The hardships of growing up in the Northern Territory

Catalina Selena Rose came from a large family of seven boys and five girls. Catalina is the tenth child of Reuben Alfred Woods and Ivy Rickman. Catalina is an adventurer who still loves the bush. 

This book is about the cruelty, hardships, incest and struggles the family had to endure, with a law-breaking father. An unannounced visit from the Northern Territory police was a common occurrence. A mother who had to roam around in the bush for days hunting for food to keep the family fed. With the older kids hunting anything that moved to help put food on the table, using their homemade spears and shanghais. Some readers may find parts of this book disturbing.

Catalina also shares many of her life stories after growing up including her brushes with popular Australian personalities along the way, and a glimpse of her larrikin style poetry.