guidebook

Hi,
we are coming to Australia in July (from Germany).
Can somebody recommand a good guide (like"Lonely planet" for the far east)?
Thanks
Rolf Löhrer

"Rolf Loehrer" <Loehrer.ur@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:d6iisb$qus$1@online.de...
> Hi,
> we are coming to Australia in July (from Germany).
> Can somebody recommand a good guide (like"Lonely planet" for the far
> east)?
> Thanks
> Rolf Löhrer
>

The Lonely Planet for NZ and AUS are excellent guide to get you started in
either country. But nothing beats talking with people who have already been
there. If you have any specific questions this is the place to ask. For
example, Kings Cross in Sydney is not as scary as it is written in the LP
guide book. It is a bit of a walk to the sites from Kings Cross, but it is
literally a walk in the park (Hyde Park). Also if your up for some walking
take the train to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains (also watch the IMAX film
about the area).

Dwayne

Rolf Loehrer <Loehrer.ur@gmx.de> wrote:
> Hi,
> we are coming to Australia in July (from Germany).
> Can somebody recommand a good guide (like"Lonely planet" for the far east)?

What do you mean by "the far east"? The far east of Australia? If so,
what the heck do you mean by that? Or the far east, period? If so, which
country/countries in the far east?

In general, for Australia: Just get the Lonely Planet guide for
Australia and optionally the LP guides for the states you want to visit
or/and the LP Outback guide.

If you were Western Australian you would understand the term "far east'
To WA people, SA is the middle East and Qld, Vic, Tas & NSW
the "Far East" <grin>
John H

"Frank Slootweg" <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote in message
news:428df4ba$0$53427$dbd41001@news.wanadoo.nl...
> Rolf Loehrer <Loehrer.ur@gmx.de> wrote:
> > Hi,
> > we are coming to Australia in July (from Germany).
> > Can somebody recommand a good guide (like"Lonely planet" for the far
east)?
>
> What do you mean by "the far east"? The far east of Australia? If so,
> what the heck do you mean by that? Or the far east, period? If so, which
> country/countries in the far east?
>
> In general, for Australia: Just get the Lonely Planet guide for
> Australia and optionally the LP guides for the states you want to visit
> or/and the LP Outback guide.

John H <JohnH4999@m> wrote:
> If you were Western Australian you would understand the term "far east'
> To WA people, SA is the middle East and Qld, Vic, Tas & NSW
> the "Far East" <grin>

Having spent our last 6-week holiday in WA, I probably could have come
up with a 'translation' like yours, but I doubt that the original
poster, from Germany, would be aware of that meaning of the term. But
only he can tell and, upto now, he hasn't.

> John H
>
> "Frank Slootweg" <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote in message
> news:428df4ba$0$53427$dbd41001@news.wanadoo.nl...
> > Rolf Loehrer <Loehrer.ur@gmx.de> wrote:
> > > Hi,
> > > we are coming to Australia in July (from Germany).
> > > Can somebody recommand a good guide (like"Lonely planet" for the far
> east)?
> >
> > What do you mean by "the far east"? The far east of Australia? If so,
> > what the heck do you mean by that? Or the far east, period? If so, which
> > country/countries in the far east?
> >
> > In general, for Australia: Just get the Lonely Planet guide for
> > Australia and optionally the LP guides for the states you want to visit
> > or/and the LP Outback guide.

Hi,
"far east" for us in Germany is Asia, "near east" are countries like Israel,
Syria, Egypt.Thanks for your tip.
Rolf Löhrer
"Frank Slootweg" <this@ddress.is.invalid> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:428f12d2$0$78436$dbd41001@news.wanadoo.nl...
> John H <JohnH4999@m> wrote:
> > If you were Western Australian you would understand the term "far east'
> > To WA people, SA is the middle East and Qld, Vic, Tas & NSW
> > the "Far East" <grin>
>
> Having spent our last 6-week holiday in WA, I probably could have come
> up with a 'translation' like yours, but I doubt that the original
> poster, from Germany, would be aware of that meaning of the term. But
> only he can tell and, upto now, he hasn't.
>
> > John H
> >
> > "Frank Slootweg" <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote in message
> > news:428df4ba$0$53427$dbd41001@news.wanadoo.nl...
> > > Rolf Loehrer <Loehrer.ur@gmx.de> wrote:
> > > > Hi,
> > > > we are coming to Australia in July (from Germany).
> > > > Can somebody recommand a good guide (like"Lonely planet" for the far
> > east)?
> > >
> > > What do you mean by "the far east"? The far east of Australia? If
so,
> > > what the heck do you mean by that? Or the far east, period? If so,
which
> > > country/countries in the far east?
> > >
> > > In general, for Australia: Just get the Lonely Planet guide for
> > > Australia and optionally the LP guides for the states you want to
visit
> > > or/and the LP Outback guide.

"Rolf Loehrer" <Loehrer.ur@gmx.de> wrote in news:d6nh74$uva$1@online.de:

> Hi,
> "far east" for us in Germany is Asia, "near east" are countries like
> Israel, Syria, Egypt.Thanks for your tip.
> Rolf Löhrer
> "Frank Slootweg" <this@ddress.is.invalid> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:428f12d2$0$78436$dbd41001@news.wanadoo.nl...
>> John H <JohnH4999@m> wrote:
>> > If you were Western Australian you would understand the term "far
>> > east' To WA people, SA is the middle East and Qld, Vic, Tas & NSW
>> > the "Far East" <grin>
>>


<snip other stuff>

I know we are joking a bit at the moment, but just to clarify a few
things for those dropping by.

Geography tends to get a bit odd here, as Australia is more-or-less a
European nation physically located in opposite side of the world.

The phrase 'Far East' is not in use a lot in Australia. I suspect most
Australians when faced with the expression 'far east' would reply 'far
east of what?' (as indeed happened here). John H's suggestion that WA
people would regard "Qld, Vic, Tas & NSW" as the 'far east' is humourous
- West Australians are notoriously parochial - but I've never heard it
actually used.

What a European (and an American??) would call "Far East" we would call
"Asia". (interestingly, an Australian would not refer to India, Pakistan
etc. as "Asia").

We use the term "Middle East" to refer to the countries Rolf L called
"near east" - ie Arab countries, Israel etc. I gather this is fairly
common elsewhere.

I doubt we'd ever refer to the "Near East" at al.

However, the expression "Far North" is sometimes used domestically. In
particular it applies to Queensland (Cairns etc. semi-officially refer to
themselves as "FNQ"). It has something of the resonance that "Deep
South" has to an American.

The expression "Western World" to refer to the traditional developed
world is in popular (if no longer official) use, despite the fact it
makes no geographic sense.

The "North/South" divide sometimes used to denote the developed/under-
developed split is not in common use here, except in certain left-wing
circles, as it doesn't make much sense locally either.

I hope all this has informed at least as many people as it has bored.

Happy travels

Les in W.A. :)

Good summary.

I was disappointed to learn that "Far East" is not a regularly used WA term
for the NSW/QLD/Vic - I like the "Northern Island" and "Western Island"
usage of Tassie and Enzed respectively for the Australian mainland.