Mailman of the Birdsville Track: The Story of Tom Kruse

· Bolinda · Narrated by Peter Hosking
Audiobook
8 hr 49 min
Unabridged
Eligible
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About this audiobook

The Birdsville Track is one of the best known – and loneliest – tracks in Australia, and for twenty years Tom Kruse was the mailman, battling the searing heat, floods and mechanical breakdowns. He made the run every fortnight, and was a lifeline to the isolated settlements and stations along the way, delivering everything from letters to essential supplies. The Track is still just that – a track through the desert and sandhills. Tom began in the days before reliable vehicles, good communication and air access in case of emergency. He made running repairs of his truck, he loaded and unloaded tons of stores to ferry his cargo across flooded creeks. He kept people in touch with the outside world – and was sometimes caught up in the grief of a lonely death. Tom Kruse always got the mail through – come drought, hell or high waters. This is truly a classic Australian story, and captures part of our history that is fast vanishing.

About the author

Kristin is a PhD immunologist who switched to a writing career after completing postdoctoral research at Stanford University in California. As a science writer Kristin has written for Science magazine and for publications from Harvard and Stanford Medical Schools. Her magazine articles have been awarded prizes from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and from the Association of American Medical Colleges. She has also written for Outback magazine and Australian Geographic.

Peter Hosking is an actor with 40 years of stage, film and television experience and has narrated over 160 audiobooks. He toured Australia with the stage show Certified Male, appeared on television in Blue Heelers and on-screen in Pride, Siam Sunset, The Wogboy and Razor Eaters. Now living in Europe, he has toured with stage shows within Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the USA and Egypt as well as filming in the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Canary Islands and Poland. He continues to record for Bolinda from his base in Prague.

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