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 : Rough Guide Map Australia (Rough Guide Map S.)
Author : Rough Guides
Rating : 2 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A brief outline...

This book gives a brief insight into many areas but, tries to do too much and fails miserably. The content is generally ok but in some cases outdated. You will not find the information that you need to plan your itinerary in this guide

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 : Diving Australia: A Guide to the Best Diving Down Under
Author : Neville Coleman
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : great dive guide

For a diver looking to visit Australia there is so much more than the Great BArrier Reef.

This guide details dive sites all over the Australian coast, from reefs to wrecks. It gives information on the best time of year to dive, what you will expect to see, depth, level of difficulty etc.

This is a must for anyone interested in diving in Oz.

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 : Ashes 2005: The Full Story of the Test Series
Author : Gideon Haigh
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Surprisingly Good

My heart sank as I read the introduction to this book for it is simply a collection of Gideon Haigh's match reports and articles from the Guardian, Cricinfo Wisden Cricketer. In order to meet the publication deadline they are essentially untouched.

This gives the book some structural problems, for example for each test there is an overall match report before the day by day summaries and because the reports are drawn from a number of different sources there is some repetition and some odd digressions. Furthermore, given the rush to publish, there are, inevitably, mistakes: most egregiously, the upsetting assertion that Australia won the second test by two runs.

It is a tribute to Haigh's qualities as a writer and journalist and the intrinsic appeal of the Ashes contest of 2005 that despite these problems this is actually a good book. Haigh writes well and is a knowledgeable cricket pundit; the book is full of interesting observations and funny moments. I suspect that in order to appreciate the book, the reader needs to be quite well versed in the nuances of cricket and have an appreciation of cricket history; this is a book for the genuine cricket fan, not someone with a passing interest.

The book does contain a quote from Haigh that, for me, sums up the series: 'It wasn't long before the Ashes of 2005 had become the best Ashes in recent memory; a little longer and it was one of the best in history; by its conclusion it was a Test match classic that will be talked about for as long as I live, which can be guaranteed, because I will be doing the talking if no one else cares to.' Haigh does not need to worry, there are many others, including me, who will be talking about it as well.

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 : West Coast Australia (Footprint Travel Guide S.)
Author : Andrew Swaffer
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A useful guide to Western Australia

The guide's information on the places we visited was first rate and the information on eating out was particularly helpful. We took three guide books to Western Australia in January 2005 (one each) but soon found that the Footprint book gave the best information on restaurants. The restaurant reviews were very accurate and there was only one that did not live up to expectations.

Flight To Cairns Australia and Australia online resources.