The Good Life: Up the Yukon without a Paddle [Paperback]

'A great read, full of escapism and gentle humour.'

Have you ever felt that in order to fulfil the dream of the good life, you need to escape the business and day to day rat race of the bustling metropolis.

Dorian Amos – a painter from Cornwall and his wife decided that they were in need of adventure. Having searched their world atlas they decided to sell up and move to Canada in search of a new and better life.

Having bought Pricey the car, Boris Lock their faithful dog, a canoe and their fishing equipment they set off into the Yukon Wilderness to find a place they could call home.

After months of camping alone in the great outdoors where they encountered bears and madmen, they eventually arrived at Dawson City, home to one of the great gold rushes of the 20th century. It was here that they found a run down log cabin in the mountains nearby and began a new and fascinating life. A life they had always known they wanted.

Dorian was born in Cambridge in 1967. He left home at sixteen and worked as a Gamekeeper in all parts of the UK. In 1987 he met his wife Bridget on Exmoor and they married in 1992 after he had complete a 3 year course in wildlife conservation at Sparsholt Agricultural college. It was during the long lectures associated with full time education that Dorian’s ability to draw cartoons was discovered.

In 1995 Dorian decided to capitalise on his talent and set up a cartooning business called Amosart, in Polperro, Cornwall. The business was successful and in no time at all ‘life became far too easy’ so, in 1998 and on a whim, Bridget and Dorian decided to immigrate to the Canadian wilderness for a bit of adventure. They now live with their 2-year-old son, Jack Julian and trusty dog Boris, in a cabin in the forest outside Dawson City, Yukon Territory.

I was slowly building up a stock of equipment that covered the garage floor but what we really needed was a tent. A good solid waterproof tent, one we could put a camp wood stove in and keep warm. I went to Tent World and nearly fainted at the price of pioneer tents. They were heavy duty, warm and weather proof and just what I needed. Quite how I was going to set it up without the arm and a leg I would have to pay for it I had no idea. I left pretty smartish avoiding a sales assistant closing in at 3.00 o'clock with a fake smile and solid hair. I knew I could make one for half the price, I just knew it. So, off I went to Canvas World and bought twenty yards of ten ounce canvas and a needle that looked more like a spear for killing water buffalo and stolen from a tribe of pygmies living in the rain forests of South America.

I had a rough tent design in my head and set about transforming the roll of canvas into the desired shape. That was the easy bit. Next I had to sew the pieces together by hand. CRIKEY, was that difficult! My pigmy spear was pushing easier through the palm of my hand than through the canvas. It very quickly dawned on me why the tents were so expensive. Blood is precious and there was enough on my tent after sewing two sides together to attract all the bears in the Northwest Territories. I might as well have hung a sign on top saying "Bear-Food World" tonight's special; Tight Fisted Pommies!

Still, I persevered and eventually had a tent sort of shape canvas lying frozen on the garage floor. After rummaging through the woods for two days I had cut enough suitable straight poles to erect my first Canadian home. I dragged the canvas and poles onto the front paddock and started to put up my masterpiece. Four hours later I was back at the drawing board and contemplating whether I could do without an arm and a leg.