West Coast Australia Footprint Handbook

by Swaffer, Andrew; O'Brien, Katrina

• ISBN13: 9781907263248
• ISBN10: 1907263241
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-01-24
• Publisher: Footprint Handbooks

Summary

Discover this gigantic slice of down-under with the 4th edition of Footprint's acclaimed guide, from the pounding surf of Margaret River to the whale sharks of Ningaloo Reef. Footprint's fully updated new edition provides the know-how for navigating your way through this unspoilt wilderness, plus the most up-to-date listings for eating, sleeping and drinking, and great tips on how to get the most from the great outdoors. Whether you want to go swimming with whale sharks or sleep under the stars in the Golden Outback, Footprint's West Coast Australia Handbook will help ensure your trip is a memorable one. Includes comprehensive coverage of all the great sights Features information on how to get there and how to get around plus carefully planned itineraries to help you have the best possible experience whether you're traveling for one, two or three weeks The heart of the guide is broken in to the key regions of Western Australia and gives you comprehensive information on each of these regions Each regional section has an overview map, local information on how to get around with transport and street maps where relevant, a short history of the region, thorough advice on what to see and do and a directory of key local information on banks, embassies, internet cafes, medical and services Full-colour mini atlas to help you get your bearings and a distance chart to help you plan your journeys. From the world famous wineries in the south to the remote Karijini National Par in the north, Footprint's fully updated 4th edition will help you get to the heart of this incredible and varied coast of Australia.

Author Biography

Inveterate Aussiephile Andrew Swaffer travelled and worked on and off for several years around parts of Asia, Australia and New Zealand while attempting to hold down various jobs in book publishing in the UK. Australia was always his first love and so, after working in the sales department at Footprint for a year, he went on a two-year odyssey of epic proportions to write his part of the guide. Andrew now juggles the dual roles of co-author of Footprint’s West Coast Australia Handbook and a marketing position at Footprint’s Australian distributors in Sydney, where he has also been the publisher of a very successful series of walking and outdoor guides. West Australian Katrina O’Brien studied journalism in Perth before travelling in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Several years in book publishing taught her the value of a deadline and how to understand authors. She lived in England for four years before the longing for sunshine and space became too strong and she returned to Australia to become an author herself. After two years on the road researching the guide, and an idyllic stint in Kalbarri (WA), writing Footprint’s West Coast Australia Handbook Katrina moved to Sydney where she now works as an editor and is the author of the best-selling walking guide Sydney’s Best Harbour and Coastal Walks.

Table of Contents

(1) Essentials (2) Perth (3) Around Perth (4) Southwest Coast (5) Timber towns (6) South coast (7) Midwest (8) The Gascoyne (9) The Pilbara (10) Broome and around

Excerpts

Coral Bay – This pretty shallow bay is just a notch in a long coastline of white sand, dunes and desert but this is the most accessible spot on the northwest coast wehre the Ningaloo coral reef gets within 50m of the shore. The reef is full of colourful fish, clams, sea cucumbers, rays and even the odd turtle, though the coral itself is more notable for its intricate shapes and forms than any vibrancy of colour. All you need to do is grab a snorkel, mask and fins and wade in.