Australia Calling by Lionel Mussel

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AUSTRALIA CALLING - the RV Travel Handbook

To say this is a beautiful book is an understatement. It is full colour, printed on quality glossy paper and just oozes quality. The title “Australia Calling” would, no doubt, attract the overseas visitors who want some lasting memories of their trip with excellent photographs that maybe they couldn’t achieve themselves. It would also attract the would-be visitor and give them the yearning to see what is generally referred to as “the last frontier”.

So if you have friends or relatives who fit into either of these two categories, this would make an excellent present - easy to post - and there is absolutely no worry about its acceptance rating - 10 out of 10! Even if you only had it as a “coffee table” book, it is well worth purchasing.

Now to the Australian market. If you are planning to do the “big dream” tour, this would be an outstanding research tool to plan where you might like to visit. Like many of us Lionel and Vi Mussell have what could be kindly called “an addiction to travel”. This shows throughout the book with their practical experience balanced with common sense.

The book totals 112 pages, with full colour photographs on every page. The major sections are the 66 pages with major highway routes being divided into - up the east coast - across the top - down the west coast - from west to east - up the centre - around Tasmania and the major additional routes such as Brisbane to Barcaldine - Cairns to Cape York - Ceduna to Port August etc. where the highways are not automatically connecting to another major road.

Lionel and Vi have drawn on their first hand knowledge to give their opinions on choosing the right outfit for your travel, planning and budgeting for your trip, preparation of vehicles and gear and checklists before you leave. The On the Road hints are the sort of thing you really need to know such as communications, televisions and keeping the kids amused. The On the Road information probably could be a bit more comprehensive if you are planning to use this book as a bible for your trip, but you can always augment it with information from local tourist information centres, caravan and motorhome clubs, and of course, websites like around-oz.com. There is always a compromise in the printed media - the more you put the bigger the book and the higher the price. Oh, I didn’t mention at only $30.00 posted anywhere in Australia this is really top value!

Towns are highlighted in bold print and distances between major points are given accurately in kilometers. Points of interest in each area are noted - they are so wide-ranging, you would need years on the road to see everything recommended. You would need subsidiary maps, from NRMA or similar organisations, if you were actually undertaking the journey, but “Australia Calling” will stimulate your appetite to make that journey of a lifetime - whether it be in one big trip or numerous smaller ones.

Lionel’s association with Caravan World magazine has resulted in many photographs courtesy of that publication, editor Joan Green and its staff and readers. I know it might seem I am raving about the photos, but there are some magnificent examples to be seen there. Mark Maloney, also of Caravan World fame, has done an excellent job on the layout and illustrations.

My worst criticism - nowhere is there a map of Australia and all the routes covered in the index. Sure there are little maps showing from point A to point B, but these don’t nominate the state of travel - long term Aussies would surely know, but new arrivals or potential visitors could do with a little help in this area!

So in summary if you would like an excellent quality book, printed in Australia on beautiful glossy paper, full of brilliant colour photographs, you won’t be disappointed. Just be prepared - you too could easily catch that very contagious bug “the travel addiction”.

Excellent value - and don’t forget Christmas is coming up - an ideal present. You can buy online via our secure site simply by going back to the previous page.

Absolutely recommended

Chrissy

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