Australia

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: A City by City Guide
Author : Roberta Duman
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Essential reading....

for those people wanting to work and live in Oz. If you pack one thing in your rucksack, make sure it's this! Seriously, it's a must-have, the information is spot on, helpful and easy to use...finding jobs in Oz was made significantly easier with this book as a point of reference. I'd like one for South America now please!

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 : Rough Guide Map Australia (Rough Guide Map S.)
Author : Rough Guides
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : the best travel companion you could wish for!

By far the best guide to australia i have read. As an aid to planning it was faultless. The hotel /hostel listings and descriptions were spot on, as were the things to do sections. Excellent!

Title : Down Under
Author : Bill Bryson
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Hilarious Portrait of Oz and its People

As an Aussie living overseas, this book was a fabulous read for me. It was my first Bryson read, and I think his best. It really captures a lot of the eccentricities and uniqueness of the country and the Australian character- and provides some great laughs in the process! I enjoyed the way he didn't necessarily always do typically touristy things, but rather set out to experience and capture the local life.

Sometimes the view of an outsider can be the best way to see the uniqueness of your own country and people. Bryson really does this. So many things he mentions that seem amusingly distinct to Australians are things that never would have entered my head because I see them as usual! One example is how he mentions the Aussie habit of finding a name then naming everything after it (eg: MacQuarie- MacQuarie Street, Lake MacQuarie, the town of Port MacQuarie, Lady MacQuarie's Chair, and so on). It's absolutely true!

Perhaps the best part is the people he meets- some real characters! This makes the book really personal, as you get a feel for the personality of the Aussie people. I gave the book to my European boyfriend, whose dream now is to go to Queensland- not because it's so beautiful, but because he thinks they sound like a bunch of crazy people with a great, relaxed outlook on life.

If you're an Aussie living overseas, read this book for a true piece of home. If you're not an Aussie, read this book for a true feel about the country and its people. Bryson hit the nail on the head with this one!

Title : The Fatal Shore: History of the Transportation of Convicts to Australia, 1787-1868 (Harvill Panther S.)
Author : Robert Hughes
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A history of The Convict Stain

From Captain cook's discovery of Botany Bay and The First Fleet's cargo of convicts this is comprehensive history of the transpotation system and the earliest days in the fledgling Australia. Factual and detailed the author desribes the gradual genocide of the primitive Aboriginal race, the precarious settlement of Sydney, the floggings and horrors inflicted within the harshest prisons on Tasmania and Norfolk Island. A tale of Britain's attempt to sweep an entire unwanted section of the communtity 'under the carpet'- which stopped only when they started getting rich on the proceeds of the newly discovered Australian goldfields. Wealth which could never quite remove 'The Stain' of a convict origin.

Title : Rough Guide Map Australia (Rough Guide Map S.)
Author : Rough Guides
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Where would I be without this book?

this book was easy to use, very useful when I was travelling on my gap year and the reason that I managed to make it safely round oz. it guided me to some of the best places to stay and warned me off a few that I tried anyway and then realised the wisdom in their words after I had made my mistake. Buy this book if you are travelling oz, heed its words, take its advice but also don't be afraid to do a little experimenting of your own as I found many a gem of place to stay/ eat and see that were not included in the book - but then you cant expect them to know everything, it is only a rough guide but a very nice one to have by your side when you feel like you are on the other side of the world, it lends a big helping hand in making your travels that bit simpler. Buy.

Australia In Working and Australia online resources.