Reviews (14)

Leaves A Reader More Excited Than Ever To Get To New Zealand!
Like other volumes in this series, this book does what I think is a first-rate job of pointing out sites of interest most other guides wouldn't think to include. The Lonely Planet books are not for every traveler but for anyone who wants to leave the more typical tourist locations behind, it is truly valuable. It is loaded with (the usual) practical information a first-time visitor to New Zealand might need and I think it will save A LOT of time and trouble with its helpful tips and suggestions. I am really pumped by this book and found it excellent.

Simply outdated for 2006 travel
I am near the end of my 1 month stay in NZ, and in the past month, I have encountered too many instances where I relied on LP's info but found it to be erroneous.Trains/ferries no longer running, activities/tours no longer in operation, and restaurants that have closed (in various regions). This book has proven to be a disappointment for 2006.(Thank god for the internet so I am able double-check everything.)

Mom loves it
I bought this book for my mom, who is spending three months in New Zealand.She says she loves it and reads in it all the time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. New Zealand    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (66)

The title has nothing to do with the story
I enjoy this authors writing style as it is full of humor and commen sense that everyone can agree with.His other book, Getting Stoned with Savages, was also good and if you read you have to read the other!

Excellent reading
This book is an account of the 2 years Troost and his wife spent on Tarawa, a desolate atoll that is part of Kiribati and quickly becoming a polluted slum.
Mental Note: Don't Vacation On Tarawa.
One would think that "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" was a psychological reference book about the libidinous habits of Hannibal Lector and friends. Actually, it refers to the historical beginnings of the peoples on a remote Pacific island called Tarawa. The ancesters of those native to the atoll apparently lost their men to invading cannibals who went on to procreate with their women through force, creating a non-descript race of islanders. Not exactly what immediately comes to mind upon reading the title of J. Maarten Troost's first novel, a true story about his two year adventure on a small piece of land in the middle of the an endless bowl of water.
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Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Description And Travel    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Ethnology    6. Ethnology And Ethnography    7. Kiribati    8. Social life and customs    9. Tarawa Atoll    10. Tarawa Atoll (Kiribati)    11. Travel    12. Travel - General    13. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Editorial Review

As the name implies, the Eyewitness Travel Guides bring you the world in full living color. In the Read more

Reviews (17)

Not only covers the usual places to go and stay, but adds tips on local foods, cutaways and floor plans of all major sights
Two fine new travel guides use the popular 'Eyewitness' approach DK fostered in its children's books to provide adult travelers with clear, eye-catching and fun guides. AUSTRALIA packs in the color photos, maps and illustrations and not only covers the usual places to go and stay, but adds tips on local foods, cutaways and floor plans of all major sights, town listings of sights and beaches, timelines of festivals and special events, and more.
Discovering Australia
I really enjoy this series of travel books. Always guaranteed a clear concise and very illustrated description of the subject matter and this book is delightfully no different.
Australia by DK Publishing
The actual weight of this book is too much for lightweight travellers.Great photos and descriptions but will read, make notes and leave this book at home.Another book selection for actual travel will probably be Fodors. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - Australia    3. Australia & Oceania - General    4. General    5. Guidebooks    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Editorial Review

Bill Bryson follows his Appalachian amble, Read more

Reviews (361)

"Que Sera Sera"
I checked this out of the library and read it on the way to Australia to visit my daughter during her study abroad semester in Brisbane. She read it while we sailed the Whitsundays and dove on the Great Barrier Reef - well, not when we we actually in the water. Before whe started reading it, in conversations I regularly sited Bryson having commented on many of our topics, by saying something, "Just like in the book," or, "Bryson talks about that in the book." A little like Seinfeld having done so many topics, that we live parts of them in our daily lives. Anyway, we left the book on a plane. So, I'll buy a copy for the library and one for me - money well spent. It was a great introduction and punctuated much of the trip. A bus driver in Brisbane was actually whistling "Que Sera Sera," which,I think, was mentioned in the book. I'll find out when I read it again. I'd read Bryson's Sort History of Nearly Everything a couple of years ago. It's also a good read.

Audio CD review: His prose is annoying when spoken aloud
You get your money's worth here--there are a ton of CDs in this audio book. Unfortunately, I found Bryson's prose (which I enjoyed a lot when reading silently, as I have done with his other books) to be greatly irritating when spoken aloud. To me, he sounds kind of 'affected' in parts, and sometimes there is a sort of "moist" sound when he pronounces words. Hard to describe until you hear the CD, but trust me on this one. I think a lot of the positive reviews on here are for the book, and not the CD. I would stick with the written word on this one.

