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Are you searching for the best travel book for Australia?
Travelling Australia is on many people’s bucket lists for a reason. The vast desert landscapes, world renowned beaches, and unique and interesting wildlife are only some of the obvious draw cards.
To add to the list of Travel Australia books, are coastal road trips, small town communities, diverse city cultures, and thriving arts scenes.
Australia is one of those places where, if you haven’t been before, guides or tips on where to visit, and what you should know is essential for safety, and time and money saving.
For instance, how much water should you take to the outback? Where are the road stops? Should you pat Koala’s? Which snakes are deadly? Which city streets should you avoid at night? Is Melbourne safe? How expensive is Sydney?
If you are searching for the best Australia travel book, all of these questions and heaps of others could be answered by reading guides and taking advice from fellow travellers.
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Below i’ve listed 10 of the top Australia travel books, plus reviews and additional resources to assist you with the best travel book for Australia, to take with you on your Australian journey.
Are travel books still relevant? Yes of course they are. Anyone could write a blog post (!), a grumpy review, or relay a personal story, which is elaborated for effect.
Books, including travel Australia books and guides, still go through a process to get published, getting the facts correct and being well written. Publishers have a reputation as do companies like Lonely Planet, who have been at the travel guide business since the 1970’s.
Lonely Planet have literally produced millions of guide books and have now branched out into the digital world.
Although they have moved with the times, the Lonely Planet guide books are highly regarded and continue to be a sought after resource for up to date information on travel anywhere in the world.
Lonely Planet have provided their resources to travellers, since they created their first guidebook, after “an epic trip across Asia , informing and inspiring….with trusted content for print and digital “
The journey began when Tony and Maureen Wheeler’s travelled from London to Australia, which inspired their very first travel book – Across Asia on The Cheap.
Since then they have compiled thousands of informative travel guides, including plenty of Lonely Planet books Australia, such as Lonely planet East Coast Australia, Lonely planet Western Australia (which includes Kimberley Australia travel guide information), Lonely Planet South Australia & northern Territory and Lonely Planet Gold Coast & the Great Barrier Reef, among others.
Aside from Lonely Planet, there are of course millions of other travel guides, and some brilliant resources for Australia travel.
Listed below are 10 top Travel Australia books, at affordable prices which will assist any traveller on their journey.
10 Top Australian Travel Guides
Lonely Planet Australia’s Best Trips, Lonely Planet
Whether exploring your own backyard, need a Northern territory travel guide or heading somewhere new, discover the freedom of the open road with Lonely Planet’s Australia’s Best Trips, details the open road freedom and best road trips like The Great Ocean Road and the Capricorn Coast.
Kakadu National Park wild life and waterfalls, and the world renowned surf breaks and stunning beaches.
Reader review:
“This Lonely Planet is suitable if you are looking for a route you would like to travel….there are indications at which time of year, which route is suitable and for which target audience the route is suitable, i.e. whether you want to enjoy nature or prefer wine or special food or culture.” Translated Amazon review by H in Germany.
Australia’s Best 100 Walks, Australian Geographic
From all the incredible walks in Australia, how do you choose which are the best hikes, journeys, trails?
This Travel Australia book by The Australian Geographic, outlines the 100 best, accompanied with detailed descriptions and spectacular images.
“The Australian Geographic guide to Australia’s Best 100 Walks will have walkers itching to lace their boots up with this showcase of the sheer beauty and diversity of our landscapes and wildlife…Fortunately, Australia is full of extraordinary walks – here’s our collection of the best to be found in every corner of this country.” Australian Geographic.
Australia’s Ultimate Bucket List, Jennifer Adams
This Travel Australia book outlines 100 destinations, compiled by Jennifer Adams and Clint Bizzell from Network Ten’s travel show Places We Go.
This list covers every state and territory in Australia. Destinations include:
Uluru, The Nullarbor, Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory travel guide information, along with lesser known destinations to add to your bucket list.
“We all have those bucket list destinations in Australia – the places in our own backyard that we plan to visit one day (before we kick the bucket, of course). Australia’s Ultimate Bucket List is your guide to the most iconic and diverse destinations across this stunning country that you really should see in this lifetime” Jennifer Adams.
Places We Swim, Dillon Seitchik-Reardon And Caroline Clements
This iconic Australian book is seen on many a beach house coffee table in Australia.
Detailing a list of ocean pools, lap pools, rockpools to hot springs, Places We Swim covers the all of Australia.
Here are 60 best places to swim, dive, jump, paddle and float in Australia.
“You’ll discover just what makes each swimming spot unique, learn the best time to go, gain some useful local knowledge and find out the best things to see and do in the area. With destinations ranging from the neighbourhood city pool to remote outback waterfalls, this book is a celebration of not just these magnificent swimming spots, but of the diverse landscapes and communities that make up Australia.” From *Authors
Reader review: Amazon Customer:
“A lot of love and attention to detail went into this book and it is a great pleasure to delve into randomly and dream of places to visit. And some of them we have!”
Lonely Planet Australia, Lonely Planet Authors
The 100 millionth guidebook printed was this, titled simply: Australia.
Lonely Planet’s Australia is one of the best up-to-date, Travel Australia books. From Bondi Beach in Sydney, to the Great Ocean Road in Victoria and all the sights in between. “Get to the heart of Australia and begin your journey now!” Amazon
Ultimate Road Trips Australia, Lee Atkinson
Another book to add you’re your road trip list.
Ultimate Road Trips: Australia reveals 40 best driving holidays throughout Australia. Including information on things to see and do, detailed route maps lists to review before your road trip.
