Frommer's Australia

by Kruger, Natalie; Llewellyn, Marc; Mylne, Lee

• ISBN13: 9780764565335
• ISBN10: 0764565338
• Edition: Map
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: Frommer

Summary

"After examining a slew of guidebooks to Australia, this was my clear favorite, the one that's torn and underlined; pages folded back; in other words the one I really used. Unlike so many guides that are just full of facts, this, in the style of other Frommer books, is written in a chatty manner, as if an expert acquaintance is helping you make your plans." - New Orleans' Times-Picayune You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go-they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us! Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Australia features gorgeous color photos of the spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife that await you Down Under. This extraordinary and opinionated guide is personally researched by a pair of lifelong residents, who'll show you how to discover the real Australia. We'll start off in Sydney, with its gorgeous harborfront setting. Then we're off to the Great Barrier Reef, where you'll find complete details on the world's most beautiful beaches, magnificent snorkeling and scuba diving, and other eco-adventures. From the urban pleasures of Melbourne to the rustic, untamed Outback, Frommer's Australia covers it all, with all the advice you need to make the most of your time and money. Whether you want to stay in mom-and-pop motels, wildnerness lodges, elegant B&Bs, or luxury beach resorts, this guide will help you design the Australian adventure that's right for you. You'll even get a free color fold-out map and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap.

