Australia inspires incredible literature. There's something about the rugged outback spirit combined with the fantastic physical landscape that breeds riveting books. Whatever the reason, when a writer touches pen to pad and begins to jot down notes on the continent Down Under, magic happens. Here are five of our favorite picks for books about Australia.
Bill Bryson-Down Under: A humorous exploration of all things Australian, Down Under is one of Bill Bryson's finest works (and that's saying something, because he has many). It's primarily told as a travelogue as he travels to wayward parts of Oz, getting to know the locals and generally just puttering around drinking beer in pubs. For a humorous book about Australia, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better. Note that in the United States, this book is called In a Sunburned Country.
Roff Smith-Cold Beer and Crocodile: A Bicycle Journey Into Australia: Anyone who has been to Australia knows just how desolate most of the country is. That's what makes Roff Smith's journey even more impressive. A former Time Magazine correspondent turned adventurer, Smith decided one day that he would quit his job in order to bicycle around the circumference of the country. This book tells his trials and tribulations (140 degree heat, poisonous snakes, and deadly kangaroos), along with his victories. You may not repeat the journey, but you're sure to become engrossed in his powerful storytelling.
Tony Horwitz-One For the Road: The next book shares a common beginning with the last book: overworked and under-stimulated, the author decides on a whim to take off for unknown parts; is a common theme emerging. With that, he embarks on an epic journey that begins with a stint hitchhiking towards desolate Alice Springs. You likely won't find yourself in many of the same places, as the majority of the scenes are set in out of the way mining towns in the interior, but you're sure to appreciate the spirit of the stories told in the book.
Robyn Davidson-Tracks: If the previous entries have your tongue wagging for adventure, we have the likely winner for you. After a difficult childhood involving family suicide and a difficult boarding school, Robyn Davidson took off from the town of Alice Springs towards Perth, armed only with four camels and one dog. She never explicitly divulges her motivations, but that's part of the charm of the book; it allows the reader to think through her experiences, which in part makes them your own.
Eric Stiller - Keep Australia On Your Left: We've followed someone biking around the Australian continent; now it's time to experience Oz from the outside in. The cleverly titled Keep Australia On Your Left takes you on Eric Stiller's journey around Australia in a kayak, through blistering hot sun and ice-cold freezing temperatures. Many times going right to the edge of complete and utter disaster, Stiller survives to bring the reader this fascinating story that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
Reading about travels in Australia is one thing, but to actually decide to go there yourself is another. Pick one of our Australia Top Attractions and decide for yourself that this is a place that you have to go before you die!
For more information on travels in Australia, read Ben's guide on Backpacking Around Australia.
Ben is a passionate backpacker and a freelance travel writer that wrote this article for BackpackAustralia.net after spending 3 adventures months backpacking Australia.
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