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Bill Bryson: Down Under - A must read for anybody visiting Australia

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  • 04-02-2013 12:40pm
    #1
    Pisco Sour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭


    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Down-Under-Bill-Bryson/dp/055299703X

    Has anybody here read this book? Absolutely hilarious account of Bryson's travels around Australia. Probably the quintessential travel book of Australia. Great account into the history, nature, wildlife, sights, people and oddities of this country. The type of book you will find yourself laughing out loud at on public transport. Would recommend it to anybody living here or planning to travel here.


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    #2
    statina
    Registered Users Posts: 330 ✭✭statina


    Found it hilarious, particularly his description of Darwin and Canberra!


    Pisco Sour wrote: »
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Down-Under-Bill-Bryson/dp/055299703X

    Has anybody here read this book? Absolutely hilarious account of Bryson's travels around Australia. Probably the quintessential travel book of Australia. Great account into the history, nature, wildlife, sights, people and oddities of this country. The type of book you will find yourself laughing out loud at on public transport. Would recommend it to anybody living here or planning to travel here.


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    #3
    pclancy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,939 ✭✭✭pclancy


    He's a great writer. His "A short history of nearly everything" is also a must.

    NZ has got a great equivalent writer called Joe Bennet. His excellent book "Land of two halves" is a hilarious account of hitch hiking around New Zealand that I highly recommend.


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    #4
    RebeccaLou
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭RebeccaLou


    Hi sorry I could be on the wrong place to ask this, but did anybody visit oz with out the €5000 in their bank? I have a visa that's up in July, I will not be able to have that by then, so I just want to know of you can still go there with out the money, I am going to a relatives house and to a job
    Thank you


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    #5
    Sundy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,512 ✭✭✭Sundy


    You probably should have started a new thread or searched but I believe its access to $5000. So if you have most of that and a credit card or something with a few thousand on your should be. They never checked mine anyway


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    #6
    Pisco Sour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    RebeccaLou wrote: »
    Hi sorry I could be on the wrong place to ask this, but did anybody visit oz with out the €5000 in their bank? I have a visa that's up in July, I will not be able to have that by then, so I just want to know of you can still go there with out the money, I am going to a relatives house and to a job
    Thank you

    Bryson brought and spent a lot of money for his trip. Fine dining and copious amounts of alcohol each night will do damage to the purse strings.

    Hope that helps.


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    #7
    Popinjay
    Registered Users Posts: 507 ✭✭✭Popinjay


    pclancy wrote: »
    He's a great writer. His "A short history of nearly everything" is also a must.

    That book was responsible for my only delay coming through customs on my way into Oz.

    I have the big illustrated hard-back so there's no way I was leaving it at home.

    I had to wait for the nice lady to go and find a pen so she could write down the name and title in case she forgot by the time she finished work.

    Then she just waved us through.


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    #8
    purcela
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭purcela


    Took it out of the library based on this recommendation. About half way through it and it's hilarious. A very good read, especially for those over here.


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    #9
    Pisco Sour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    purcela wrote: »
    Took it out of the library based on this recommendation. About half way through it and it's hilarious. A very good read, especially for those over here.

    Glad you're enjoying it. The second half is even better IMO, when he goes travelling with his mate through the outback.

    Great writer. Have gone through his European and US books and they are immense, but the Oz one is still tops for me.


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    #10
    Apolloyon
    Registered Users Posts: 322 ✭✭Apolloyon


    It's a fantastic read. I read it while I was out int Australia in 2007 and after lending it to a work colleague decided to give it another read last year. Hilarious stuff. I love his deadpan humour. Right now, I'm reading his 'A short history of nearly everything' and that's worth a read too.


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