As we enter a new century, Australia is clearly the place to be and this is where Bill Bryson now finds himself. In his new book, he finds himself travelling all over this fascinating country and, in his usual style, describes the land and the people with great detail. Bryson is brilliant at spotting trivia that most people would just pass by and in doing so, he conveys the real character of a country. Here he visits all the major cities and landmarks, travels into the outback, and learns a lot about their prime ministers. A particular favourite is the tale of Harold Holt, the PM who simply disappeared whilst swimming in the sea. Bryson is really at home in Australia because it is just crammed with fascinating facts and figures, dangerous animals and creepy-crawlies, and some fabulously silly names and they were all there just waiting for somebody like Bryson to put them on the world map. This he does with great relish and, in doing so, provides a wonderful read for us poms.