Fodor's Exploring Australia, 4th Edition (Exploring Guides) [Paperback]

Fodor's (Author)

Book Description

Series: Exploring Guides | Publication Date: March 14, 2000

Fodor's Exploring AustraliaPraise for Fodor's Exploring Guides

"Authoritatively written and superbly presented...Worthy reading before, during, or after a trip." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Absolutely gorgeous. Fun, colorful, and sophisticated."  --  Chicago Tribune

Fodor's Exploring Guides are the most up-to-date, full-color guidebooks available. Covering destinations around the world, these guides are loaded with photos, essays on culture and history, descriptions of sights, and practical information.  Full-color photos make these great guides to buy if you're still planning your itinerary (let the photos help you choose!) and they are perfect companions to general guidebooks, like Fodor's Gold Guides.

What to SeeExtraordinary coverage of history and culture
Itineraries, walks and excursions, on and off the beaten path
Architecture and art
Where to Stay
Quick tips in every price range
Where to Eat
Savvy picks for all budgets
The Basics
Getting there and getting around
When to go, what to pack

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Fodor's Exploring AustraliaPraise for Fodor's Exploring Guides

"Authoritatively written and superbly presented...Worthy reading before, during, or after a trip." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Absolutely gorgeous. Fun, colorful, and sophisticated."  --  Chicago Tribune

Fodor's Exploring Guides are the most up-to-date, full-color guidebooks available. Covering destinations around the world, these guides are loaded with photos, essays on culture and history, descriptions of sights, and practical information.  Full-color photos make these great guides to buy if you're still planning your itinerary (let the photos help you choose!) and they are perfect companions to general guidebooks, like Fodor's Gold Guides.

What to SeeExtraordinary coverage of history and culture
Itineraries, walks and excursions, on and off the beaten path
Architecture and art
Where to Stay
Quick tips in every price range
Where to Eat
Savvy picks for all budgets
The Basics
Getting there and getting around
When to go, what to pack

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Australia is... Lifestyle

"No worries" seems to sum up much of the average Australian's attitude to life. Work doesn't play the central role here that it does in some societies around the Pacific Rim or even in Europe. Life is to be made the most of, preferably out in the open, enjoying food and drink, watching sports with passionate intensity, or swimming, surfing, bushwalking, and simply lazing around in the great outdoors of the "best country in the world."

Australia has long been a land where people feel themselves to be basically equal and as good as the next person. Money and the making of it are admired, but this does not mean that the monied become beings apart. There is an openness about social contacts that is surprising to many visitors. When Australians say "How are you?" there's a good chance that they actually mean it, and will enjoy hearing your answer (especially if you reveal to them how much you like their country). If you expect to be deferred to, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise; Australians don't like pretension, and will prickle if they detect it.

The Outdoor Life

Given the character of the country, with its space, climate, the grandeur of its natural landscapes, and the fact that the vast majority of the population lives close to a beach, it's hardly surprising that people seem obsessed with outdoor life and sport. Everyone loves a "barbie" (a barbecue) and a session on the beach, whether sunbathing or surfing. The great days of lifesaving clubs and parades are certainly not over, and neither is the allure of the beach; surfing is indeed a way of life for quite a number of people.

Sport

Most Australians have a favorite sport, to watch if not to play. A passion for cricket is shared with other members of the British Commonwealth, and has been made less stuffy by innovations like one-day matches, floodlighting, and the wearing of colored clothing instead of the traditional white. Rugby Union exists and Rugby League is played in N.S.W. and Queensland. The really big football game, however, and certainly in its Melbourne stronghold, is Australian Rules. It originated on the goldfields, a crude version of Gaelic football played by prospectors taking time off from the diggings, and has been described as "a kind of organized mayhem remarkable for its lack of obvious rules." Up to 100,000 spectators gather to watch the grand final at the M.C.G. (Melbourne Cricket Ground) every September.

The year 2000, however, will place Australia on the world's sporting map, when Sydney plays host to the XXVII Olympiad.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's; 4 edition (March 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679004726
• ISBN-13: 978-0679004721
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,926,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)