Australia : True Stories of Life Down Under (Travelers' Tales)

This evocative volume of Travelers' Tales provides a vibrant introduction to the country and its people. Visit well-known sites like Bondi Beach and Uluru (Ayer's Rock), get lost in the outback, forage for platypuses, slog through billabongs, walk along ancient song lines, and land on a deserted island for a Robinson Crusoe adventure that will make you think twice about leaving home. You'll even receive advice from Tim Cahill on learning to speak Australian:

"Most of us flaming septics (septic tank rhymes with Yank) visiting Oz either shoot through like the Bondi tram or muck about playing silly buggers and never properly apprehend the lingo. I was pondering this phenomenon one day while demolishing several dozen stubbies ... at a rubbity (dub-pub) in the town of Coen, whose quaint motto is "Eat Beef, You Bastards."

Whether you're heading to Oz to see the sights in Sydney, adventuring in the outback, or scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, True Stories of Life Down Under will show you that there's much more to Australia than Vegemite and Foster's beer. --Jhana Bach

Product Description

For the many thousands of visitors heading to Australia for the 2000 Olympics, and the millions of armchair travelers who will tune into the Olympics, this collection of stories will captivate and enchant those fascinated by the land down under. From outback to rain forest, Great Barrier Reef to the Red Center, Australia offers a chance for adventure beyond your wildest dreams. Whether it's biking across the Nullarbor Plateau, drifting through a billibong searching for crocs, surfing the big one, or walking a Songline, you will find it in OZ, and in this collection of true and fascinating stories that reveal the many facets of Australia. Most people have a particular set image of Australia, such as the Opera House or Ayers Rock, yet these famous icons do little justice to the abundance of Australia's natural treasures and its cultural diversity. Australia offers a wealth of travel experiences, from the drama of the Outback and the spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef to the cosmopolitanism of Sydney. Notable authors include Paul Theroux, Robyn Davidson, Tim Cahill, Bruce Chatwin, Robert Hughes, Tony Horwitz, Jill Ker Conway, Pico Iyer, Ronald Wright, and more.