Reviews (1)

Usefull stuff in, out with the rest...
I bought this book 2 months ago while planing a trip to OZ & NZ later on this year.
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    4. General    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel - General    8. Travel Guides    9. Australia    10. New Zealand    11. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (28)

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about camels...
The beginning third of this book, in which Ms. Davidson is preparing for her trip, really should have been cut in half. I thought she'd never get going.
Essential reading
Robyn Davidson's Tracks is an epic journey of a woman travelling across 1,700 miles across Australian bush, from Alice Springs to Hamelin Pool (Western Australia), with 4 camels and a dog.Davison feels unsettled with her life in the city, so chooses to become a borderland person, living on the margins of civilized society to find her identity and a sense of place in central Australia.Davidson cleverly interweaves the injustice of Aboriginal assimilation, land issues, and racial and cultural genocide with the process of preparing for her journey and the trek itself.Here the reader not only becomes aware of Davidson's identity crisis being experienced by a white woman living in Australia, but the unsettlement of Aboriginal people who are struggling with cultural and identity displacement.

Beautifully captivating.
When I was in New Zealand, about to go to Australia, I read this book.
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Subjects:  1. 1950-    2. Australia    3. Australia & Oceania - General    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Davidson, Robyn,    6. Description and travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Travel    9. Travel - General    10. Davidson, Robyn    11. Journeys    12. Travel / Australia & Oceania    13. Travel writing    14. Reading Group Guide   

Editorial Review

Natalie Kruger and Marc Llewellyn are native Australians. They both live in Sydney, and they're both veteran travel writers. And this serves them well, for their goal is ambitious. It's no small task to provide detailed and accurate information on lodgings, restaurants, and activities throughout a continent that spans some 2,400 miles from Shark Bay to the Sunshine Coast, and 1,600 miles from Darwin to Kangaroo Island--a chunk of land roughly the size of all of western Europe or the contiguous 48 states of the U.S. To do so and aim for a budget of $50 a day is a feat comparable to crossing the outback by foot. Yet they do it, and they do it admirably well. They know where to stay and where to eat, where to snorkel and where to view wildlife, where to repose on a beach and where to experience Aboriginal culture. They explain Australian history, culture, food, and nightlife, and they describe what to expect from the big city versus the small town. In addition, Kruger and Llewellyn provide all sorts of tips for saving money and include more luxurious options as well. The result is an entertaining, knowledgeable, reliable guide--one that makes a lot accessible to many for not that much. Read more

Reviews (7)

Practical, excellent guide - worth every penny
I actually bought 4 different guide books to plan my trip Down Under.I ditched 3 of them almost immediately because Frommer's format was easier to read and locating appropriate information quicker.The advice on suggested tours was especially accurate; the boxed information warrants a second (or third) look - Frommer's never steered us in the wrong direction.Take the price information with a grain of salt as seasoned travelers know that pricing can and will fluctuate. Practical, excellent guide - worth every penny
I actually bought 4 different guide books to plan my trip Down Under.I ditched 3 of them almost immediately because Frommer's format was easier to read and locating appropriate information quicker.The advice on suggested tours was especially accurate; the boxed information warrants a second (or third) look - Frommer's never steered us in the wrong direction.Take the price information with a grain of salt as seasoned travelers know that pricing can and will fluctuate. All You Could Want
Our group of six friends just returned from atwo week trip to Australia.We did much planning ahead of time using this guide.It was so helpful that even our travel agent was impressed with the information we could give her about our plans to travel by plane, car, and train.Information about each of the cities we visited was right on the money.We stayed in some of the hotels recommended and ate at some of the restaurants.With the information we had ahead of time, our trip went very smoothly.Practically everytime anyone had a question regarding just about anything in the area we were visiting, I just grabbed the book and had the answer. ... Read more

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

Reviews (28)

Made Me Want To Go
Alex Elder has the rare ability to combine history, culture, cuisine, geography, and adventurewith the personal involvement and insight of an experienced, thoughtful person. Elder always knows when geography or history or personal anecdotes are appropriate. From how to get to a glacierby helicopter or where to find the best fishing guide, Elder's book is full of timely information.But some of ther best reading comes when Elder tells of his excursions and his meals and his interactions with New Zealanders. Some chapters read like suspenseful popular novels. It is rare to find such an informative trove so well written.You will want to travel to New Zealand after reading STRAYING FROM THE FLOCK.

Not all that
I bought this book in preparation for a move to NZ for three years.It is a nice quaint little story, but not helpful in the least if one is traveling to NZ.I agree with the other reviewer about the whiny tone of the book.Apparently, Dr. Elder, like most Americans (unfortunately), feel that the world is theirs for consuming.I don't think that the book gave an accurate account of the people of NZ, nor the changing NZ culture in the face of rampant globalization, which is what I had hoped for given the author's expertise.One positive aspect of the book, however, is the historical introduction that it provides.It is well-weaved into the story and does provide a useful framework for learning more.

