Lonely Planet Australia (8th ed.) [Paperback]

Hugh Finlay (Author), Mark Armstrong (Author), John Chapman (Author), Monica Chapman (Author), David Collins (Author), Denis O'Byrne (Author), Dani Valent (Author), David Willett (Author), Jeff Williams (Author)

Book Description

Series: 8th ed. | Publication Date: August 1996

This is the eighth edition of Lonely Planet's "Australia", published as part of their "Travel Survival Kit" series. It covers the whole country from the top end to the tip of Tasmania, including Sydney and Melbourne, the Red Centre, Queensland rainforests and miles of beaches. The guide contains information needed for a visit on any budget: getting there and getting around (by bus, train, plane or four-wheel drive); history and culture; accommodation; local cuisine; places and times to visit; prices to pay; flora and fauna; language tips; health and safety advice; and maps. It includes a full-colour introduction to Aboriginal art and an extensive colour section on Australian flora and fauna. Notes on bush tucker, pub grub and modern cuisine are included, as are listings for surfing, white-water rafting, bushwalking and cycling. This book also contains a guide to Australian vernacular.

Product Details

• Paperback: 944 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 8th edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864423624
• ISBN-13: 978-0864423627
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,299,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Time for a change?, December 27, 1999

By 

David A. Farnham (Roanoke, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Australia (Paperback)

I have made four trips to Australia using various versions of this guide. You have to remember that it started off as a backpacker's/ alternative travel guide and has kept the strengths (in depth coverage of offthe beaten track areas) as well as the weaknesses (concentrates on low end travellers) of that approach. It needs to be not just revised and updated but also completely rewritten from scratch. The book is also geared to the traveller who is already in Australia. For example, it is extremely sparing in giving out email addresses and, after all these editions, still does not give the Australian postcodes for places. In its attempt to cover the entire country, it has also gotten very bulky and inconvenient.

I like Lonely Planet and its guides, but I think that it is time for them to either abandon or change the focus of this country-wide guide. In the meantime, I am relying on their series of Australian State guides for my next trip.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing LP Offering, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet Australia (Paperback)

I was relatively disappointed with LP's Australia offering - I've been told that The Rough Guide is better. The book provided information typically found in LP guides, but was inadequate in numerous areas - particularly in providing comprehensive lists of tour operators and hostels. As with most LP books, it was short on advice and in-depth information on places, but provided valuable basic information on destinations. It was certainly better than not having a guide, but I missed out on some great opportunities because the guide's information was inadequate.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - but disappointing in parts -, July 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet Australia (Paperback)

An excellent read, enjoyed the review of the places of interest, public transport and the flora and fauna of Australia. I decided to totally ignore your advise on Hostels as you where more often than not wrong - I am not sure on what angle you look and inspect the hostels - but it was obvious that you never stayed the night. Apart from that moan I really enjoyed the book - and Have a whole stack of other countries to plough through.