Author Park launches latest novel in Cronulla

Park who was a former Leader Newspaper reporter and his wife Nicola are usually to be found jetting between Sydney and southern Africa where they own a home on the border of the Kruger National Park, until the virus forced them to make a choice.

With his 18th novel soon to be released, the author who has also invested in a safari lodge in Zimbabwe and spends half the year in Africa, chose to stay safe in Sydney and is now on the road promoting his latest book, Last Survivor.

Tony launched the novel last month at Anna's Shop Around The Corner in Cronulla at one of her popular 'Author talks' to a small but enthusiastic audience of devoted readers, among them Joanna Flack of Kareela who shares her name with one of the main characters.

Park's books explore many of the major issues affecting Africa including the poaching of animals, ivory, rhinoceros horn and now rare and endangered plants, often calling on his experiences in the military reserve to build his plots and characters.

The last survivor of the title of his current book is a rare African cycad, thought to be extinct, and worth millions of dollars to a terrorist cell, which plans to sell it to finance its attacks.

Park said one of the most enjoyable - and difficult - things about writing novels is learning about things you previously knew nothing about. Like Cycads-which are plants of great antiquity, being the oldest living representatives of seed-bearing plants.

''Cycads predate the dinosaurs and were once seen across much of the earth's surface.

''Although it is illegal to remove them from the wild, that hasn't stopped collectors from breaking the law, or employing impoverished natives to risk death or imprisonment to satisfy their desire to flaunt their wealth and status by owning something rare or endangered.'' Mr Park said

Anna's Author nights are a casual affair but you do need to book- Anna's next author talk will feature Catherine Greer and her novel The 10 Minute Fix at 3pm on July 19.