Lonely Planet Discover Australia

by Lindsay Brown and Justine Vaisutis

Book Overview

Australian author Brown--travel photographer, natural history expert, and experienced scuba diver--provides information on the best places to learn to surf and suggests itineraries for the best dive... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1741799910
• ISBN13: 9781741799910
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Guide

This should not be titled "Discover Australia" This should be titled "Lonely Planet's Guide to Australia 2010." Because at the end of the day this is the Lonely Planet guide to Australia for 2010. I have to say that I'm really loving that these mainstay guides are now in color. For years, I used to buy a color (brochure) guide to see pictures and then I'd take my Loney Planet (travel bible) with me on a trip. Loney Planets and Frommers and Fodors are not really travel guides per se, they are travel reference dictionaries: anything you could possibly need while you're there is in these guides. During a recent 7 country trip with some friends we took five of these books between us -- they're indispensable. If you need food, lodging, a doctor, transportation etc - it's in there. The color in this guide is done pretty nicely -- there was no discernible lack of detail. So just bear in mind: Lonely Planet is a British company that does these guides. Fodors and Frommers are US based guides. All Loney planet guides are written by local people who live in those areas. For some reason when I travel in the US, I use Frommers or Fodors but when I travel the world, I'm a Lonely Planet guide. Couple of things I didn't like: -- There is no clear Year on this guide so it's pretty easy to buy an old guide (look for when it was last updated, in small print). -- I really hate the "locals section' -- basically it has a mug of a local politician etc with a small blurb on them (it adds color but the space could have been better served by putting some more restaurants or other resources.....lonely planets are not supposed to be pictograms or vehicles for local celebrities to advertise, they're supposed to help you while you're there. That's about it on this guide. Hope the review helps. Don't leave home without it. I have a couple of friends who were traveling australia recently and I was following their exploits with this Guide and pretty much everywhere they went was listed (and I mean every restaurant, sight, etc)....so it's definitely comprehensive. Also the color really helped me decide where I want to go --- Northern Australia is for me I think! Thx Lonely Planet -- Color is nice (just don't go brochureware on me).

Make The Most Of Your Trip

Lonely Planet's "Discover Australia" offers an exhaustive overview introduction for the first-time traveler to the Land Down Under. Well-organized, thorough, with a wide variety of interests and sites, you're sure to find many helpful travel hints here. My first impression was that I would have preferred the volume to be a bit bigger to flesh out the lovely photographs within. That, of course, would make the book too big to practically travel with ("Discover Australia" should fit nicely in a carry-on or large purse). I'll have to get my coffee-table photo fix elsewhere, but this volume has certainly whetted my appetite. Ordered by first by region then by several sub-genres, "Discover Australia" initially left me thinking that rather than ask what's covered by the book, it'd be easier to ask, "What's NOT covered?" Of course, as with any travel guide, it will miss the hidden gems that only locals can tell you about, but for the regular, see-the-main-sights tourist, however, "Discover Australia" should prove to be a great resource.

An Excellent Start

The closest that I have come to Australia is talking to business associates there on the phone. However, I am planning a trip to Australia. I would like to go to Cairns for the solar eclipse of 2012 and then to hike Mt. Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia. This is like visiting the United States and going to Fort Lauderdale and then Mt. Whitney. The two places are very different and are far apart. Both of my planned Australia destinations are given a write-up in the "Discover Australia" guide. The book has the basic details of where you can stay, eat, what the local attractions are, and how much things cost. The book has many, many color photos, sometimes two or more per page. Distances are given in kilometers which makes it a little hard to digest how big the place really is. This guide is an excellent start. It has the basics about the country and describes the largest cities. It does have a lot more information about Sydney and Melbourne than other cities. Clearly you cannot put everything about a country the size of the United States in a four hundred page book. By comparison, Michelin has a separate guide book for each region of France, a country that is only the size of Texas. It was amusing, though, that Canberra is not mentioned. I found on the maps that it is the nearest city to Mt. Kosciuszko. It is also the capital of Australia. On the other hand, a guide book to New York State might well avoid saying anything about Albany.

Breezy & Informative.

While it's difficult to really know if a guide like this is good unless your using it on the road, Lonely Planet guides are a benchmark of great travel guides. This one is well organized and the photos enticing. The guide divides Australia into roughly 6 sections-- the authors simply sliced big swaths through the country - it seems a little too generalized to me. They offer itineraries by theme, region and length of visit. Plus quick tips created by "local experts." I like that the guide dicussed basics like how to get around and emergency numbers in addition to aides that will help plan your trip. Be aware that any guide is slightly outdated by the sheer fact that businesses change hours, prices, & contact info in ths span of time it takes to write, proof, & print a guide like this. The general descriptions seem good, as if someone actually took some time to investigate the activities. The maps are large and easy to read. One of my favorite parts is the "if you like it" sections. So if you liked a particular activity or location, they suggest similar such activities or places to visit. Nice touch. I also recommend reading Bill Bryson's book about his walkabout through Australia-- while less guidebook, it also offers a different perspective.

A Must Have Reference

Discover Australia is well organized very handy guide which will improve anyone's visit to Australia. It is full of important details: The best seasons to visit, the best days for certain activities, the best times of day, hours of operations for various businesses, detailed maps, important telephone numbers and other important information that will make your trip more enjoyable. There are a number of very beautiful full color photographs that captures the beauty and diversity of Australia. The book is well laid out with the edges of the pages color coded in different shades to identify the topic and separate sections. The book starts with Australia's top 25 experiences. Each experience has a brief summary and is cross referenced to more detailed information in other sections of the book. Following the top 25 experiences is a section on the top itineraries. The next section gives detailed information about planning your trip. Next is the "meat" of the book, a separate section on the major geographic areas of Australia. The major areas covered are: Sydney, New South Wales, Brisbane & Queensland, Melbourne & Victoria, Central Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. Each major area starts with a review by a local area expert with a "don't miss list", followed by the highlights of the area, the best things to be found in the area, things you need to know, discover the area, orientation, sights, activities, activities for children, sleeping accommodations, eating, entertaining, shopping and getting there and back. This section is very detailed and gives very specific information to make your trip more enjoyable and memorable. The final section is Australia in Focus which gives general information on all things Australia. There is a good index, some information about the contributing writers and some blank pages for notes. This book is packed with information. You will quickly realize just how much there is to do and see in Australia. Unless you have unlimited time and budget you will need to make some decisions about your trip. This guide gives excellent information to help you make that decision. The book is 5" X 8", a little too large to fit in your pocket but certainly small enough to fit in a handbag or small travel pack. You will want to keep it handy and refer to it often. A real must have if you are planning a trip to Australia.