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In the Middle of Nowhere
In the Middle of Nowhere is the compelling true account of 18-year-old nurse Terry Augustus and John Underwood, a young born-and-bred cattleman she found flat on his back in Ward 3 of St Vincents Hospial, nursing a serious spinal injury sustained while mustering cattle. John was itching to get home to his family's cattle station in the Northern Territory. He promised Terry he'd write.
After five long years of corresponding, John and Terry married and moved to their new home - a tent and a newly drilled bore in the middle of nowhere. Their love for each other was only matched by their love for this 'last frontier'in the heart of the Territory. Modern-day pioneers, they built their cattle station, Riveren, from scratch and raised and educated a new generation of Underwoods there, on the headwaters of the Victoria River, 600 kilometers south-west of Katherine. Times were tough and there was heartbreak, danger and struggle, but the power of love and the strength of family ties helped them overcome every obstacle.
In the Middle of Nowhere is their story. It's a story of beating the odds, told with warmth and a genuine knowledge of the Outback. It's a real story of the Territory, and is as vast, dramatic and inspiring as the land that lies at the heart of this unforgettable book.
After five long years of corresponding, John and Terry married and moved to their new home - a tent and a newly drilled bore in the middle of nowhere. Their love for each other was only matched by their love for this 'last frontier'in the heart of the Territory. Modern-day pioneers, they built their cattle station, Riveren, from scratch and raised and educated a new generation of Underwoods there, on the headwaters of the Victoria River, 600 kilometers south-west of Katherine. Times were tough and there was heartbreak, danger and struggle, but the power of love and the strength of family ties helped them overcome every obstacle.
In the Middle of Nowhere is their story. It's a story of beating the odds, told with warmth and a genuine knowledge of the Outback. It's a real story of the Territory, and is as vast, dramatic and inspiring as the land that lies at the heart of this unforgettable book.
335 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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128 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 22, 2023
Terry Underwood is a trainee nurse in St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney when she meets patient John Underwood, a young cattleman with a serious spinal injury. His family lives on a property about 600 kilometres south-west of Katherine in the Northern Territory. John keeps telling his mates that one day he will marry Terry. When he finally leaves hospital, he promises to write and a courtship of about four years ensues.
This book is their true story. John dreams of developing his own cattle property on the pastoral lease held by his mother and father. Eventually Terry and John marry and Terry leaves city life behind and moves to the distant outback of Australia. Her first home with John is a caravan and a tent as she helps John build the first structure of their home and their future life. The story follows the busy life of a remarkable couple. Terry has five children, becomes their teacher through School of the Air and shares her daily inspiring outback life in this autobiography. Her character and inner strength is as amazing as it is special.
Life is not easy but Terry continues to beat the odds while supporting John to realise his dreams. She is well respected and always lending a hand in organising the all important yet infrequent gatherings that must occur in the outback to break the monotony and enable social connections and fun. She wears many hats as she undertakes and learns the different roles she has to fill in their growing cattle business and running a homestead.
I enjoyed this remarkable autobiography from cover to cover and remain in awe of Terry and John's achievements and continual love and support for each other.
This book is their true story. John dreams of developing his own cattle property on the pastoral lease held by his mother and father. Eventually Terry and John marry and Terry leaves city life behind and moves to the distant outback of Australia. Her first home with John is a caravan and a tent as she helps John build the first structure of their home and their future life. The story follows the busy life of a remarkable couple. Terry has five children, becomes their teacher through School of the Air and shares her daily inspiring outback life in this autobiography. Her character and inner strength is as amazing as it is special.
Life is not easy but Terry continues to beat the odds while supporting John to realise his dreams. She is well respected and always lending a hand in organising the all important yet infrequent gatherings that must occur in the outback to break the monotony and enable social connections and fun. She wears many hats as she undertakes and learns the different roles she has to fill in their growing cattle business and running a homestead.
I enjoyed this remarkable autobiography from cover to cover and remain in awe of Terry and John's achievements and continual love and support for each other.
April 28, 2025
A really enjoyable book! I found it in a tiny library and almost left it behind. Having lived in the Northern Territory for a year I loved reading about life in the outback. Loved it from start to finish!
July 31, 2021
What a hard life, living in the outback of Australia...
November 6, 2022
An enjoyable read
August 12, 2023
What an amazing story and amazing woman. Shows the true Aussie spirit in such a tough country. Fantastic Read.
June 19, 2025
An uplifting story of strength and courage
This book is the story of a determined young man and his strong brave Bride who achieve wonders building a Cattle Station despite all the hardships that life in the Outback of Australia offers daily. They were Underwood family are examples of the real spirit of Australia that built our Nation, I hope many young Aussies pick up and read this book.
This book is the story of a determined young man and his strong brave Bride who achieve wonders building a Cattle Station despite all the hardships that life in the Outback of Australia offers daily. They were Underwood family are examples of the real spirit of Australia that built our Nation, I hope many young Aussies pick up and read this book.
March 18, 2017
I would actually give this book a 3.5. I picked up the book at a resale shop as reading about real life in the outback interested me. If you have that same interest you would definitely like the book as it gives you a great insight to what it's like to live in the middle of nowhere. I found the book a bit difficult in the beginning to keep my interest but was enough to keep me reading.