Why I read it twice...a review in two parts.
I took this book with me on a recent trip to Central America and absolutely loved it.While there is less narrative flow than, say, A Walk in the Woods, reading Bryson's thoughts on Sydney harbor, Australian-rules football, former Prime Minister Harold Holt (peace be upon him), forever walking through Canberra, and his near run-in's with a seemingly endless list of nasty (and apparently deadly) native animals was engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.He does this all the while encountering some pretty terrific and endearing folks, drinking many Victorian Bitters, and relaying an impressive and affectionate recounting of Australian history.There really is a lot to like here.So much so that upon finishing the book while still in Central America, and realizing that I committed the unpardonable sin of only bringing one book with me to read (you try finding a decent bookstore in Central America), I turned to the first chapter and started all over again.And it was equally engrossing, witty, and informative if not more-so.I can think of no higher compliment for a book and I recommend it whole-heartedly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - Australia    3. Australia & Oceania - General    4. Bryson, Bill    5. Description    6. Description And Travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Journeys    9. Travel    10. Travel - Foreign    11. United States - General    12. Travel / United States / General   

Reviews (1)

These books can't be beat and are top choices for destination-oriented travelers
NEW ZEALAND achieves the same for that country, packing all into a pocket-sized tote which is just easy enough to take along, yet compromises nothing in the amount of detail offered. From driving and walking tours to cultural insights, these books can't be beat and are top choices for destination-oriented travelers wanting visual excitement paired with practical facts.
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (18)

Not Very Worldly
This guy is an idiot and does not know anything about Fiji, or its inhabitants.He is the typical "ugly American" and it would be best if he stayed away from beautiful islands such as Vanuatu.The people of Fiji are not as he portrays them, and his juvenile excursion to the islands is a poor attempt to be Hunter S-like.
Agree completely that this is a sophomore slump
I agree with the earlier reviewer from Washington D.C. who wrote, "Mildly interesting, not as good as the first." Troost's second book is "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" Lite.
Lost in the SoPac
J. Maarten Troost takes us on another trip to the South Pacific. He and wife Sylvia decide to move to Vanuatu/Fiji. Just over the first half of the book is recounting some of his misadventures in Vanuatu and his discovery of kava. Afterwards, we're off to Fiji when the Troosts find out they are pregnant with Lukas, their first son.
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Description And Travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Fiji    5. Travel    6. Travel - General    7. Troost, J. Maarten    8. Vanuatu    9. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Reviews (1)

Great
This book is pretty thorough.I haven't gone on my trip yet, but I feel much more confident traveling with this book in hand.I'm very pleased and the information is all relevant to this year.Written clearly and concisely and something for every budget. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Reference - Guides (General)    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Australia    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (5)

Almost perfect handbook for newcomers to Australia
I moved to Australia from Israel, and this book was of great help.
From someone who actually used it
I bought this book when I found out that my company had actually agreed to transfer me to Australia ... but they were giving me very little help in what to expect.This book is not a "travel" guide.It's a practical guide on how to settle down in Australia - things like, how to get a drivers licence, where to apply for a tax file number, even how to do a hook turn in Melbourne.It has never steered me wrong, and I've recommended it to many expat friends. 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 toread and I would recommend this book to everyone on the move down under. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Children's Books/All Ages    4. General    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides    8. Australasia, Oceania & Other Land Areas    9. Living & working abroad    10. Travel / General   

Reviews (11)

Start Your Planning Here
Overall the Eyewitness series is the best travel guide collection being published, not only for the fact that it is fun to look through and read in its own right, because of the way it shows the sites in beautiful color illustrations, but also because of the wealth of information and the well-thought-out selections its editors include. These books are comprehensive and interesting and great to own, whether one is planning a trip abroad or simply wants to see the sites in foreign places. This '03 edition has been a big help to me in planning my trip to New Zealand, and the '06 edition, due in August, is something I can't wait to get.

Highly Recommend
I made a mistake and bought the Essential New Zealand AAA guide before I had discovered this series. That was an error, that book is very short and lacking in most of the details.
Useful, all around guide
This guide was recommended by friends with family now living in NZ.
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    3. Guidebooks    4. New Zealand    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. New Zealand    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (8)

The best of all NZ guide books
When purchasing a NZ guide book, I wanted the best one so that I only had to buy one book.I reviewed other buyers' comments which all seemed to point to the Rough Guide as being the best one out there.They were right.This is book is extremly helpful and has all the topics covered that I was looking for.The authors' account of places/things in NZ does not seem biased, like many travel books are.The book tells me which destinations are worth going to, how to get there, how to get around, where to sleep/eat, what activities are worth doing, etc.All advice is catered to both people traveling on a budget and to those willing to spend more money.I am very happy with my purchase.

a very useful guide book
Granted, it's a large book to carry around, but with this and a few local brochures, my New Zealand trip was painless (and I was driving, not hiking). Even though I found an amazing amount of information at the information centers that are everywhere, I'm still glad I bought this guide.
Best book if weight is not an issue
I'd agree with much of what Terry Holmes says (see review below).This book is bigger than Lonely Planet and the layout is different but for me, it was the better book.
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. New Zealand    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (2)

