National Geographic Traveler:

The National Geographic Traveler guidebooks are in tune with the growing trend toward experiential travel. Each book provides inspiring photography, insider tips, and expert advice for a more authentic, enriching experience of the destination. These books serve a readership of active, discerning travelers, and supply information, historical context, and cultural interpretation not available online.

The spectacular variety of landscapes that make Australia a unique continent attracts a growing number of visitors every year. With the invaluable experience of Roff Smith, award-winning journalist and writer, they can enjoy the most significant and authentic experiences. His profound knowledge of the Australian Outback makes him the ideal guide to accompany the reader from Sydney's famous Bondi Beach to Ayer's Rock, through the desert hinterland all the way to Western Australia and toward the colorful underwater scenery of the Great Barrier Reef. With its 175 photos and 30 detailed maps, the guide provides all the necessary tools to plan a trip to such a unique destination on the other side of the world. It takes readers to every corner of the country with information on Australia's history, food, and culture. Smith relies on the suggestions of local experts who recommend hotels and restaurants in all parts of the country and for all budgets. This guide offers all the information a traveler needs to have an unforgettable trip with unique experiences like dolphin watching off the western coast, hiking in the Outback desert, and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

ROFF MARTIN SMITH has lived most of his adult life in Australia, beginning as a journalist for the Sydney MorningHerald and later as a feature writer for Melbourne's Sunday Age. He joined Time in 1993, and as an award-winning senior writer he covered stories around Australia and as far afield as New Guinea, French Polynesia, and Antarctica. In 1996, Smith set off alone into the Australian Outback on a 10,000-mile bicycle trek. The story of his journey appeared as a three-part series in National Geographic and is described in more detail in Cold Beer and Crocodiles: A Bicycle Journey into Australia and Australia: Journey Through a Timeless Land.