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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 : Sydney (Eyewitness Travel Guides S.)
Author :
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : An excellent guide. Don't visit Sydney without it

I've just returned from a stay in Sydney (April 2006). I took this little book with me. It was a tremendous help. It is very colourful and nicely arranged. The places that any tourist will definitely want to visit are explained using full colour maps and 3D illustrations that you really can't go wrong with. My only criticism of it is that it doesn't give many prices. Some places are expensive to enter, so knowing the price beforehand, even if it is out of date, gives an indication of its value for money. That said, it is hard to fault this book.

Title : The Fatal Shore: History of the Transportation of Convicts to Australia, 1787-1868 (Harvill Panther S.)
Author : Robert Hughes
Rating : 3 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Emancipists and Currency

The Fatal Shore is a thorough investigation into the convict system between Great Britain and Australia with a strong slant from the perspective of the convicts themselves through letters written home as well as the use of documentary evidence.
Robert Hughes has clearly researched the subject matter in intricate detail and the end product is a fascinating insight into the few positives of the convict system and the many negatives (made up primarily of the story of Van Diemans land and Norfolk Island's arbitary punishment system, ie. floggings and other sadistic 'routine' punishments).
A word of warning. This book is extremely detailed in its views and portraits of all the main characters involved in the system and for the amateur it can become confusing mixing the various phases of the convict system and the variety of governor genarals of the colony. However this small detail aside, it did not detract from the enjoyment and interest level of the subject matter and everyone who reads this book is guaranteed to learn some incredible details about the lives of the convicts that they were unaware of before picking the book up.
A well worth the read book but be prepared for a marathon of information!

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 : 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 : Lonely Planet : Australian Phrasebook
Author : Sue Butler
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A must-have for any Aussie visitor

used this book for my 8 month trip round australia, certainly was my bible (sorry) The information is very acurate with only a couple of mistakes that left me staying in what can only be describe as an ex-mental hospital with a few left-over patients!.. apart from that, I stayed in over 100 hostels, all listed within the book and all as acurate as the descriptions!.. if your oz bound buy it!

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.

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