It is really really really bad travel guide!!!
I started to use Lonely Planet 15 years ago. I can say that I am a witness of how much quality deteriorite it has been. I used to just buy it by default. It was a Bible for me. But, a BIG but, this Lonely Planet Australia set a new lowest standard for the series.
Unless These Books Bring Back Destinations and Hostel Listings They'll Be Lonely on the Shelves Due to New Better Competitors
Since the late 90's Lonely Planet have been dwindling down the number of destinations and hostel listings in these guides and replacing that space with more five star hotels, fine dining and other useless information backpackers will never use.In this edition Lonely Planet lists the most expensive Hotel in Australia, Palazzo Versace in their Gold Coast accommodation listings.They are so out of touch with their target market now it is not funny.
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Reference - Guides (General)    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Australia    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. New Zealand    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (12)

Great writing!
This book was a good choice to read after recently finishing "Crazy in the Cockpit." I confess I skipped/skimmed through the more technical aviation-related sections, concentrating on the travel narrative aspect. Makes for good bedside reading.

What a way to go!
I loved William Least Heat Moon's "Blue Highways" describing his travels on the back roads of America.Now Mariana Gosnell has done an aerial version of it and has done it equally well.I had two childhood dreams.I'll never be a cowboy but, even at my advanced age, I can be a pilot.Until then, please take me with you on your next odyssey Mariana

wonderful yarn about flying across the United States
The Luscombe isn't my favorite lightplane, but it is Gosnell's, and she writes about it with such affection that I'd like to fly one. The trip evidently takes place in the late 1970s, because Jimmy Carter is president. (She visits Plains GA and the largest peanut-butter factory in the world.) Gosnell is a journalist, so she goes out of her way to visit unlikely places and meet interesting people. (Among them is the crew of the man-powered Gossamer Condor, whose record-breaking flight she is on hand to document.) I feel sorry for the lad who quit reading on page 10. He missed a wonderful yarn, and one that deserves a place on the bookshelf of any lightplane pilot. -- Dan Ford ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Air travel    2. Aviation - General    3. Description and travel    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Gosnell, Mariana    6. Travel    7. Travel - General    8. United States    9. United States - General    10. Voyages and travels    11. Women air pilots    12. Journeys    13. Transportation-Aviation - General    14. Travel & holiday guides    15. Travel / Essays & Travelogues    16. Travel / General    17. Travel-United States - General    18. USA   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    4. Design - Decorative    5. History - General    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign   

Features

• Folded Map

Subjects:  1. General    2. Maps    3. Maps & Road Atlases    4. Travel    5. Travel - General    6. New Zealand    7. Travel / General    8. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Reviews (1)

A Huge Disappointment
On my previous trip to Australia in 2001, I used the Let's Go travel guide.It was okay, but after the excellent book I had for Hawaii, I thought I would try for something better.Frommer's isn't it.This book has no more information than the website and is probably not as up to date.Hours and prices were consistently wrong--by more than allowable for a yearly update.Attraction ratings were unhelpful.That is, they did not include the sort of information that helped me decide what I wanted to see.For example, a museum in Adelaide is supposedly known for it's extensive collection of Aborigine artifacts and was highly rated based on that.However, the items are presented with minimal context, so that the collection is not the tremendous learning experience it ought to be; it's more like an art show.Another example:The botanical garden in Melbourne is like a park, with few flowers; the one in Brisbane is organized like a zoo, divided into geographic regions, and with lots of flowers.The distinction wasn't made in the book.
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. Australasia, Oceania & Other Land Areas    7. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    8. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - South Pacific    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. Fiji    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (2)

This is a great guide
I am planning on backpacking for an extended amount of time in Australia. This guide is invaluable in planning my trip. I love the series - it is perfect for a budget traveller like me. I don't know yet how accurate the info is, as I have yet to go, but the book itself is well written and organized.

Enjoy the outback, but watch out for the spideys n snakes.
This was my 2nd time using Let's Go guides, my 1st being Let's Go Japan.I prefer them to the Lonely Planet guidebooks in general.They seem to have a less intoxicated following.As with my NZ review, I wish that the authors would've stressed the quarantine & customs issues regarding everything including food. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Australia    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (3)

Great approach, good content
I just got back from 10 days in Sydney, and I took this book and also the Rough Guide to Sydney.This book is vastly superior to the other.
Excellent all round guide
I must say I am pretty impressed by this travel guide to Sydney. And I can doubly assure you of that it is excellent because I live here in Sydney! The reason I got this book was because in my experience the best travel guides are generally the ones from DK and this one didn't dissappoint. A travel guide like this is great for people who come to Sydney and stay with me. I can lend them this book to get around town during the weekdays while I am at work - but that said, even I find it useful.
decent...
this got a lot of good reviews and I was a bit disappointed. The format is easy to read, and there IS a lot of good information in the book. This book isn't going to help you find good cheap restaurants. Most of the restaurants and bars listed are expensive. This book is far better than the Rough Guides or Lonely Planet for sure BUT I'll be ordering Frommers to take with me when I go to Australia... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Guidebooks    4. Sydney (N.S.W.)    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel / Australia & Oceania