Lonely Planet Australia: Perfect for exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled (Travel Guide)

Absolutely first class guide A must for any traveller

I used this book to travel for 8 weeks in Australia in September to November 2022, specifically in Perth and Western Australia, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Cairns and Tasmania. I did not visit Darwin or the top end, nor the East Coast other than the aforementioned cities. I did not have a car and used public transport or picked up tours. This was my first time in this country.The Pros are: (1) Personally I thought the book was well written, often witty and enjoyable to read, more so that other Lonely Planet guides I've used. The writers know their own country and seem genuinely enthusiastic about it rather than forcing themselves to be enthusiastic about it.(2) The lists of sights and attractions in the book are not as comprehensive as the lists you get from the well-organised and efficient Australian tourist information offices once you are on the ground (eg a lot has been missed out in Adelaide). However, I generally thought that the attractions listed in the book were well chosen and a good edit.(3) You have to start somewhere with planning, and I guess a guidebook is the best place, before you start supplementing with internet research and local advice once there.(4) Sections on First Nations people and culture are good.However, I did find the book quite frustrating to use:(1) Some of the information is wrong and it was wrong when this book went to print. I had the previous edition which I was going to use for travelling in 2020 (but that was scuppered by COVID) and I specifically purchased this edition because it claimed to have been updated post COVID. However, some information has not been properly checked (eg Tassielink provides no connecting link from the Devonport ferry to Hobart and apparently that was the case long before this edition went to print. Freemantle market closes at 6pm not 8pm and apparently that was the case long before this edition went to print. On the Australian Museum in Sydney "Closed for renovation at the time of research this wonderful institution plans to re-open in mid-2020" - well this edition is October 2021, did anybody even proof check the Sydney section? Small things like incorrectly spelling website addresses can also slow you down inordinately (no hyphen in the Alice Wanderer website)).(2) Indications of travel times between cities (for those of us who use buses and trains) are poor, which makes putting an itinerary together, before you've started going through bus and train timetables, difficult.(3) I could have done with more information on the mechanics of arriving in a city before I've managed to get to tourist information/hotel to get maps and info. I arrived in the country late evening at Perth airport, tried to get on a bus but couldn't use a credit card to buy a ticket only cash, so then had to get off, there were no machines to buy tickets from, so I had to break a large bill in the very expensive airport shop, and wait another hour for the next bus. I found similar confusion in Canberra (which is the best station to get off the bus, and which station would have the best links to the rest of Canberra?).(4) I needed more tour operator recommendations. They do refer to tour operators here and there, but they often seem to do more specialised tours, rather than general tours for somebody who has never been to Australia before and just wants to get around and see the main sites.(5) They have the usual culture section but I would have liked far more film and literature recommendations(6) I found the maps difficult to use, especially when split across two pages (but I generally find that the case with Lonely Planet maps) so if I had wanted to plan a detailed day itinerary in advance it might have been difficult, but you can of course get good maps once you are there.(7) Where I couldn't find the information I needed in the book, I suspected that it might be lodged somewhere in it, but the book is so huge and unwieldy its difficult to find.(8) The book seemed very food and wine focused (or maybe that's just Australia)(9) I wonder whether the dangers and annoyances sections need to be beefed up. The book does tell you not to go out alone at night in Alice Springs, but I was told by locals not to walk alone in other places at night as well (eg Geraldton).The book might be quite good for hostel recommendations, but I think the hotel recommendations are pretty redundant and personally just use Tripadvisor and AirBnB, both of which have useful interactive maps.If I were doing it again I might get this book again, but I think I would first spend more time in a bookshop looking at different guides, including the regional Lonely Planets, to see which might be the most useable, rather than just automatically buying the Lonely Planet because that's my usual go to.

Bought for some friends off to tour Australia. Great book showing many usual and unusual places.

great for travelling

Is very informative and knowledgeable