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Let's face it...that long haul flight is certainly worth it.

Not only that, any Australian will gladly tell you that there is so much more to see and do than what you just see in the brochure!

That's why it's so important to get your travel plans sorted out properly - whether it's Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, or even the Great Barrier Reef - Australia has it all!

Title : Down Under
Author : Bill Bryson
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Very informative, telling you many things no ordinary travel book does

Bill Bryson is best known for writing very humorous travel books, and "Down Under" is indeed a funny account of his travels in Australia. Those who love Bill Bryson's books for their humor won't be disappointed.

But unlike most people, I like Bill Bryson best when he's NOT trying to be funny, and my appreciation of this book is mostly due to the great amount of very interesting information presented.

Bill Bryson amazes you with loads of information about the geology, the animal life, the plants and insects, the history, the statistics, the folklore, etc., etc. The many dangers: poisonous snakes, poisonous insects, poisonous jellyfish, crocodiles, sharks, and rip currents - they're all out to get you. The inhospitable deserts, the beautiful beaches, the huge distances; Bill Bryson gives you a feeling of what it's all like.

The book goes into detail about many aspects of Australian life that are fairly unknown, including the discovery (and re-discovery) of Australia, the settlement by British prisoners, the early expeditions to explore the interior, the gold rushes, the outlaws, and the devastation caused by rabbits and other imported animals and plants. Bill Bryson talks about the many unusual animal species found only in Australia, including giant earthworms that grow up to 1 meter (and can be stretched to 4 meters) and the platypus, a cross between a reptile and a mammal. He talks about Australians and the Australian society, and the situation regarding the native people, the aboriginals.

Bill Bryson doesn't cover all of Australia from the geographical point of view, and the parts he does cover are somewhat random. But that doesn't matter because he captures the spirit of the whole country based on the parts he does visit and the general information he includes.

A very positive aspect is that Bill Bryson makes it clear that he loves Australia. The feeling is infectious, and it makes you want to pack your bags and head "down under" for a long leisurely trip so you can do your own exploring.

If I were to mention two things I was less happy about, it would be the occasional excessive attempts to be funny and the lack of contact with Australians. One of the best parts of the book is about his traveling together with an Australian couple for 3-4 days, but other than this passage Bill Bryson is mostly playing the typical tourist, with little or no contact with Australians. And despite a fairly long discussion about the aboriginal situation he does not ever get into contact with any aboriginals. Why not?

A final note regarding the unabridged audio version of the book, read by Bill Bryson himself: Most authors are poor readers, but Mr. Bryson does a very good job here, almost on a par with a professional reader. Recommended.

Rennie Petersen

PS. "Down Under" has also been published under the title "In a Sunburned Country". It is exactly the same book.

Title : Living and Working in Australia (Living Working S.)
Author : David Hampshire
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : The title says it all

Having read a number of publications of similar approach I must admit this one's outstanding. The information provided is not only considering almost every single aspect of living in Oz, but most important: it's (imho) spot-on and even pretty much up-to-date. David's writing is fun and easy to read and I would recommend this book to everyone on the move down under.

Title : Ashes 2005: The Full Story of the Test Series
Author : Gideon Haigh
Rating : 3 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Great writer but...

...it's a shame he's much more interested in the Aussies than England - there are whole chapters on Warne and Ponting and next to nothing on the likes of Simon Jones, Giles and Hoggard. Not even that much on Vaughan's captaincy or, most importantly, the fascinating way England, as a team, wrested the urn back, even after the disaster of Lords. He claims to support England but I doubt it on this showing. It would be understandable had he been writing for an Australian paper but most of this stuff was from the Guardian and Cricinfo.
Mine may be a slightly parochial view, mind you, and as I say, the man can really write.

Title : Australia (DK Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Author :
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A beautiful, informative guide to Australia

This guide is one of the best travel information books I have come across. It follows a slightly different line to the likes of the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet series, as it contains hundreds (if not thousands) of colour photographs, yet still manages to provide detailed information. If it's in-depth information you're looking for as you set out on your travels, you'd be better taking one of the previously mentioned travel guides, but the Eyewitness slogan 'The guides that show you what others only tell you' is spot on.

