Oceania Books

Full of useful information for tourists, including ratings and reviews of places to stay and sites to see. The authors have a very down-to-earth, honest approach to the reader and some of their comments had me laughing out loud. For example, in commenting on the kangaroo, the book reads:

"To give you an idea of what you're dealing with in a tame kangaroo, just watch them with children--even when...[they]...pull their ears and walk on their tails, they just get up and walk away. If they wanted, they could open the kids up like a tin of sardines--they have claws like a saber-tooth tiger's tooth."

Combined with the Frommer's Australia books (both the 4th edition and the 'for about $50 a day' edition) I've found tons of useful information and probably won't even need to resort to a travel agent next time we visit.

This is a great book I brought with me all over Australia and found invaluable. This book gives detailed info on more sites than you could ever hope to dive, and even if you don't dive the pictures are great. Top book!

If you're goint to Fiji, this is the book for you. This recently updated guidebook is very comprehensive and provides excellent information on Fiji. I strongly recommend also buying the Fiji map, too.

We used the Moon Handbook Fiji and the Lonely Planet Fiji books along with this map and got along fine. All three were useful for different purposes. Although weight is a factor when traveling this far and dragging all the baggage through checkpoints, its worth having all the right information to get you in tune with the customs and on the rightroad. You can never have enough maps, this one is one of the most current.

A new edition of Finding Fiji is available and can be located by searching for "Moon Fiji" on this site.

Finding Utopia is a children's picturebook about searching for wonder in the world - a quest that can lead to truly grand discoveries. An American family and their Aboriginal friend travel to Australia, looking for a glimpse of Utopia. While there, they travel on camels, see the outback, meet a wise Aboriginal couple, visit the sacred Uluru rock site, and learn about the native animals and creation myths of Australia. The jam-packed color illustrations and the extensive text are further supplemented with notes at the back of the book, about noble leaders and great ideas that promoted world harmony and peace. A glossary of Aboriginal words rounds out this amazing tour of Australia's wonders and human ingenuity in the quest to create and live in a perfect world.

Thirty Thousand years ago, the first Melanesian sailors trusting in their abilities sailed beyond the horizon in search of new lands. They settled first in the Solomon Islands and then pushed into the South Pacific. Four thousand years ago, Polynesian sailors pushed the exploration envelope by sailing as far away as Easter Island and the Hawaiian Islands. They were able to make these extraordinary voyages without the benefit of navigation tools or sophisticated maps. These are major accompolishments that are often forgotten about in Western textbooks.

John Nicholson is fascinated by the traditional boats used by these early sailors. A first rate illustrator, Nicholson describes the building techniques and riggings used by these traditional sailors. This is a book meant for school aged children but as an adult, I still found "Fishing for Islands" a fun and worthwhile read. Highly recommended.

In Flying Foxes, Fruit And Blossom Bats Of Australia, two acknowledged authorities on Australia's bats, Leslie Hall and Greg Richards, effective collaborate to produce an informative, illustrated guide to Australia's thirteen species of Megachiroptera -- the "mega" bats. While these bats are nocturnal, they live in forests rather than caves, they navigate by sight rather than radar-like sound reflection (echolocation), and their long snouts and large ears and eyes give them a canine-like appearance and the resultant appellation of "flying foxes". Flying Foxes discusses such controversial matters as these creatures being kept as pets, the management of flying fox populations, and recent incidents of viral diseases being transmitted from the bats to humans. The informative, authoritative, comprehensive text is enhanced with line drawings by Louise Saunders and twenty-nine superbly presented color photographs (including many by acclaimed wildlife photographer, Theo Allofs). A highly recommended addition to exotic wildlife reference collections, Flying Foxes, Fruit And Blossom Bats Of Australia is also available in a trade paperback format (1575241765, $21.50).

Fodor's 2000 Australia gave very clear and concise information about all areas in Australia. The book begins with beautiful color photos and brief information highlighting attractions in the different regions of Australia. Then it goes into great detail providing information about things to do, places to stay, where to eat, and available tours. There is a wide range of listings encompassing all price ranges. Sample itineraries are provided as well as a multitude of addresses and phone numbers for travel guides. There are local maps throughout, as well as a full size pull-out map. The book is organized nicely and perfect for someone who is interested in planning a trip to Australia.

This book is pretty thorough. I haven't gone on my trip yet, but I feel much more confident traveling with this book in hand. I'm very pleased and the information is all relevant to this year. Written clearly and concisely and something for every budget.