Australia Books

We keep going back to Australia. We can't help ourselves. Between the two of us, we have been to Australia six times (1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008) and expect to return many more times.
Why?
There's so much to see. Sydney is our home base, from which one or both of us have gone to the Blue Mountains, Cairns, Canberra, the Hunter Valley, Mooloolaba, Tasmania, Perth, Uluru (Ayers Rock), and Wollongong. In some cases, we've spent days at a place; others were day trips.
We're very fortunate to have friends in Sydney, friends who have directed us off the beaten path and away from the usual tourist spots (although we've gone to those too). Our photographs reflect that unique perspective, best summed up in the photo of the Sydney Harbor Bridge on page 70. It was taken from a private residence; it's a view no tourist would ever see.
Not all of the photos have captions. We believe that they speak for themselves. But to help you, we have republished all of the stories and one essay we've written about our trips. Some have appeared in newspapers and magazines; one was submitted but never published; one is based on the preface to a personal album, with the personal removed.
If you've never been to Australia, by all means get there. If you've been there once, go back. It will be a new experience. If the book isn't available here, check www.lulu.com. Also check The Bump on Lucy's Nose

Beautiful photographs, poetry, and a stunning original orchestral soundtrack that just makes you want to fly to Australia. The CD also incorporates soundscapes from where the photographs were taken that truly immerse you in the images with the live orchestral music. The music expresses the grand expanse of Australia's landscape, and captures the emerald rainforests in track 3. The sounds immerse you in rain storms, gentle thunder, night time in the outback and pristine rainforest streams. It is a hardcover coffee table book with the CD inside the front cover.

I only have one 'coffee table' book, and this is it.

This inspiring and moving book, beautifully captures in words and over 120 full-colour photographs the essence of the isolated continent that is Australia. The author, Darren Jew, was inspired by his father's travels in Antarctica to pursue a career in nature photography, and has photographed much of the world's wildlife and landscapes. However, it is his native Australia, where he grew up and lives, and where he spent 8 years as photographer for the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service which is his greatest inspiration.

In this book he takes the reader on a journey from the abundant life of the great barrier reef and tropical rainforests, to the stark beauty of the red centre. Along the way he shares with us his understanding of and love for the unique plants and animals that make this isolated continent their home.

Why do I love this book? I have travelled in Australia many times, and it is a truly magnificent and fascinating place to which I will return again and again. The author has captured this magic with breathtaking images and lyrical yet factual prose. It's clear he knows and understands the land, its plants and animals. The breadth of material is outstanding. You can dive down to the depths of the great barrier reef and swim amongst the beautiful corals and cruising barracuda; sit on a sandy athol watching the sun go down or catch crabs scuttling to their holes; climb the misty ranges of the blue mountains or gaze in awe at the majesty that is Ayers Rock.

Darren's range as a photographer is as wide as his knowledge of the land. His portaits of wildlife are superb - some burstling with action such as courting terns and diving whales, others graphic still lifes -the brilliance of the the colourful cup moth on a palm leaf, the beady eye of the watchful yellow python. They're all here: kookaburras and koalas, possums and platypus, cassowarys and crocodiles. There are over around 60 colour plates of all the well known Australian fauna and a few you won't have even thought of.

And the landscape photographs match the wildlife ones in both quantity and quality. Darren really does 'write with light' and captures the spirit of a place perfectly. You can almost feel the water dripping from the tree ferns in the rainforests, imagine the scent of silver barked eucalypts against the deepest blue sky and feel the parched red desert and sacred rocks.

Just as he captures the spirit of the creatures and landscapes, he too captures the moment. One of my favourite pictures is a glassy wave breaking onto the reef, every drop of water frozen at that moment in time - now where's my surf board?

Whilst many of Darren's pictures are spectacular panoramas, he is also adept at capturing the more intimate scenes: a close up of delicate forest fungi dripping with dew; a tiny turtle hatchling making its dangerous trip back to the ocean.

The words which accompany the images are both inspiring and illuminating - simply but engagingly written, with a vast store of first hand knowledge to draw upon. You can tell that the author loves his home and wants to protect and nuture it.

Whenever anyone asks me what Australia is like, I show them this book. Then they book their Qantas ticket. Really, it's that good.

This is a sensational collection of breathtaking photographs of natural wonders and major cities of Australia. This is the best collection of photographs of Australia I've ever seen and I live here. There is a small amount of information on each place but not sufficient that you could plan your entire journey or use it as a travelling guide companion. Buy this for the photographs. This would make an excellent present for either Australians to give friends, host families, relatives and so on in other countries or for people outside of Australia to buy just to have sensational photographs to look at. All the major cities and natural wonders are in here. This would also make an excellent book to use for school projects and the like. If you are interested in Australia you have to own this book.

This is a comprehensive guide of Australian and New Zealand wines, published yearly. Ask for the latest edition. Small size book, approximately 4" X 8" and 3/4" thick; around 300 pages. Wine ratings by author from 2 stars ("basic, agreeable drinking") to 5 gold stars ("among the great wines of the world").

Without doubt the most complete account of Australian venomous and poisonous animals. I am sure it is presented in such a way that it will appeal , not only to the medical proffesion , but to paramedic ambulance staff , or anybody who works in the Australian outdoors , amateur and professional herpitologists, or anybody interested in Australian animal life . Every country in the world should print a book on this subject.

Originally published in 1989, this newly revised and updated edition of "The Australian Bed & Breakfast Book 2008" marks the twentieth anniversary of what has come to be commonly regarded as the premier travel guide to B&B resources throughout Australia for vacationers and business travelers alike. Regionally organized, "The Australian Bed & Breakfast Book 2008" offers updated prices, general travel guidelines, and invaluable tips to finding just the right location for the traveler's needs. Enhanced with colorful photographs of each showcased B&B, each recommended site comes with a complete and detailed description written by the hosts and even includes occasional guest comments. The B&Bs themselves range from homestays and farmstays, to guesthouses and boutique hotels. Practical, informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Australian Bed & Breakfast Book 2008" is the perfect trip planning guide for anyone desiring the best B&B experience as they travel or vacation in Australia. Also very highly recommended for personal and community library Travel Guide reference collections from the Pelican Publishing Company is "The New Zealand Bed & Breakfast Guide 2008" (9781589805248, $19.95).

I bought this book a few months before I was leaving for a 2-week trip around Australia. I ended up staying at two places it recommended and absolutely loved it! I even referred those places to a friend that just took a trip there and they were impressed as well. This book offers great options and descriptions & maps for lodging. Highly recommend for B&B lovers travelling to Australia!

This book is magic for people who, like me, love the Australian "outback" and want to take a little bit of it home. But for all those who have never been, and can perhaps only dream of going, then the next best way of experiencing its mystery,its stark beauty, not to mention the warmth of the locals, is through Bill Bachman's marvellous photos. They capture his love for the country and believe me, the colours are real! Outback Australia truly is this red.

Bill Bachman's photography is brilliant. Here is great variety in subjects but no average photo. This book captures an important part of the Australian continent and its people. It is an inspiration to take better photos ourselves and to travel to the same or at least similar places as Bill has.