Scottish Highlands & Islands / Rob Humphreys & Donald Reid

The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands & Islands

category: travel, commentary, authors:

Rob Humphreys, Donald Reid

of the Rough Guide series
original copyright 2006

read in August 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10, read to pass the time

A thorough and worthy travel guide... but... outdated by the Internet.

It's nice to have some ideas about a place before you visit. To know what to look for... to know what other people found interesting. Whether or not you follow the suggestions depends on your own approach to travel. It's still nice to have the ideas.

Rough Guides give you ideas of history, sights... and food, drink and accommodation. Just like a lot of other travel guide series. Limited by the knowledge, expertise and bias of the authors. With luck the "bias" is consistent, so you can select a guide to suit your own bias. Details may get out-of-date very quickly, especially prices. Still, a good guide book is better than nothing. This Rough Guide is quite good.

Except that the Internet has all this and more... and is constantly being updated. And mobile communication is constantly improving.

I'm browsing a library copy of the Rough Guide. A worthwhile exercise. While we are away, we will use the Internet. And the latest tourist publications from wherever we visit. And our own observations, to spot places that interest us. The relatively heavy and possibly dated guide books will stay at home.

Mind you, one of the Internet sites that we may use -- while travelling -- is www.roughguides.com. The book is okay. The website may be a more current version of the book...

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

The Badgy Book / Diane West et al

The Badgy Book

category: collection, travel, author:

Diane West et al

original copyright 1998

Agamedes' opinion: valuable!

Not much that I can really say about this book... since I didn't read it.

We were driving north from Perth and stopped for a break at Badgingarra. Nothing much there but all we wanted was a break from driving. All I knew about Badgingarra was, that my brother lived and worked on a farm in the area, many years ago.

We stopped in the shop. Only one shop in town, as far as we could see. So we stopped there. Ordered coffees and cake...

... And saw, The Badgy Book.

That, I said, looks interesting... Well, interesting to my brother, anyway. The book is a collection of stories and anecdotes. Stories of the development and growth and people of the Badgingarra area. It's been perhaps thirty years since my brother lived here, he does keep in touch with friends from the area, he may know some of the people writing and being written about.

Diane West... the first of several authors... Surely my brother knows Diane West?! I'm sure I've heard the name.

Diane West? I say to the woman in the shop. I think that my brother knows her...

Diane died, a few years ago, replies the woman.

Oh.

We bought the book, we drank, snacked and relaxed. Walked through the nearby Vern Westbrook Walk -- very interesting -- and carried on driving.

This is the sort of book that every town, village, association, interest group... should write.

Canberra's Best Bush, Park & City Walks / Marion Stuart

Canberra's Best Bush, Park & City Walks

category: travel, author:

Marion Stuart

maps by Tony Fakira
one of Woodslane's outdoor guides
original copyright 2010,
read in April 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

Okay, I didn't read much of this. It's a library book, borrowed as we look for somewhere to go for a holiday. Canberra is probably not on our itinerary... so I just skimmed the book for general interest.

From what I can see... it's quite a good book. There's an overall map -- well, several -- so you get an idea of what walks are where. Maps, pictures, words. Descriptions of each walk with perhaps enough detail to be enough detail. (As I said, I just skimmed!)

Going to Canberra? Get the book. Thinking of visiting Kosciuszko, Sydney, the Blue Mountains? Go to the Woodslane website and check out their other travel books... the standard seems to be, quite good.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Walks of King Island / Ken Martin

Walks of King Island

category: travel, author:

Ken Martin

one of a series of (The) Walks of ...
original copyright 2009,
read in April 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

Start reading this book and you quickly realise that Martin's interest is not in "King Island"... Sure, he loves the place and he enjoys the King Island walks. Really, though, he's a walker.

Which is reassuring, really.

This book is a book for walkers, hikers, trampers, strollers... Not just a sales pitch for King Island. When you're looking for a holiday with plenty of walks -- as we are -- this is the book for you.

There are plenty of walks on King Island. Each comes with a map, an overview of distance, time, difficulty and a walk description. Better yet, there is a map right at the front of the book which shows the start points for all of the walks on one map. This helps you to get an overview of what is where on the island.

The walk descriptions are quite general. No turn-by-turn detail, just some commentary on points of interest. Enough to provide a feeling for the walk without swamping you with facts. There are occasional recommendations to pick up various local leaflets.

If you are planning a walking holiday, or planning a visit to King Island, this is a good book to read. Skim through the walk descriptions and you get a good taste for the island. (Bear in mind that I have not been to King Island to confirm the impressions that I gained from this book!)

If you are going to visit -- take this book. Then pick up more detailed information when you arrive. This book provides a good overview of where to go to enjoy walking on King Island.

---

To get the book: The publisher is Bas Publishing. Their webpage does not seem to list this book... At least, I can't find it... They do have another Ken Martin walks book which is probably just as good, especially if you are planning to take some Walks of the Mornington Peninsula.

Or contact the publisher and ask about King Island.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Walks, Tracks & Trails of Victoria / Derrick Stone

Walks, Tracks & Trails of Victoria

category: travel, author:

Derrick Stone

original copyright 2009,
read in April 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 4 out of 10

This is a glossy book with a lot of information. As a potential tourist -- someone who plans to visit Victoria and who would like to do some walking -- this book is useless. For a start, there is no overall map. Where are all these walks?!

