Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Colleen McCullough's Thorn Birds
(Avon, 1996) is a romantic epic about
forbidden love between a Catholic
priest and a young woman; We of the
Never Never (Avon, 1984) by Mrs.
Aeneas Gunn, tells the story of a
young woman who leaves the comfort
of her Melbourne home to live on a
cattle station in the Northern Terri-
tory; and Walkabout (Sundance,
1984) by James V. Marshall explores
the relationship between an Aborigi-
nal and two lost children in the bush.
It was later made into a powerful film.
If you can find it, The Long
Farewell (Penguin Books, 1983) by
Don Charlwood tells firsthand diary
accounts of long journeys from
Europe to Australia in the last century.
A good historical account of the early
days is Geoffrey Blainey's The Tyranny
of Distance (Pan Macmillan, 1977),
first published in 1966. Robert
Hughes's The Fatal Shore: The Epic of
Australia's Founding (Vintage Books,
1988) , is a bestselling nonfiction study
of the country's early days. For a con-
temporary, if somewhat dark, take on
the settlement and development of
Sydney, delve into John Birmingham's
Leviathan (Random House, 1999).
From an Aboriginal perspective, Fol-
low the Rabbit-Proof Fence (University
of Queensland Press, 1997) by Doris
Pilkington tells the true story of three
young girls from the “Stolen Genera-
tion” who ran away from a mission
school to return to their families (a
movie of the topic was released in
2002).
Modern novelists include David
Malouf, Elizabeth Jolley, Helen Gar-
ner, Sue Woolfe, and Peter Carey,
whose True History of the Kelly Gang
(Vintage Books, 2001), a fictionalized
autobiography of the outlaw Ned
Kelly, won the Booker Prize in 2001.
West Australian Tim Winton evokes
his part of the continent in stunning
prose, with his latest novel Dirt Music
(Scribner, 2002) being no exception.
Two outsiders who have tackled
Australia include Jan Morris and Bill
Bryson. Morris's Sydney (Viking) was
published in 1992, and Bryson's In a
Sunburned Country (Broadway Books,
2001), while not always a favorite
with Australians, may appeal to Amer-
ican readers.
FAST FACTS: Australia
American Express For all travel-related customer inquiries regarding any
American Express service, including reporting a lost card, call & 1800/230
100. To report lost or stolen traveler's checks there is a separate line
( & 1800/251 902 ).
Area Codes See “Telephones,” later in this section.
ATM Networks See “Money,” earlier in this chapter.
Business Hours Banks open Monday through Thursday from 9:30am to
4pm, until 5pm on Friday. General business hours are Monday through
Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm. Shopping hours are usually from 8:30am
to 5:30pm weekdays and 9am to 4 or 5pm on Saturday. Many shops close
on Sundays, although major department stores and shops in tourist
precincts are open 7 days.
Car Rentals See “Getting Around,” earlier in this chapter.
Currency See “Money,” earlier in this chapter.
 
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