Not particularly helpful if you are planning a trip to NZ
Having just returned from a month-long trip to NZ, I had bought this book beforehand, hoping that it would provide me with some ideas or insight for my trip.Not possible.The author spent way too much time worrying (and whining) about the personal details of his homestays and dining arrangements. Do not buy this book if you want to plan a trip to NZ.It might be useful if you are interested in homestays, but only if you expect 150% from each homestay and are not ready to forgive the occasional idiosyncratic ways and needs of all human beings.The New Zealanders were mostly charming and engaging when we visited (July 2006).This book did not give that impression. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1950-    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    4. Description and travel    5. Elder, Alexander,    6. New Zealand    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Australasia, Oceania & Other Land Areas    10. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    11. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (4)

gorgeous illustrations, info. you won't find anywhere else
This has got to be the single best guide to Antarctica's unusual wildlife. Everything is covered here, from Gentoo Penguins to Crab-Eater Seals (which don't actually eat crabs). Beautiful illustrations make it easy to identify birds & other animals while your out on the ice. If you're going to the White Continent, you'll want to stash this little book in your daypack. This book was useful when my husband & I visited the Antarctic peninsula, which we chronicle in our DVD "T&T's Real Travels in Antarctica" (also available on amazon.com).

A handbook essential for any Antarctica-bound traveler
The price tag may seem steep for the fourth edition of this 144-page paperback - but where else are you going to find details on the wildlife of Antarctica, tailored as a take-along tote for the Antarctica-bound traveler? Color drawings by Dafila Scott accompany nature history descriptions of each creature and discussions of identification specific to Antarctica, from contending with visibility factors to seasonal identification features. Antarctica: A Guide To The Wildlife is a unique and strongly recommended "take-along" handbook essential for any Antarctica-bound traveler.
Great, portable guide
I bought this book in preparation for a trip 'South' in December 1999/January 2000 and it was an extremely useful guide to wildlife in general but especially good for penguin information. The drawings by an ancestor of Robert F. Scott's are lifelike, and engaging art as well.The brief summaries of natural and exploration history are accessible and informative. If you are looking for a portable guide to peninsular wildlife get the book--you won't regret it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Polar Regions    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel - General    6. Travel Guides    7. Wildlife    8. Wildlife Conservation    9. Antarctica    10. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    11. Travel / Polar Regions   

Reviews (3)

Worthless, Mate!
Don't waste your money.This map shows such a small part of Sydney it is worthless.Using this map is like riding through one of the prettiest cities in the world while looking through a pipe.I threw it away the first day in Australia!

great stuff
prompt delivery by amazon. Product quality extremely dependable. Very clear and significant details well highlighted.

It's not a map, it;s a travel agent
Streetwise Sydney is essential to experiencing a city rich in history.It is laminated, so it's easy to fold, and it fits almost anywhere - a breast pocket perhaps.The map color codes different points of interest and ofnecessity- i.e. the Royal Botanic Gardens, Restaurants and Hotels.Thismap made a trip to a foreign city not so intimidating, and I wouldn't wantto use any other kind when I plan my next adventure. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Maps & Road Atlases    3. Politics/International Relations    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Australia    6. Maps, charts & atlases    7. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. Individual Photographer    3. Morton, Hugh M    4. Nature photography    5. North Carolina    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photography    8. Photojournalism    9. Pictorial works    10. Pictorials    11. Subjects & Themes - Travel - U.S/South    12. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    13. Individual photographers    14. Linville Peak; Grandfather Mountain; Mount Mitchell; Black Mountain Range; Blue Ridge Parkway; Boone, NC;Grandfather Mountain's Cub Habitat; Mile High Swinging Bridge; Catawba Rhododendron; Turkey Beard; Roan Mountain; Biltmore Estate; Asheville, NC; Pisgah National Forest; Luther H. Hodges; Linville River; Looking Glass Falls; Pilot Mountain; Alleghany Sandmyrtle; New River; Deep Gap, NC; Blowing Rock, NC; harvesting tobacco; Jesse Brown's Cabin; Calloway Peak; Blue Ridge Mountains; Blue ridge Parkway Viaduct; Black Rock Cliffs; Mildred the Bear; Sphinx Rock; Rough Ridge Rock; Indian House Cave; Attic Window Peak; John McNeely; Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans; Balsam Nature Trail; Gray's Lily; Wilson Creek; Daniel Boone Wildlife Refuge; Fields of the Wood Park; Old Salem; Morehead Patterson Bell Tower; Azalea Festival; Orton Plantation; Outer Banks, NC; Ocracoke Lighthouse; Cape Fear Lighthouse; Bodie Island Lighthouse; Carolina Yacht Club; Battleship North Carolina; Brunswick River Layup Basin; Camp Davis; Wright Brothers National Monument; Cape Lookout Lighthouse; Frank Porter Graham; Eleanor Roosevelt; Josephus Daniels; General George C. Marshall; Ronald Reagan; Bob Hope; Terry Sanford; Congressman Herbert Bonner; John F. Kennedy; Aycock Brown; Robert House; Johnny Cash; Patty Berg; Byron Nelson; Sam Snead; Ben Hogan; Gerald Ford; Frank Borman; Tony Waldrop; Coach Dean Smith; Michael Jordan; Phil Ford; Mia Hamm; Jerry Richardson; Coach Leroy Walker; Boots Randolph; Jesse Helms; James Hunt; Hugh Shelton; Franklin Graham; Billy Graham; Charles Kuralt; William and Ida Friday; Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice; General Douglas MacArthur; Andy Griffith; Erskine Bowles    15. Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes    16. Photographs: collections    17. Photography / Subjects & Themes / Sports   

