Bill
Bryson follows his exploits in Australia, where A-bombs go off
unnoticed, prime ministers disappear into the surf, and cheery
citizens coexist with the world's deadliest creatures: toxic
caterpillars, aggressive seashells, crocodiles, sharks, snakes,
and the deadliest of them all, the dreaded box jellyfish. And
that's just the beginning, as Bryson treks through sunbaked
deserts and up endless coastlines, crisscrossing the
"under-discovered" Down Under in search of all things
interesting.
Bryson, who could make a pile of dirt
compelling--and yes, Australia is mostly dirt--finds no
shortage of curiosities. When he isn't dodging Portuguese
man-of-wars or considering the virtues of the remarkable
platypus, he visits southwest Gippsland, home of the world's
largest earthworms (up to 12 feet in length). He discovers that
Australia, which began nationhood as a prison, contains the
longest straight stretch of railroad track in the world (297
miles), as well as the world's largest monolith (the majestic
Uluru) and largest living thing (the Great Barrier
Reef).
Of course, Bryson--who is as much a
travel writer here as a humorist, naturalist, and historian--says
much more, and does so with generous amounts of wit and hilarity.
Australia may be "mostly empty and a long way away," but it's a
little closer now. --Rob McDonald
Australia -journey of a timeless land" is a great
book about a surely great land. The texts by roff smith present
all the territories of the continent, going from the north to the
west coast, the southern vineyards to the east coast. Smith
writes about the historical development, the social and political
status quo, every time in a interesting way, often using a
personal point of view, are porters point of view. The
aborigines-tragedy has room as has the cruels of Tasmania's
prisons of the 18th Century Really marvellous and overwhelming
are the photographs of national-geographic stuff-member sam
abell.
Great landscapes, the special light of morning
or evening gives the land a structure. Abell is able to bring the
feeling of space on a simple sheet. And he captures with his
mostly wide-angle optics decessif moments, where time and space
meet at an certain point. And I think, time and space, open space
are specific for Australia, that i have not ever visited. Sam
Abell is a great artist, more than a photojournalist. This
Australia-book is worth every dollar. Hardcover - 304 pages (June 2000)
Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 0792276183 ; Dimensions (in inches):
0.93 x 12.25 x 9.53
Extremely helpful, December 4,
2000
Reviewer: A reader from Toronto, Canada
I bought a number of guides to Australia and studied each before
leaving. They were all helpful in planning my trip, but Australia
Handbook stood out for its coverage of the country in general as
well as all the usual hotel and restaurant recommendations. As
well as balancing this coverage, I found the book to be up to
date and, with everywhere I travelled, anyway, coverage was
thorough. Many guidebooks I have used in the past concentrate on
the big cities, but this one led me further a field to the kind
of places only locals would usually know about. By the end of my
trip I was relying almost entirely on it for places to stay and
eat, and couldn't find a fault in the choices
provided.
I highly recommend this book to anyone traveling to
Australia.
Paperback- 940 pages 2nd edition (December 24,
1999)
Avalon Travel Publishing; ISBN: 1566911583 ; Dimensions (in
inches): 1.31 x 7.45 x 5.25
The
natural, unspoiled wilderness areas of the island continent lend
themselves to adventure travel, from tropical rain forests to the
outback. This is the first travel guide devoted to Australia's
wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities: scuba diving,
backpacking, river rafting, skiing, and more. Adventuring in
Australia also provides travelers with information on climate,
geography, food and lodging, as well as Aussie slang, and
includes profiles of the author's top fifteen Australian
adventures. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable
edition of this title. Book Description This newly revised and updated Sierra Club Adventure Travel
Guide is the most comprehensive guidebook available to outdoor
Australia. Exploring the island continent's unspoiled wilderness
areas--from tropical rain forests and alpine highlands to outback
deserts and the magnificent Great Barrier Reef--this unique
resource covers a wide range of outdoor activities: wildlife
photography, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, horseback
riding, river rafting, and even camel trekking. Paperback - 400 pages 2nd edition (May 30,
2000)
Sierra Club Books; ISBN: 0871569612 ; Dimensions (in inches):
1.30 x 8.45 x 5.41
