The Rough Guide to Australia

I was in Australia for 2 years. I was based in Perth, but traveled to Exmouth, Melbourne, Sydney, Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast. Initially, I looked at Lonely Planet WA and could not understand why Rough Guide's section on Western Australia was so much smaller. When I used L.P. I realised it was because it contained a lot of stuff that was irrelevant to a tourist. Rough Guide has all the salient points (and directs you to the right place when necessary) and is pretty user friendly. I would certainly recommend it for your travels.

As with many things Aussie, this book has an outdoorsy bent. There's far less history and social content than some other Rough Guides but that said, this book is typical Rough Guide density with encyclopedic coverage. The best thing about this book is that you're not likely to find a place in this vast country without at least a few words written about it. The chapters about particularly remote sections of the country are well done and fascinating to read. A good guide book should make you more anxious to get on with your trip. This one has that effect on me. I'd like to see a bit more narrative about significant architecture and important institutions, and the book needs a nice new set of maps. There are few really good ones in here.

This book was a lifesaver for us on our three week vacation to Australia. The maps within it were fantastic especially on our four day drive up the coast. It was very helpful with regard to accommodation, and finding tourist information offices. We didn't leave our room without it on any day of our trip.