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   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (21)

Don't go to Tahiti without it
Jan Prince's book Tahiti & French Polynesia Guide is undoubtedly one of the best books on Tahiti out there. If you're planning a trip to Tahiti and don't already have it, I suggest you buy it immediately. Between this book and True Tahiti Vacations, our incredible travel agent in Moorea, we planned the honeymoon of our dreams. Now, I'm using the book again to plan our vacation back to Tahiti this year. Thank you Jan!

Stereotyping by an expat
My husband and I went to Moorea two weeks ago to visit my daughter, who was doing research there.I bought this book on the strength of the reviews on Amazon.
One of the best travel guides
Took this book to French Polynesia in Sept. 2005 and found it to be very helpful.I always buy 4-5 travel books for each destination, read them all during the planning stage, and then take 1 or 2 on the trip with me.I found this book to be very accurate and extremely helpful.We referred to it many times while on the trip.Don't miss this one if you're going to French Polynesia! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. French Polynesia    4. Guidebooks    5. Tahiti    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (1)

Compact indeed, but so well done!
The publisher has the bad habit of hiding the names of authors of their compact guides, let me rectify this:
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - South Pacific    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. Tahiti    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

More than meets the eye
What is relegion?Why do we believe what we believe?These are important questions since all of us look for meaning within our existence.This book offers valuable insight into those issues. Not just a travel book.
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Subjects:  1. 1968-    2. Adventurers & Explorers    3. Australia & Oceania - General    4. Description And Travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. Manners And Customs    7. Melanesia    8. Montgomery, Charles,    9. Oceania    10. Religious life and customs    11. Travel    12. Travel - Foreign    13. Biography & Autobiography / Adventurers & Explorers   

Reviews (30)

Fifi
Excellent guide to Fiji.
Book lacks details for actual travelers
Although I agree that the sections on the history and culture of Fiji are excellent, this by itself does not make for a good guide book. This book first appeared in the 1980's and it seems as if all subsequent updates were soleley made by contributing readers and businesses. I used the book recently for travel in Fiji and could not shake the impression that the author has not been to Fiji in a long time. While he lists all of the main attractions, many details are sketchy at best. To give an example, he mentions the Sikatoga sand dunes as one of the main attractions on Fiji but then uses a single paragraph(!) to describe them. No detailed description of any interesting features that could be used as a guide for a visit. Similarly when describing the Yasawa islands he is busy listing all the resorts but does not seem to care too much about what actually can be done on these islands. Bottom line: The book is an excellent reference on history and culture of Fiji (something one could write after some diligent research) but lacks useful details for actual travelers.

A great guide
We used this guide on our trip last summer. We had an excellent time off the beaten track, and this book got us where we wanted to go, with the relavant phone numbers and lots of tips. The 100 or so pages on Fiji's history and culture were also of great interest while we rode on boats to where we were going. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Fiji    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (4)

South Pacific - The Smart Choices
It is very obvious that the author of this book has actually been to the South Pacific - he is very enthusiastic about the area - and sincerely wants his readers to love it too! We have followed the book's on two trips and have found the advise to be 100% accurate. I highly recommend this book - it can be trusted.

Essential Reading for Package Tourists
This book covers only the hot spots likely to be visited by someone with not over two weeks to spend in the South Pacific. Any place slightly off the beaten tourist track or without comfortable hotels isn't included. Goodwin does tack a few cheap hostels onto the end of his upscale hotel listings, in a condescending way. It's a cleverly written book, well suited to the package tour market. In short, a guide intended to help you spend money rather than save it.

