Oceania Books

Last summer, a friend and I went on a road trip in WA. We hadn't made any plans for accommadations when we got there and all we had was a 4X4 camper and our trusty Lonely Planet Guide! We were able to plan out our whole trip using this book as we went along. I suggest it to everyone going, even if you want to plan before. It also has a lot of historical and everyday information, that can complement a trip. TAKE THIS WITH YOU!

D'Entrecasteaux was a talented French navigator, tapped in 1792 to lead a "rescue" operation to find the great French explorer La Perouse, whose Pacific expedition had vanished without a trace in 1789. The collective French desire to find and rescue this great man was intense, and transcended political boundaries. Indeed, in his last moments before facing the guillotine, King Louis XVI had asked "What news of La Perouse?" When the expedition did sail, however, it was torn between three conflicting directives; first, the "official" rescue mission, second, pure scientific research and discovery; third, to check British influence in the Pacific region. Thus it was that D'Entrecasteaux ended up zig-zagging around the South Pacific in an effort first to check whether the British were truly settling the Admiralty islands (they weren't), then to look for La Perouse (they didn't find him) and then to seek out new discoveries (he discovered the Recherche Archipelago, among others). Sadly, however, D'Entrecasteaux died of scurvy in 1793, and his expedition was commandeered by d'Auribeau, a royalist sympathizer determined to stop the ships falling into the hands of the new republic. He surrendered the expedition to the Dutch authorities in Java, and through this and a series of further misadventures, the expedition's papers were not published for another ten years.

Horner's account is through and enjoyable, and pays particular tribute to D'Entrecasteaux's contribution to Australian exploration, notably in Tasmania, where he discovered the celebrated D'Entrecasteaux Channel, an excellent deep water channel separating Bruny Island from Tasmania's east coast, which is now a highly popular cruise ship destination.

I was deeply moved by this incredible historical account of explorers and exploiters of the South Pacific. Learn more about the fabulous voyages of Captain Cook, Magellan and others. Learn about the tragic loss of the Polynesian culture. Also read: Rascals In Paradise by James Michener

A travel-agent friend of mine put me onto these guides and suggested I get the one for Melbourne, Australia where I was planning to visit. The people behind these guides have managed to come up with a format (compact, fold out, about the size of an airline ticket - back when airlines actually printed out tickets!) that is both easy to carry and is PACKED full of very well researched, updated info for the traveller looking for the best experience, not the cheapest. These guides have a definite emphasis on shopping and eating, and will lead you to all sorts of places you might not find on your own. It also covered hotels, sightseeing, spas, and other highlights all in a fun, kicky, irreverent, slightly mad style. I'm a big fan of travel guide books and I am a big fan of these ones now.

Derek Schuurman helped put togther an unbelievable backpacking safari through Madagascar for my group and his book helped guide us while we were on adventure and kept us alive! Combines valuable info on places, wildlife, foods, etc plus some nice helpful malagasy phrases.

This is the epitome of New Zealand books, if pictures are sought after. I have searched for a good "picture" book on the country for a while now, and this book was a GREAT find! Not text heavy, the book is a nice, light viewing of a faraway, beautiful land. Gorgeous pictures, brief synopsis for each, and a short but insightful preface make this a wonderful book to keep for a reminder that there are still some truly wonderous places on this earth!

The impressively collaborative work of editorial photographer Frances Andrijich, and wine experts Peter Forrestal and Ray Jordan, Margaret River is a stunning coffee-table book filled from cover to cover with gorgeous full-color photography of the Margaret River region of Australia. From home-grown mulberries to rolling oceans, flowing fields, unique wildlife, and the salt-of-the-earth people who live there, Margaret River combines dazzling imagery with an insightful and flowing commentary. Margaret River is commended as a superbly presented browsing book for armchair travelers, and a memorable souvenir book for anyone who has taken it upon themselves to see the Margaret River area personally.

Extract of a review by Stacy C. Kozakavich, Dept. of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley

Discussing the archaeological sites for colonial shipwrecks, Mark Staniforth introduces readers to the Sydney Cove 1797, the William Salthouse 1841, James Matthews 1841, and the Eglington 1852, all lost carrying speculative cargo on their first voyage to Australian destinations. ...
Despite some weaknesses, Staniforth's work offers particular strengths to those engaged in the study of consumer society and capitalism. First is the focus on international networks of colonial trade that brought goods from India, China, Canada, and the United States to British colonies and Australia. Second is Staniforth's commitment to bringing questions of social and material meanings, usually footed in the domain of terrestrial archaeologists, to maritime archaeology. While his specific interpretations of material culture may be reevaluated by future scholarship, this work will remain important as part of the bridge between land and sea.

I have travelled before using the "old standards" (Lonely Planet, Let's Go, etc), but I have never been fully statisfied by them. When I stumbled upon this series, I was amazed. They include so much information, it is like a god-send! It was a history lesson, language tutor, and travel guide all in one! Over half of the book was comprised of the history of the island, local slang, and the culture of the Kiwis. The travel section was not lacking by any means. It mentioned places other books did not, and give a through description of the listings, along with local signifigance. It had everything I'd ever dreamed a travel book would have. I'd recommend all the books in this series and I plan to use them exclusively for all my further travels.

This book is not out of print! It is available from the American Gamelan Institute at agi@gamelan.org. It, and two similar volumes, are a wonderful collection of short stories, poems, photos, and other selections that attest to the depth of Indonesia's artists.