Table of Contents

List of Maps	ix
What's New in Australia	1	(4)
The Best of Australia	5	(21)
The Top Travel Experiences	5	(4)
The Best Outdoor Adventures	9	(1)
The Best Places to View Wildlife	10	(2)
The Best Places to Experience the Outback	12	(1)
The Best Beaches	13	(1)
The Best Diving & Snorkeling Sites	14	(1)
The Best Places to Bushwalk (Hike)	15	(1)
The Best Places to Learn About Aboriginal Culture	16	(1)
The Best of Small-Town Australia	17	(1)
The Best Museums	18	(1)
The Best Luxury Accommodations	19	(1)
The Best Moderately Priced Accommodations	20	(1)
The Best Alternative Accommodations	21	(1)
The Best B&Bs & Guest Houses	22	(2)
The Best Restaurants	24	(2)
Planning Your Trip to Australia	26	(54)
Natalie Kruger
The Regions in Brief	26	(4)
Visitor Information	30	(1)
Entry Requirements & Customs	31	(2)
Money	33	(2)
The Australian Dollar, the U.S. Dollar & the British Pound	34	(1)
When to Go	35	(5)
Australia Calendar of Events	37	(2)
Calling All City Slickers	39	(1)
The Active Vacation Planner	40	(9)
Health & Insurance	49	(2)
Warning: Sunshine May Be Hazardous to Your Health	50	(1)
Tips for Travelers with Special Needs	51	(2)
Booking a Package or Escorted Tour	53	(1)
Flying to Australia	54	(3)
Getting Around Australia	57	(13)
Planning Your Trip Online	70	(2)
Frommers.com: The Complete Travel Resource	71	(1)
Tips on Accommodations	72	(8)
Fast Facts: Australia	74	(6)
Sydney	80	(93)
Marc Llewellyn
Orientation	81	(8)
Neighborhoods in Brief	85	(4)
Getting Around	89	(10)
Fast Facts: Sydney	96	(3)
Where to Stay	99	(18)
Where to Dine	117	(18)
What to Know About BYO	117	(12)
Something Fishy	129	(6)
What to See & Do in Sydney	135	(19)
Great Deals on Sightseeing	138	(16)
Harbor Cruises & Organized Tours	154	(2)
Staying Active	156	(2)
Spectator Sports	158	(1)
Shopping	159	(7)
Sydney After Dark	166	(7)
New South Wales	173	(52)
Marc Llewellyn
The Blue Mountains	174	(12)
The Hunter Valley: Wine Tasting & More	186	(9)
Bunking down in a Caravan, Man	190	(2)
Something Special: A Cattle Station in the Upper Hunter	192	(3)
Port Stephens: Dolphin & Whale Watching	195	(3)
North of Sydney Along the Pacific Highway: Australia's Holiday Coast	198	(10)
South of Sydney Along the Princes Highway	208	(7)
The Snowy Mountains: Australia's Ski Country	215	(2)
Outback New South Wales	217	(8)
Brisbane	225	(28)
Lee Mylne
Orientation	225	(4)
Neighborhoods in Brief	229	(1)
Getting Around	229	(6)
Fast Facts: Brisbane	233	(2)
Where to Stay	235	(2)
Where to Dine	237	(3)
Exploring Brisbane	240	(3)
Organized Tours	243	(2)
Enjoying the Great Outdoors	245	(1)
The Shopping Scene	246	(1)
Brisbane After Dark	246	(3)
Brisbane's Moreton Bay & Islands	249	(4)
Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef	253	(103)
Lee Mylne
Exploring the Great Barrier Reef	255	(6)
Cairns	261	(21)
You Too Can Be a Survivor	274	(8)
Port Douglas, Daintree & the Cape Tribulation Area	282	(12)
The North Coast: Mission Beach, Townsville & the Islands	294	(13)
The Whitsunday Coast & Islands	307	(13)
Come Sail with Me	312	(8)
The Capricorn Coast & the Southern Reef Islands	320	(9)
Up Close & Personal with a Turtle	326	(3)
Fraser Island: Eco-Adventures & Four-Wheel-Drive Fun	329	(4)
The Sunshine Coast	333	(8)
The Gold Coast	341	(9)
The Gold Coast Hinterland: Back to Nature	350	(6)
The Red Centre	356	(30)
Natalie Kruger
Exploring the Red Centre	356	(3)
Alice Springs	359	(13)
Earning a Degree from Didgeridoo University	364	(8)
Road Trips from Alice Springs	372	(3)
Road-Trip Tips for the East & West Macs	373	(2)
Kings Canyon	375	(2)
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Ayers Rock/The Olgas)	377	(9)
Dinner in the Desert	381	(5)
The Top End	386	(41)
Natalie Kruger
Exploring the Top End	386	(4)
Darwin	390	(11)
Cheap Eats & More!	398	(3)
Kakadu National Park	401	(7)
Never Smile at a You-Know-What	403	(5)
Katherine	408	(4)
The Kimberley: A Far-Flung Wilderness	412	(15)
Perth & Western Australia	427	(52)
Natalie Kruger
Tiptoeing Through the Wildflowers	430	(1)
Perth	431	(24)
Neighborhoods in Brief	434	(2)
A Free Ride	436	(1)
Fast Facts: Perth	437	(18)
Side Trips from Perth	455	(6)
Margaret River & the Southwest: Wine Tasting in the Forests	461	(7)
Taking a Dip with Flipper	462	(6)
The Goldfields	468	(3)
The Midwest & the Northwest: Where the Outback Meets the Sea	471	(8)
Adelaide & South Australia	479	(44)
Marc Llewellyn
Adelaide	480	(19)
The Adelaide & Womadelaide Festivals	484	(2)
Fast Facts: Adelaide	486	(13)
Side Trips from Adelaide	499	(8)
So Much Wine, So Little Time	499	(8)
Kangaroo Island	507	(8)
Culling Koalas---A National Dilemma	511	(4)
Outback South Australia	515	(5)
A Fabulous Four-Wheel-Drive Adventure	520	(1)
The Coorong	520	(3)
Melbourne	523	(45)
Marc Llewellyn
Orientation	523	(5)
Neighborhoods in Brief	526	(2)
Getting Around	528	(2)
Fast Facts: Melbourne	529	(1)
Where to Stay	530	(8)
Where to Dine	538	(7)
Seeing the Sights	545	(5)
Enjoying the Great Outdoors or Catching an Aussie Rules Football Match	550	(2)
Shopping	552	(3)
Death by Chocolate	554	(1)
Melbourne After Dark	555	(4)
Side Trips from Melbourne	559	(9)
Victoria	568	(21)
Marc Llewellyn
Ballarat: Gold-Rush City	570	(3)
The Great Ocean Road: One of the World's Most Scenic Drives	573	(4)
The Murray River	577	(3)
The Southeast Coast	580	(2)
The High Country	582	(5)
The Northwest: Grampians National Park	587	(2)
Canberra	589	(15)
Marc Llewellyn
Orientation	589	(3)
Getting Around	592	(2)
Fast Facts: Canberra	593	(1)
Where to Stay	594	(3)
Where to Dine	597	(2)
Seeing the Sights	599	(3)
Up, Up & Away	600	(2)
Outdoor Pursuits	602	(1)
Canberra After Dark	603	(1)
Tasmania	604	(33)
Marc Llewellyn
Exploring Tasmania	604	(4)
Hobart	608	(13)
Tasmania by Raft	620	(1)
Port Arthur: Discovering Tasmania's Convict Heritage	621	(2)
Freycinet National Park	623	(2)
Launceston	625	(5)
Cradle Mountain & Lake St. Clair National Park	630	(4)
Hiking the Overland Track	632	(2)
The West Coast	634	(3)
Appendix: Australia in Depth	637	(11)
Marc Llewellyn
1 Australia's Natural World	637	(2)
2 The People of Oz	639	(2)
3 Australian History 101	641	(3)
Dateline	641	(3)
4 Aussie Eats & Drinks	644	(1)
5 Recommended Books & Films	645	(3)
Witchetty Grubs, Lilly-Pillies & Other Good Eats	646	(2)
Index	648