The book begins with an overview and map of world heritage areas of Australia, as well as full pages of information on Aboriginal culture, Australian artists and writers, wines and beach culture. Another useful section involves a month-by-month guide to Australian entertainment (for example, October includes the Melbourne Marathon, Writers Festival and Carnival of Flowers), as well as information on climate: temperatures, hours of sunshine and rainfall in major cities for each month of the year. There is a fifteen-page summary of Australian history, with photographs, a timeline, artwork, maps, vintage posters and museum pieces.

The section covering Sydney is an impressive one hundred pages in length, with key segments including maps and many superb photographs regarding Sydney's best museums and galleries, best architecture, best architecture and reserves. Key streets, such as 'The Rocks' and places of interest there (includes admission prices, opening times and contact information where applicable). There is even a room-by-room guide to the prestigious Powerhouse museum. Also included are a mini- shopping directory, and guide to where the best stores can be found, as well as a beach guide (listing Sydney's top thirty beaches, and points are awarded for amenities such as windsurfing, scuba diving, barbeque facilities and restaurants). The chapter ends with six pages of detailed colour maps depicting Sydney's main streets. The other main chapters cover key cities and states of Australia in a similarly impressive fashion.

There are pages at the back of the book with a twenty-five-page guide to the best hotels in Australia, a section of the same length describing the best places to eat (both parts providing contact information, and a list of facilities.) One of my favourite pages was the guide to Australian delicacies such as Yum Cha (a mini Chinese feast), Char-grilled Kangaroo Fillet and Baked Ricotta Cake (including rosella buds). A photograph accompanies each explanation of the dish. Practical information, such as what different bank notes look like, how the public phones work and public transport information can be found on the final pages. All in all, the DK Eyewitness guide is indispensable; although my only criticism is that it is rather heavy, so not really suitable for those hoping to travel light.

Title : Ashes 2005: The Full Story of the Test Series
Author : Gideon Haigh
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Great summary of a great summer

Haigh is a genuinely witty writer who has a clear love of the game.

The book is a collection of essays written as the test series was taking place and so gives a good feel for the glorious twists and turns of the games in contrast to some of the other Ashes books written with perfect 20:20 hindsight. As an aside, this is probably the only Ashes 2005 book that namechecks the Ramones.

PS: the howler on page 51 (who won the Edgbaston test by 2 runs) has been fixed in the reprinted editions.

Title : The Fatal Shore: History of the Transportation of Convicts to Australia, 1787-1868 (Harvill Panther S.)
Author : Robert Hughes
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A History of British Brutality

Robert Hughes "The Fatal Shore" is a compelling, readable, and meticuously documented account of the settlement of Australia. More than that, it provides within that harrowing story a picture of 18th and 19th Century penal attitudes the biases and prejudices of which can still,too often, be recognised in contemporary penal practice. In particular, the story of Alexander Moconochie's reforms on Norfolk Island, and their rejection, is a tale of overwhelming tragedy.
This cruel and bitter saga is yet another illustration of a recurring theme in British history, of how the protection of the wealth and property of a few has always had priority over the common good. The multiplication of capital offences under George 111, and his brutal penal regime, did little to deter the poverty stricken agricultural and industrial labourers of that era. The greatest fear of the industrial capitalists and the wealthy landowners was a revolution of the dispossessed, and to transport this threat to the other side of the globe, and so eliminate it, was the safest way to secure the status quo. Although Hughes does not labour this point he does vividly show how the demonisation of a class, and the extreme brutality that accompanied it, led to a penal system that lasted for more than half a century. For convicts to resist the thuggery of the State was futile, but to resist, and so suffer more brutality, was, ironically,the only way to retain the last flickering of humanity and personal integrity.
The book is a timely reminder that the core values that have shaped British history have changed little, and demonisation is still used to protect and sustain political and corporate interests.
A stimulating, readable, and masterly account of the British Gulag and of those who suffered in the grip of its iron fist. Highly recommended.

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