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 (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 : Living and Working in Australia: A City by City Guide
Author : Roberta Duman
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Can't do without it...

this is really useful and a must have for anyone planning a trip out down under for a substantial length of time - it includes all the small things you would never think about but you should know about - truly indispensable..

Title : Living and Working in Australia: A City by City Guide
Author : Roberta Duman
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Best Aussie guide around...

This book is a no-nonsense guide that offers really practical information about living and, in particular, working in Australia. I had brought other guides on this subject but found this book stuffed full of truly useful information that I could use ahead of making a decision on leaving the UK. In particular, how to find out if there would be work for me when I arrived in the country and how to find potential employers #8211; invaluable! It also gave up to date information on the cost of living and finances #8211; none of which I had any idea of until I read this book.

I particularly liked the Brit tips and felt reassured that the reader wrote this from recent personal experience. I will be taking it with me as I've booked my trip down under!

Title : Australia (Lonely Planet Country Guide S.)
Author : Paul Smitz
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Starting Point

No single guide to an entire continent could ever be comprehensive, but the Lonely Planet guide has a good stab at it.

The guide is well presented and well organised, being divided up by state. City and Town sections are presented in the standard Lonely Planet way, with an introduction, maps, lists of places to sleep, shop, eat, drink etc. For me the standout feature is that the guide supplies a web address (where there is one) for every listed establishment, museum, tour company etc. This provides a great starting point to find out if what they suggest might really be for you or not, and to plan your trip. Crucially all of the information that I have relied on is up to date.

Having also looked at the Lonely Planet East Coast, Queensland and Sydney guidebooks I would say that there is enough information in the Australia guide book to preclude purchasing a more specific one.

The only major problem, as I believe with all Lonely Planet books, are the awful town and city maps. While they are just suitable for establishing if a bar you're interested in is anywhere near your hostel, they don't really provide a means of getting you there with much chance of success. The tiny versions of the public transport networks for Sydney and Melbourne are a nice idea, but not practical unless you were to go to the effort of making an enlarged photocopy version. In contrast however, the larger scale maps are quite deceent and fairly useful.

In conculsion I was extremely pleased with this guide, which made an excellent starting point for deciding what to see do and experience in Australia.

Title : Sydney (Lonely Planet City Map S.)
Author :
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Sydney - Lonely Planet City Map

This map is a must if you're trying to negate your way around Sydney. We started of with this map at the beginning, lost it in the middle and were extremely grateful to find it again towards the end of our trip. The maps that you are given in hotels or buy in shops over there are for some reason useless! They only highlight the larger roads which aren't too bad if you're driving around, but on foot is pain when you have to retrace your blunder in the heat. As in any city that is new to you, the one way streets are difficult to tackle. This map illustrates all they one way streets clearly, has the City Rail and ferry map, and is plastic coated and light enough to fold into your bag.

Emigrating To Australia and Australia online resources.