Sunlight sparkled on the rippling waves of Lake Macquarie

Zoe, Grandpa and Leo worked hard painting the row boat in the hot sun. They couldn’t wait to take it to Grandpa’s secret fishing spot when it was ready! Stretching out on the soft grass in the warm sunshine, Zoe closed her eyes and dozed off a little until Leo woke her with a lick of paint to the face. Grandpa was quick to distract them with the story of another boat, from long ago.

Two young men, Robert and Henry McMahon, rowed their boat from Cunninghame (now Lakes Entrance) all the way up the treacherous South Coast of New South Wales take nothing but cold pies, a school atlas and a pile of books. These brave blokes, from a poor farming family, were headed to Avondale Missionary College to study—Henry planned to be a teacher and Robert, a Literature Evangelist. Robert and Henry thought it would be a pleasant row. They had no idea of the difficulty that lay ahead. Were these tough farming lads up to the task? What incredible sights would they see along the way? Could they survive the raging storm?

What legacy can two young men leave when they place their lives in God’s hands? What legacy will you leave?

This non-fiction children’s picture book is book 7 in The Angel Said Australia series for young readers - telling true stories of God working through ordinary people in Australia.