The walks are grouped by area: north-west, central west, south-west and so on. But where are they? These areas may make sense to a Victorian -- but I need more information. For example...

Okay, so "north-west" will be to the north-west of Victoria. How big an area? In Western Australia the "north-west" could be a quarter of a very large state. What is it in Victoria?

What sort of country would I expect to find in the "north-west"? Flat? hilly? mountain? desert...? There are a dozen "easy" walks and one "easy/med". In "central west" there are four "hard" walks... They seem to be in mountains ("Grampians"). How hard is "hard"?! Is "north-west" also mountains but the walks are in the easy valleys?

The book needs an introduction to each area. With a brief description -- for people who do not know the area. And a map, to place the walks in their area, within Victoria.

Then there's the Major Mitchell Trail. According to the icons it's for experienced walkers, day hike, family walk, drive and walk, push bike and horse-riding. The trail is 1700km and should take six days. All that, in six days!

Then there's the photos. Take -- as an example -- page 19:

There is a photo of "River red gums." And another of "Scar tree at Wood Wood." Are they mentioned in the text? Not as far as I can see. Are they at all relevant to the text? Well... I can see Wood Wood on the map, though there is no sign of where a "Scar tree" would be found.

This seems to be the standard approach for Australian "guide books": a few large scale maps, lots of text explaining why it's worth visiting the area, a few very pretty photos. No clear relationship between the text, the maps and the photos.

It's not a guide to the Walks, Tracks & Trails. It's an advertisement. All very glossy, all very attractive. Obviously these would be great places to visit. Pick any one and the book tells you how to get there.

But no help whatsoever if you are trying to decide, Where can I go to enjoy a whole lot of walking in Victoria.

Grumpy Old Holidays / Judith Holder

Grumpy Old Holidays

category: humour, travel, author:

Judith Holder

book ?? of Grumpy Old...
original copyright 2007,
read in October 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

A lot of funny bits... surrounded by a lot of words.

The Grumpy concept is good. Very entertaining. For a while. Then you begin to think, So what?!

There are other holiday / humour books which are better. Grumpy is, well, a series of grumps. Okay, a lot of it is funny. But with the minimum of writer's effort. Which is fine (clever, lazy). For a while. Then you start to wish that the "author" had done more than tie together a lot of holiday-related complaints.

Compare Grumpy to Molvania: a land untouched by modern dentistry, by Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner & Rob Sitch. If I reread it I'll link this to a PissWeakly review... Meanwhile, a quote from a "better" book of humour + holiday:

Meanwhile, a little further south are the Pucjicj Hills where keen hikers can walk for miles without seeing so much as a road or electricity pylon, provided of course they do it at night.

Molvania is both funny and inventive: actual imagination has gone into writing the book. Okay, Grumpy is funny and somewhat inventive -- but the humour depends on the readers' acceptance of the worst aspects of holidays. Molvania takes the same stereotypes and invents a complete catalogue of holiday humour.

I jumped quite quickly through Grumpy; that's the best way. Read too slowly and it becomes boring. Read fast enough and there is a sustained level of enjoyment. Because the book does contain quite a lot of enjoyable material.

Enjoyable material... surrounded by a lot of extra words.

Read a bit of Grumpy now and then. Come back for a small dose of light sarcasm. Just don't attempt to read it all at once.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Toilets of the World / Morna E Gregory & Sian James

Toilets of the World

category: travel, author:

Morna E Gregory & Sian James

published by Merrell, original copyright 2006, read in April 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

First, there was The National Public Toilet Map, a convenient guide for those in need in Australia. (Convenient for those with an internet connection, anyway.) Then there was WorldToilet.info, a helpful explanation of how to use the various styles of toilets around the world. Now there's a picture book, Toilets of the World.

I've added the book to the "travel" category, because it places the toilets in continent (lmao) and country. Really, though, it's entertainment. And quite entertaining, too.

Dozens of toilets, ranging from the basic to the absurd. Photos of each toilet, highlighting its unique features -- and each toilet in this book is, somehow, unique. Plus humorous, interesting and sometimes informative text... Not too much text.

Each member of the family found something funny, amazing or at least interesting in this book. It won't make you think, Wow! I must check that out! But it will provide an enjoyable way to pass (rofl) an idle moment.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Larkin about in Ireland / John Larkin

Larkin about in Ireland

(category: travel)
by

John Larkin

published by Hodder Headline Australia in 2002
Nick read a 2nd hand book, in April 2009

Nick's rating: 3 out of 10

Nick's opinion:

The author appears to hate Australia. He also seems hates his family. By the time I had struggled through half the book -- and he had barely reached Ireland -- I was sick of his insults and negative views of, well, everything. This is definitely not a travel guide to Ireland. It's just nasty rubbish.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your own documents, email nick leth at gmail dot com.

Ireland 2009 / Christi Daugherty & Jack Jewers

Ireland 2009

by

Christi Daugherty & Jack Jewers

published by Frommer
read in April 2009
travel guide


Some good, practical information. Far more info that we needed – if we owned it and took it with us I would rip out most of the pages... But which pages? I only glanced through it, quite quickly – and it took a while to identify info by county. Just not clear from the ToC, perhaps? One interesting point: The approach is homely, “My ancestors came from there and I have this strange attraction,” sort of thing, but not all rose-coloured. For example, Dublin is said to have terrible traffic problems and Wicklow is pretty but not all that great for scenery.

Agamedes' rating: 7 out of 10

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