Also included is “useful advice on family-friendly attractions, where to eat and the best hotels, guesthouses, caravan parks and camping spots. You’ll also find details on the best time of year to visit, driving tips and a guide to surviving a road trip with a back seat full of kids” Lee Atkinson/Amazon.
“Australians have always loved a good road trip, whether it’s a leisurely Sunday drive through wineries or to a beach near a major city, a quick weekend getaway into the mountains or roughing it on a remote outback track.”
Explore Australia by Caravan and Motorhome, Brendan Batty
Explore Australia by Caravan and Motorhome has all you need to know about caravan and motorhome trips in Australia, whether it’s the big lap of Australia or short regional or interstate trips.
There are details on the routes to take, top things to visit and spectacular spots to park your van, throughout Australia.
“To make it even easier to find the best place to stay, each section now contains a list of the greatest caravan parks specially curated by the author.
Every listing contains handy symbols that have all the important information, such as whether the park is dog-friendly or has a dump point available. There are also symbols to make it easy to see at a glance if a park is a member of a major caravan organisation (BIG4, Top Tourist Parks, Family Parks and Kui Parks).
There’s also a detailed guide to preparing yourself, and your caravan or motorhome, for time on the road with tips on packing, safety, towing and how to find the best camps and the cheapest fuel.” Amazon
Surfers Travel Guide Australia, Chris Rennie
From the 4ft waves over white sand, in crystal clear water, to the 10ft, grinding over shallow reefs, there is a high range and amount of incredible surf spots in Australia.
This guide will provide you with all the essential information you need for surfing in Australia.
Included in this book:
“In-depth wave descriptions for every major surf break in Australia.
A comprehensive accommodation, food and party guide, as well as flat day fun activities.
Surf survival techniques, road-trip planning, 4wd tips, advice on buying second hand cars and weather forecasting.
It also has other essential information such as a beer guide and a complete healthy travel section to keep you fit for the surf. There’s enough information to keep the most intrepid travellers satisfied”.
“I’ve been surfing in Australia for the past 35 years and it got me to waves I’ve never heard of. Great beer guide too!” Ross Clarke-Jones Australian big wave surfer.
“It’s the ultimate travel guide, every surfer should have one” Tracks Magazine
“It sends the right message to surf exploration: adventure, caring for the environment and to have a good time” Surfrider Foundation
*quotes provided by Amazon
Places We Swim Sydney, Caroline Clements And Dillon Seitchik-Reardon
Another one of the most popular Travel Australia books, Places We Swim Sydney continues on from their first book, Places We Swim, authors Caroline Clements and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon ultimate Sydney in this ultimate city guide to swimming spots. Places We Swim Sydney is divided into six city regions:
Manly (North Sydney)
Maroubra (East Sydney)
Royal National Park (South Sydney)
Blue Mountains (West of Sydney)
For more information on the wonderful Places We Swim books, see here: https://www.placesweswim.com/
Caroline and Dillon and Caroline are a couple who live at Bondi Beach.
“We are not hardcore swimmers, just people that appreciate a great place and want to get others excited about all of the wild beauty that our country has to offer. Our goal is not to be the most comprehensive guide, but to curate the absolute best of every place we visit.”
The Places We Swim Journal provides “Stories, travel guides and tips for people that like exploring.”
They have written on what to bring on a road trip, best places to swim (of course) and interviews with local surf lifesavers.
“You’ll discover just what makes each swimming spot unique, learn the best time to go, gain some useful local knowledge and find out the most delicious things to eat nearby.” From Amazon
Loving Country A Guide to Sacred Australia, Bruce Pascoe And Vicky Shukuroglou
Last but definitely not least is “Loving Country A Guide to Sacred Australia is one of the best Australia guidebooks.
This book “is a powerful and essential guidebook that offers a new way to travel and discover Australia through an Indigenous narrative.
Co-authors Bruce Pascoe and Vicky Shukuroglou, in consultation with communities and Elders across Australia, show travellers how to see the country as herself, to know her whole and old story, and to find the way to fall in love with her, our home.” Amazon
Loving Country covers 18 places and also includes history, Dreaming stories, traditional cultural practices, Indigenous tours and the importance of recognition and protection of place, making this guide one of the most important Travel Australia books.
From Brewarrina and the rivers which flow into the Great Barrier Reef, to the love stories of Wiluna.
“for travellers looking for more than a whistle-stop tour of Australia”.
“In Loving Country, Bruce and Vicky hope that all communities will be heard when they tell their stories, and that these stories and the country from which they have grown will be honored. Readers are encouraged to discover sacred Australia by reconsidering the accepted history and hearing diverse stories of her Indigenous peoples. It is a roadmap to communication and understanding, between all peoples and country, to encourage environmental and social change.” Amazon
Reader review:
“The type of book that could be updated on a regular basis and ensure it is in all schools and regional info centres” Gordon Ross, Amazon Review
If you’re searching for accommodation for your trip in Australia, this resource is for you!
Best affordable accommodation
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Conclusion
If you are searching for the best Australia travel books and will be travelling Australia for the first time, or searching for a specific outback resource such as a Kimberley Australia travel guide, Northern territory travel guide, or returning for the “Big Lap”, I hope this list has assisted your research.
Travel Australia books will inform you to save time and money, provide safety and tips and information on sights, food, experiences you may not have seen.
There’s nothing like a guide book to refer to before your trip to build anticipation and, if you have the space, a resource to take along with you to refer to whenever you need. Even better is a hard copy for those times when you cannot rely on the internet!