Interesting but way behind other guides...
This guide is interesting, and indeed it offers insights on some aspects of travel in the region which other guides do not address.But it surely does not match the standard of Lonely Planet and similar guides.The advice is not so up-to-date as it claims, and as much as it can be funny and anecdotal, its advice is not always relevant.Maybe a good purchase for the armchair traveller, but not for whom is really travelling to this marvellous region. ... Read more

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

Reviews (16)

Tahiti: Including the Cook Islands by David Stanley
I have started reading the book. There are some interresting sections and others no so interresting. The book seems to be complete in that it publishes everything you ever wanted to know about French Polynesia's past and the surrounding area, including the Cook Islands and the Marquesas. Remember that this book covers 3.600 square miles of the south Pacific, so it is not particularly specific to any island, or even group of islands. It covers a triangular section from Hawaii to the North, New Zealand to the southwest and Easter Island to the Southeast. I have not read the book long enough to see if there are recommendations on places to go, restaurants to eat in or places to see. I'll have a better fix on this as I continue. Bon Voyage!

Very useful each day of our trip!
An excellent guide to the islands of French Polynesia.We used it during the planning stages to pick our resorts and research the activities we might be interested in in Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.Each day we were there, the book helped us plan our activities and learn more about the islands and what they had to offer.The island and Papeete city maps were of great use finding our way around.The book covers all islands of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.I enjoyed reading about all the others we didn't visit.Will definitely take this our next trip down.Highly recommended.

The best guidebook for any kind of trip to Eastern Polynesia
During my two big trips through the South Pacific, I always had one of David Stanley's guidebooks in my backpack. Stanley has been writing guidebooks to these islands for almost 25 years. Like his other Pacific guides, this fifth edition of Tahiti Handbook (which includes the whole of French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and Easter Island) is completely packed with information for the traveller. Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Australasia, Oceania & Other Land Areas    6. Tahiti    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Tasmania    6. Travel & holiday guides   

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

Reviews (2)

Robert Young Pelton
I've read everything he has out.Loved it!It's current (as books go), funny, serious and a great read!

A must of the armchair traveller....
Not exactly LP, but it tells stories of two places that beenRead more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. People of Color    3. Special Interest - Adventure    4. Travel    5. Travelers    6. Australasia, Oceania & Other Land Areas    7. Chechnya    8. Papua New Guinea    9. Russia    10. Sierra Leone    11. Travel / Adventure    12. Travel writing    13. Warfare & Defence   

Editorial Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years, and as a result has experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach.While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.Read more

Reviews (24)

Don't travel without this guide!
If you're going to New Zealand - and want to enjoy the country to the fullest - DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT THIS GUIDE! I embarked on a 6-week long trip last June with this edition of 'Lonely Planet New Zealand' and fate as my only guides. I was impressed to the max! The only other guide I needed was a road atlas I picked up at the airport in Auckland (and since I was touring some of the Lord of the Rings film locations, Ian Brodie's lovely 'Lord of the Rings: Location Guidebook'). I do recommend renting a vehicle - as someone under 25 years old, Budget was a good bet for rental. Just remember, "Left, left left." It's a cinch! With the US dollar exchange rate favorable, we cheaply rented a top notch 4WD SUV for the entire time based on the recommendation of this book. I love the Lonely Planet series for the sheer fact that it gives you pointers on fantastic locations that may be slightly off the beaten path while at the same time informing you of the best of the best in those tourist meccas. It's a lovely balance. My only regret is that 6-weeks is far too short a time to see everything there is to see in New Zealand! new zealand is a beautiful place
new zealand is a beautiful place

The only decent Lonely Planet book
This book is a lot better than the other Lonely Planet books in that it is the same size as the others but as it is only about one small country, it can fit most (not all there's still work to be done) of the towns and attractions backpackers want to see in New Zealand.Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    3. Guidebooks    4. New Zealand    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign   

Reviews (4)

Very informative, telling you many things no ordinary travel book does
Bill Bryson is best known for writing very humorous travel books, and "In a Sunburned Country" is indeed a funny account of his travels in Australia. Those who love Bill Bryson's books for their humor won't be disappointed.
cheated
This book has the exactly same content (word by word) with another Bill Bryson's book under the title 'In a Sunburned Country'.
Great book
This book's definitely a keeper. Bill, in his self-deprecating & exaggerated humour, makes this an entertaining read. Also, he decorates all the various locations he visits with intriguing historical information (that I love) & he gives enough detail for this to be a a guide book (to some degree, I reckon). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Australia    3. Travel writing