Nino is an Italian journalist and one day his editor, who finds that Nino is a pain in the head, sends him to Australia to find out why so many Italians are heading Down Under. Nino sets off with no preconceived ideas of what he'll find when he gets there, but he's comforted by the knowledge he can speak and understand English. Having got into trouble fighting with some other Italians on board ship, Nino is escorted from the ship at Sydney by two policeman and is immediately in hot water again. But he's determined to be an Australian and of course, he must learn to speak Australian first. He takes a job as a builder's labourer, meets a swag of new mates and gets involved in a riot of hilarious predicaments along the way. Regarded as one of the funniest books ever written about Australia and Australians. Illustrations by the irrepressible 'Wep'.