Lonely Planet Australia (Paperback)

by Hugh Finlay (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This practical guide will show you the real 'down under' - from a spectacular Uluru sunset to the mesmerising kaleidoscope of the Great Barrier Reef, from the forests of Tasmania to the fine dining in cosmopolitan Melbourne, and from the Sydney Olympics to the Adelaide Festival.

Includes: over 150 maps and 70 pages of colour photos; colour sections on Aboriginal art, ecosystems and fauna & flora; dozens of accommodation options, from camping to grand historic hotels; details on bushwalking in Australia's many national parks, as well as diving, camel trekking, skiing, bungee-jumping and whale watching; and comprehensive advice on places to stay and eat.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1008 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 9th edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864425465
• ISBN-13: 978-0864425461
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,275,683 in Books (See Bestsellers 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)

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

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

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.