Events, how people look and what they say are recorded faithfully and with master of observation Bill Bryson's wonderful facility for making you laugh out loud, there are plenty of reasons for doing so. His running commentary on a radio broadcast cricket match, a game about which he knows nothing, is brilliantly inventive. There's not a single actual word or expression associated with the game but the nuance is stunning. Spiky conversations with his English producer friend as they drive to Ayres Rock, the sighting of a rotary clothes-line in the depths of the outback, confrontations with receptionists and waiters, a beer-drinking man at the bar of the Nambucca telling him "Dining room's closed mate. The chef's crook. Must have ate some of his own cooking" and a full tuckerbag more, are entertainingly, albeit rather hastily, delivered by the reader. --Running time 3 hours

I have recommended this book to several friends and have no complaints!


A blantantly boring regurgetation of past Bryson books.   December 3, 2000
 0 out of 4 found this review helpful

Although interesting and insightful into some of the customs of Australian culture, it is as if Bryson is following a recipe book. The content is new and inviting, yet the formula ............ boring and predictable. Perfect to play before bed time if you are after a good nights sleep.