Favorite Major Guidebook Series for Australia and New Zealand:
Our Web site does not focus on the major guidebook series, but we certainly do make use of these often excellent resources. Some brief comments should be useful: We like to compare and contrast the appropriate Fodor's guide (Country and city guides from the Gold series--see www.fodors.com/shop) with the excellent guidebooks from the Lonely Planet series (Lonely Planet is based in Australia--they know from whence they speak. See www.lonelyplanet.com, click on "online shop"). The Moon Handbooks are excellent too (www.moon.com/booklist). For the budget traveler, Let's Go has guides to both countries (www.letsgo.com). See additional comments on major guidebook series and on selecting from the guidebooks we review on our Choosing Guidebooks page.
Reviews of Favorite Guidebooks:
Australia by Rail, Colin Taylor, 304 pages, Trailblazer Publications, 5th edition, 2005
A veteran man of the rails shares his insights and practical knowledge about 70 train routes throughout Australia. Straightforward, easy to use, basically everything you could want in a rail guide. Trains are a great way to see and appreciate the sometimes huge expanses between the cities of Australia. (Note: Trailblazer Publications is a British publisher and not to be confused with the Trailblazer Travel Book series from the California-based Diamond Valley Company. You will find reviews of the various guidebooks in the latter series elsewhere on our Web site.) Back to Top
Pocket Adventures New Zealand, by Bette Flagler, 437 pages, Hunter Publishing, 2007 A helpful, regionally organized guide to all things outdoors, from hiking and fishing, to horseback riding and more. Good descriptions throughout, which will make it easier to pick and choose among the many outdoor options. A guidebook worth having down under. Back to Top
Surfing Australia: A Guide to the World's Top Surfing, by Mark Thornley, 328 pages, Tuttle Publishing, 2nd edition, 2004
The surfers find this guidebook very helpful, especially for the visitor to Australia. Lots a good pictures and excellent descriptions of the breaks surfers travel all those miles for. Indispensable if surfing is why you're heading for kangaroo country. Back to Top
