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 : Ashes 2005: The Full Story of the Test Series
Author : Gideon Haigh
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : An intelligent read

A really intelligent read with some great character sketches and a wide-ranging take on contemporary popular culture as well as what has made cricket tick over the decades. Some of the prose can be a little dense but is well worth the effort. It's an intriguing book which one will return to with pleasure this winter when other Ashes books seem just one more photo-montage for the Christmas stocking. BUT - and it doesn't detract from the five stars - spot the howler on page 51!

Title : Living and Working in Australia (Living Working S.)
Author : David Hampshire
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Spot On!

I haven't even gotten to Australia yet and this book has been incredibly useful to me. I am relocating to Sydney next month and this book helped me negotiate my new contract and determine what I need to do before I go. It also has great sections for the worriers amongst us, such as what exactly happens when you reach Immigration Control in the Airport. I'll definitley be taking it with me and dipping into it many times over the next few months.

Title : Xenophobe's Guide to Kiwis (Xenophobe's Guide S.)
Author : Christine Cole Catley
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Nostalia and Laughs

Writing this as a critical kiwi, I thought it was a fantastic book, was a a real treasure! I had no idea there was so many mannerisms and thoughts I have that are so particular to the kiwi way of life! Felt very nostalgic at times and felt homesick, but laughed just as much! Could not put it down, will make sure my English friends and family read it so they understand me better!

Title : Ashes 2005: The Full Story of the Test Series
Author : Gideon Haigh
Rating : 2 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Very Disappointing Ashes Book

Gideon Haigh the writer of this book tells us that he has English parents but was born and raised in Australia. He claims to support England during the Ashes but by his constant mocking of the England cause one suspects that this claim is more to satisfy his English readers. The articles in this book are those written throughout the Ashes for the Guardian and Cricinfo. They are well written, though somewhat awkward to read at times, and are of a much higher standard than most sports writing. You get the sense that Mr Haigh does not view English cricket with very much respect and indeed at times he obviously finds English cricket laughable.

The fact that on page 51 of this book it claims that Australia won the second test at Edgbaston shows that somebody didn't do their job. This is terribly wrong as millions of people in this country and around the world will testify. How this has gone unnoticed by the publisher is staggering and should surely result in the proof reader facing the sack and reprints being rushed out to sooth the dismay of their shocked customers. On the other hand, given the constant mocking of the England team, maybe Gideon Haigh wanted to stir things up by putting this score, because as a closet Aussie fan this is a result that would have surely warmed his heart.

Though Gideon Haigh claims to support England this really is the grudging Aussie point of view at the end of the day. Don't buy this book if you want beautiful images of the Ashes because there are many other books with far superior images. But if you want to read intelligent articles about the Ashes from a man who knows his stuff then this book is for you. Gideon Haigh may be the most annoying writer on the planet, because of his awkward style, but at least he has something intelligent to tell us.

Title : Dangerous Creatures of Australia (Michelin Green Guides)
Author : Marty Robinson
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Don't visit Australia until you have read this book

Researching Australia for an impending trip, I heard all kinds of horror stories about how I could end up being injected with poison by innocent-looking toads, ripped to pieces by blood-thirsty tiger sharks or even have a couple of bites taken out of me by cute-looking caterpillars. What I discovered by reading Dangerous Creatures of Australia however, was that that is all they are; stories. In fact, on the first page the author's opening statement is 'Many people believe that Australia is full of dangerous wild animals. Although it is true that we have many potentially dangerous creatures, most of them are rarely encountered and indeed even hard to find.' Whilst he goes on to admit that 'Australia has more venomous snakes than any other country, both the world's most venomous spiders and the world's most venomous octopuses,' Robinson covers many pages on reassuring the reader via a table of statistics regarding accidental death, that you are more likely to be murdered, poisoned or even struck by lightening than you are to die from a snake bite. There is also material regarding precautions the reader can take to avoid being attacked by a dangerous animal and many maps showing the precise locations of the creatures' whereabouts.

The author splits the book into the following sections: Large land animals (including feral pigs and snakes), small land animals (spiders and scorpions), large water animals (sharks and crocodiles) and small water animals (jellyfish and octopuses). One thing that particularly enthralled me about the book was the strange and sometimes downright bizarre creatures that can be found in Australia. The sea snake, for instance, with its paddle-shaped tail, single lung and short (yet deadly) fangs. Fire coral, as the name suggests, is a type of coral which looks no different than the regular kind, yet one brush against it could cause nasty stinging.

I found the full colour photographs together with the information very useful, as I could get a clear picture of exactly what was being described, should I be unlucky enough to come across the creature in question. Those with a tendency for being faint-hearted should steer clear of the rather nauseating pictures graphically depicting injuries sustained from encounters with leeches and snake bites. Whether you are planning a short break in Australia or a backpacking holiday, the book is very small and lightweight, and therefore can slip into your bag without adding any significant weight. A down side however, is the price #8211; for a book so concise, I found the asking price a bit much.

Anyone with an interest in the fascinating country that is Australia may also like the wonderfully funny 'Down Under' (by travel writer Bill Bryson), or 'Wild Down Under: The Natural History of Australia' (by Damon Smith). Both are excellent, with the latter depicting the natural wonders of the country in hundreds of beautiful photographs. I sincerely hope that I won't bump in to any of the dangerous creatures shown in this book on my travels, but just in case, it's handy to have a copy nearby.

Australia Western and Australia online resources.