Oceania Books

This is a useful guidebook for Australia. As is typical of Fodor's, it covers the major cities and a fair number of the less visited areas, cities, and islands. Provided is a representative selection of hotels and restaurants, and a fair number of attractions. It has many more maps than Lonely Planet, a definite plus.

Major problems: it is less useful for the traveller seeing Australia by road, since many country towns where motels are found are not covered (travelling from Adelaide to Sydney by a leisurely route, I looked for Port Augusta, Lithgow and Forbes in vain). Good metropolitan maps of the major cities would be appreciated, as well, showing each airport and city center.

Still, a very good guidebook which will be a great help for the visitor to Oz.

While I gleaned much useful info. from Fodor's guide, I wish that they had either given a better overview of lodging, or left it alone entirely. How does a hotel/apartment receive a review? What is the criteria? A bit more info. would have been helpful. Overall, a good tool for planning a trip to Oz.

If you want a grasp of the ambience of Fremantle, Western Australia, then consider this book. It takes you through the town and its cultural scene. Fremantle is actually quite small, and overshadowed by being in the urban sprawl of Perth, the capital city of the state.

In spite of this, Fremantle struggles to maintain a slightly separate identity, as suggested by the book. For an American familiar with Los Angeles, think perhaps of how Long Beach and the South Bay (Torrance, Redondo, San Pedro) try to have a different vibe from downtown LA and the Westside.

I purchased book a week before my trip and read on flight to Sydney. Soon determined there were a number of inaccuracies in the attraction pricing and other minor specifics (e.g., per Frommer there were 30 Explorer bus stops in Blue Mountain...there were actually 27, which Lonely Planet had right). The organization layout could be more simplistic (i.e., one attraction was discussed in various areas of the same section - used labeled flags to facilitate use). The book is bulky to carry around in backpack - editions should be available for specific regions (e.g., Sydney and surrounding). Worship service times and places could be added. Sydney is home to one of the most popular, largest non-denominational churches (Hillsong) and there was no mention of this (or other churches, other than the architecturally impressive cathedrals). Lastly, it would be great if Frommers would add local sites and activities. For instance, there is mention of the Sydney fish market but I found out through a local that cooking classes are offered. That would have been a fun "local" activity to have known about. I will buy the competitor book on my next trip and will then place my loyalty on one.

Great info for Australia. We are cruising so only needed sections on Melborne and Syndney.

Book in good shape, shipping kind of slow

Beware... this is not a new book. Having said that I will add, that it is rather two good books that for some mysterious reason have been placed together in one cover. The books have no common theme even if the titles suggest it. The books were first published several years ago and when I saw the new title I immedeately reread them, they were worth it, however they are not among my favourites by Jayne so the old ones are not yet worn out, and thus I have no need to buy it yet. Check your shelf, if you like Jayne, and they are not yet there, this is a good buy otherwise forget it.

Overall, I would say the book does well in presenting historical issues of colonial administration and the problems and issue they face in trying to introduce western concepts of development into the indeginous peoples. I am currently doing some research into this countries history and I would like some more detail and or maps of the time between 1868 and 1927 if possible could be added with any further publication from this author - or any other especially for the City and Village of Lae. Morobe Province. Papua New Guinea. ....

groovies theory - party spots at night. interesting -i used it to explore the better joints in town. sydney is easy to navigate and a very friendly city - so it isnt hard anyway, but the groovy map helped me get to where the best night places are and what to do there. congrats. lookin forward to more versions. what about tahiti?

The overall descriptions of what to see and do in Perth and Freo are pretty accurate. It is all one contiguous metropolitan area, in case you are wondering. For decades, Fremantle, or Freo as locals call it, has been a suburb of Perth. (Though the people in Freo might take issue with the phrasing of that.)

The beaches are just as depicted in the book. If you are an American, and specifically if you grew up in California with the whole beach culture, then the beaches of Perth and their associated crowds will be very familiar. The beach scene throughout Australia tends to mimic or at least adore the southern California scene. One attraction about the local beaches is that there are fewer people than you'd see at Malibu or Santa Monica, and the water is much cleaner. Plus, in Perth, the beaches are NOT closed at night. Unlike Los Angeles.

The remarks in the book about getting around Perth underplay public transport. If you will be in Perth for several days or weeks, the bus and train systems are pretty efficient and reasonably priced. Much cheaper than renting a car. Though, if you are time-pressed, the latter is probably better.

Another aspect which the book does not get into, but which should be germane to American visitors is that Perth is much safer than any large American city. Homicide rates are typically half the US norm, aided by strict handgun laws.