ride.

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2025

About the author

Shirley Read-Jahn was born during World War II and educated in England before becoming a hippy and living in an ancient Roman burial tomb in Matala, Crete. She went on to take up many different colourful careers, including swimwear model, interpreter, landscape gardener, paralegal and events organiser. She also co-founded the highly-successful San Francisco Jazz Festival as well as running her own landscape business in the United States.
Shirley has belly-danced since her thirties, still plays table-tennis, and now lives in Australia. In retirement, she has finally found time to devote to her passion for writing and the books swirling around in her head.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting travel memoir detailing Shirley and her husband Horst's trip from New South Wales along the south coast of Australia, and to Perth on the west coast. I admit to not knowing a lot about the geography of Australia, and much of it was new to Shirley too, so the facts that pepper her story were of great interest to me. For instance, the largest cattle station in Australia is 8,880 square miles, which seems awfully big, and a Google search puts it about the same size as the US state of New Jersey. That's just ONE cattle station! Thanks for educating me Shirley. I was impressed by the fortitude in dealing with the native fauna, particularly the flies, and Shirley's excitement at meeting with kangaroos and camels. And all the "big" statues of everything from kangaroos to galahs. All in all, an enjoyable read. Definitely recommended.

[Tammy Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shirley Read-Jahn is living my dream. In 2025, I was blessed to spend a month amidst Australia’s vibrant landscapes, yet the western side, a land I long to explore, remains a distant dream; the country’s vastness made it impossible to experience it all in such a brief time. In this book, Shirley and her husband navigate the sprawling southern portion of the country in Snowflake, their camper van. They do many exciting things, such as sailing on a catamaran where they see a fabulous sunset painted across the sky and encounter various sea creatures. They also visit a pink lake, a dreamlike destination that has always been on my bucket list (No spoilers here—you’ll have to read the book to hear about his one). Those are just a few of the many adventures, including a few bumpy mishaps, they encountered on their fabulous road trip, and I feel like I was riding shotgun.

[Valerie Poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Shirley Read-Jahn’s other books, I knew I would enjoy this one and I did, very much. Reading about her travels across southern Australia and through the renowned Nullarbor Plain with her husband, Horst made me more than a bit envious. Add to that, their VW camper, Snowflake, is my dream road trip vehicle. I loved being along for the ride, experiencing the roadhouses and feeling I could see the scenery they passed through. Perth sounds like quite a city and I would love to go there too. What was inspiring as well is that this intrepid couple were not what you’d call young when they set off. Indeed their senior status made the fact that they travelled thousands of kilometres in an elderly camper even more admirable. Thank you, Shirley and Horst, for a wonderful trip. I’m now looking forward to reading your other Snowflake book.

[Lisa Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed other books by this author who has led an interesting life full of adventure. Now older and in another new country, Shirley is still full of joie de vivre which shines out of the pages of this travel memoir.
Shirley and her new husband, Horst travel from their home in New South Wales, Australia, across the Nullarbor Plains to Perth and beyond in their elderly campervan, Snowflake. Mainly an account of their trip, this book includes lots of ideas for visits and interesting facts, but for me the main thing is Shirley’s boundless enthusiasm for her new country, and for life. I hope Shirley, Horst, and Snowflake have many more adventures.