December 8, 2016
Terry Underwood is an amazing woman who has lived an amazing life. Farmer, nurse, home schooling teacher, mother, wife, she is a born organiser who successfully pulled together shows and entertainment involving people living hundreds of miles apart. Now she can add author to her list of achievements. In the Middle of Nowhere is an honest and well written story of her life in the outback with the man of her dreams. Their home, Riveren, situated six hundred kilometres south west of Katherine is an outstanding testament to their hard work and determination – built up from nothing more than a tent to a vast and successful cattle ranch. By writing her lifestory Terry has achieved what she set out to do – to bring the outback to the city and to help city dwellers understand the life and hardships of living in remote areas.
November 17, 2015
What a wonderful book! Brings to mind the phrase 'if you need something done, ask a busy person'... I found parts of it a bit slow, although that may have had more to do with my mood than the book, as I really enjoyed the rest! What an amazing person :-)
I'm sending this on to someone else who's love for their family shines through their writing...hope you enjoy it!
"This is the compelling true story of an 18 year old nurse and a young born and bred cattleman she found on his back in ward 3 of St Vincents Hospital, nursing a serious spinal injury sustained while mustering cattle" (from Lillymagoo)
I'm sending this on to someone else who's love for their family shines through their writing...hope you enjoy it!
"This is the compelling true story of an 18 year old nurse and a young born and bred cattleman she found on his back in ward 3 of St Vincents Hospital, nursing a serious spinal injury sustained while mustering cattle" (from Lillymagoo)
April 6, 2016
What possessed this woman to narrate her own book. Such a boring voice it was annoying and not at all pleasant to listen to. She goes on and on about her childhood and tells things that are pretty irrelevant to the story. I wanted to know about her life on the station and how that lives out. The parts relating to her meeting her husband and early year was great but the younger her as a kid and her mother etc.....ho hum. Maybe it would have been more enjoyable if somebody else had narrated the book or if I had read it myself in paperback. Didn't finish it - too boring.
October 14, 2009
I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did, though I have to agree with another reader that Terry made me feel like a creep for getting irritated that she is so wonderful. But I know people like that in real life, and it's always heartening to see them break character and act like the rest of us clods. :)
September 13, 2016
A good insight into living and working in the bush if you have not done so.
It is fascinating to see the love for someone to cause a change in life direction. I sometimes fell it is a bit sexist the man is the Boss man but then I believe Terry would stand her ground any time she wanted too.
It shows it is a different world that would shock a lot of townies.
It is fascinating to see the love for someone to cause a change in life direction. I sometimes fell it is a bit sexist the man is the Boss man but then I believe Terry would stand her ground any time she wanted too.
It shows it is a different world that would shock a lot of townies.
August 4, 2009
Mixed reviews, some bookclub members really enjoyed it especially those that had been to the area in the NT where the station was. Some did not like it, they found it too drawn out and a bit of the boring side.
January 5, 2013
A great account of modern-day Australian pioneers, John and Terry Underwood, who built their outback station from scratch, raised and educated the next generation of Underwoods, and experienced the danger and struggles of living in a remote part of Australia in the Northern Territory.
Read
August 6, 2011A fantastic advocate of outback Australia, an interesting book, an amazing woman
August 7, 2011
I thought this was a great book
March 19, 2012
An interesting story about a couple who start a family and live in the outback, literally in 'the middle of nowhere'. Well written and engaging.
January 2, 2016
loved it..
March 22, 2014
Great book about life in our wonder country. Really enjoyed it.
I finished the book on a plane flying back form England. I was nearly over the Riveren Station when I finished it.
I finished the book on a plane flying back form England. I was nearly over the Riveren Station when I finished it.
August 5, 2016
Beautiful country but harsh. To survive life in the outback it sure takes strong, resourceful and resilient people who never give up. Terry Underwood and her family are all these things and more.
August 3, 2015
Such an amazing life
July 1, 2018
In the Middle of Nowhere is the compelling true account of 18-year-old nurse Terry Augustus and John Underwood, a young born-and-bred cattleman she found flat on his back in Ward 3 of St Vincents Hospial, nursing a serious spinal injury sustained while mustering cattle. John was itching to get home to his family's cattle station in the Northern Territory. He promised Terry he'd write.
After five long years of corresponding, John and Terry married and moved to their new home - a tent and a newly drilled bore in the middle of nowhere. Their love for each other was only matched by their love for this 'last frontier'in the heart of the Territory. Modern-day pioneers, they built their cattle station, Riveren, from scratch and raised and educated a new generation of Underwoods there, on the headwaters of the Victoria River, 600 kilometers south-west of Katherine. Times were tough and there was heartbreak, danger and struggle, but the power of love and the strength of family ties helped them overcome every obstacle.
In the Middle of Nowhere is their story. It's a story of beating the odds, told with warmth and a genuine knowledge of the Outback. It's a real story of the Territory, and is as vast, dramatic and inspiring as the land that lies at the heart of this unforgettable book.
After five long years of corresponding, John and Terry married and moved to their new home - a tent and a newly drilled bore in the middle of nowhere. Their love for each other was only matched by their love for this 'last frontier'in the heart of the Territory. Modern-day pioneers, they built their cattle station, Riveren, from scratch and raised and educated a new generation of Underwoods there, on the headwaters of the Victoria River, 600 kilometers south-west of Katherine. Times were tough and there was heartbreak, danger and struggle, but the power of love and the strength of family ties helped them overcome every obstacle.
In the Middle of Nowhere is their story. It's a story of beating the odds, told with warmth and a genuine knowledge of the Outback. It's a real story of the Territory, and is as vast, dramatic and inspiring as the land that lies at the heart of this unforgettable book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews