11.06.03
Wild
Down Under: The Natural History of Australasia
'It
is the driest, flattest, hottest, most desiccated, infertile and
climatically aggressive of all the inhabited continents and still
Australia teems with life.' Bill Bryson
Isolated
from the rest of world for a staggering 45 million years, Australasia
contains a breathtaking array of distinctive species and dramatic
landscapes. From the vast, arid interior of Australia containing
the world's oldest rock formations, to the colourful coastal creatures
inhabiting the Great Barrier Reef, this is a truly unique and dazzling
continent.
Published
on 25 September to accompany a landmark six-part television series,
Wild Down Under presents a lavishly illustrated guide to the natural
history of this magnificent land, revealing an incredible range
of creatures and habitats that travellers might encounter.
Written
by the producers of the series and divided into six chapters including
Rainforests, Deserts, Gum Tree Country, Oceans, Islands and New
Worlds, the book examines how this extraordinary area was created
and studies the impact of human settlement. From wombats and wallabies
to kookaburras and koalas, the book uncovers mammals that can lay
eggs, huge birds that can't fly and a greater concentration of deadly
reptiles and venomous snakes than anywhere else on earth. The landscape,
too, is shown to look remarkably different: pockets of rainforest,
teeming with exotic wildlife, cling to Australia's east coast, while
eucalypt trees dominate the Aussie bush.
For
anyone wanting to plan their next trip to Australia and her surrounding
islands, the book also contains a comprehensive gazetteer, offering
practical information on all the key sites throughout the continent.
This includes suggestions of where to stay, how to get there and
where to go, with details of tour operators and up to date website
addresses.
Complete
with stunning pictures by some of the world's best wildlife photographers
and unique aerial shots taken by well-known photographer Damon Smith,
Wild Down Under provides a wonderful inspiration for both the armchair
traveller and the would-be explorer.
Published:
18 September 2003
Price: Β£20.00
ISBN: 0563 488220
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