Australia (Rookie Read-About Geography) (Paperback)

The popular Rookie Books expand their horizons - to all corners of the globe! With this series all about geography, emergent readers will take off on adventures to cities, nations, waterways, and habitats around the world?and right in their own backyards.

About the Author
Allan Fowler is the author of several nonfiction books for children.

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Living and Working in Australia, Fifth Edition: A Survival Handbook (Paperback)

Written in an entertaining style with a touch of humour, Living and Working in Australia is designed to provide newcomers with the practical information necessary for a relatively trouble-free life. Its contents include finding a job, permits & visas, health, accommodation, finance, insurance, education, shopping, post office and telephone services, public transport, motoring, TV and radio, leisure, sports and much, much more. It is packed with vital information and insider tips to (more…)

The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia’s Founding (Paperback)

Review
An extraordinary volume–even a masterpiece–about the early history of Australia that reads like the finest of novels. Hughes captures everything in this complex tableau with narrative finesse that drives the reader ever-deeper into specific facts and greater understanding. He presents compassionate understanding of the plights of colonists–both freemen and convicts–and the Aboriginal peoples they displaced. One of the very best works of history I have ever r (more…)

Australia (True Books, Continents) (Paperback)

Ideal for today’s young investigative reader, each A True Book includes lively sidebars, a glossary and index, plus a comprehensive “To Find Out More” section listing books, organizations, and Internet sites. A staple of library collections since the 1950s, the new A True Book series is the definitive nonfiction series for elementary school readers.

About the Author
David Petersen is the author of several nonfiction books for children.

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Look What Came from Australia (Paperback)

Describes many things that originally came from Australia, including inventions, sports and games, food, musical instruments, animals, and words.

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Australia: Continents of Contrasts (Hardcover)

Land of the kangaroo: a continent between jungle, outback and metropolis. -The perfect introduction to the spectacular “red continent”. -Original panorama photography and expert texts by Australia specialists. -Historic photographs and maps provide a visually-rich history of the smallest continent. Australia, the island continent “down under,” is unlike any other place on Earth. Let the stunning panorama photography of this deluxe, large-format volume seduce you (more…)

Frommer’s Australia 2008 (Frommer’s Complete) (Paperback)

Frommer’s. The best trips start here. Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. * From the Outback to the Great Barrier Reef and everywhere in between, let our expert authors guide you around Down Under. * Outspoken opinions on what’s worth your time and what’s not. * Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget. * Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscove (more…)

Alice Springs on the Todd River

The Australian Outback provides some of the greatest wonders that you will ever see. Alice Springs sits a on the shore of the Todd River, known as Lhere Mparntwe by the Arrernte people and pronounced ler-ra m-barn-twa. Running through the center of Alice Springs, this ephemeral river is dry for approximately 95% of the year. During heavy rainfall, the catchment area fills with water and the Todd River’s flow reaches Alice Springs 6 – 8 hours later. The river fills from bank to bank in about 15 minutes. As it begins to flow through the town, you can walk as you follow the leading edge of the river.

When the river flows it is cause for celebration. People gather on the causeways and Telegraph Station to play in the murky water even though it can be quite dangerous because of the debris that gets carried by the water. In 1997, a man drowned while riding the waters of the Todd River on an inflatable mattress.

Before the river reaches Alice Springs, it drops 100 meters from Junction Waterhole, winds over an 8 km stretch and reaches the bottom of the drop at Telegraph Station. The area is rocky and hilly creating a series of grade 2 to 3 rapids. The locals haul out their kayaks and take to the water to traverse the rapids. Since the river flow is so fleeting, everyone seizes the time that it flows to make the most of it.

Beginning in 1961 to poke fun at early British settlers, Alice Springs hosts the annual mock regatta, Henley-on-Todd Regatta, every spring. The Henley-on-Todd Regatta is held on the dry Todd River bed. “Boats” are made from metal frames with no bottom and festooned with banners with the “rowers” standing inside of the frame. The rowers pick up the frame and run along the riverbed, It is the only dry river regatta in the world and it holds the distinction of being the only regatta that has been cancelled due to water in the venue. The festivities are a daylong affair and tourists and locals love it. Only in the Australian Outback would you find this kind of humor.

Alice Spring is also home to the Alice Desert Festival, a cultural celebration of the talents that call Central Australia home with a bit of international flavor thrown into the mix.. The spotlight is on the diverse talents of artists and performers with more than 100 events, the organizers are also able to pay homage to the aboriginal culture throughout the festival. The Alice Desert Festival runs for more than a week and allows one to be submerged in the festival culture.

Alice Springs truly is one of the best places to visit in the Australian Outback. There is so much to do there that you could easily stay a while and never get bored.

In a Sunburned Country (Paperback)

Review
Bill Bryson follows his Appalachian amble, A Walk in the Woods, with the story of his exploits in Australia, where A-bombs go off unnoticed, prime ministers disappear into the surf, and cheery citizens coexist with the world’s deadliest creatures: toxic caterpillars, aggressive seashells, crocodiles, sharks, snakes, and the deadliest of them all, the dreaded box jellyfish. And that’s just the beginning, as Bryson treks through sunbaked deserts and up endless coastline (more…)

Australia (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (Turtleback)

Review
As the name implies, the Eyewitness Travel Guides bring you the world in full living color. In the Australia edition, each information-packed page is splashed with enticing photographs of the people, animals, plants, rock formations, deserts, and ocean vistas that make the country Down Under famous the world over. On the practical side, there are thousands of details to help you find your way to the must-see spots, plus full-color maps and useful at-a-glance tables th (more…)

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