As usual, Michael, Brian and Yuri have done it again, and I venture to suggest maybe even better than before. Full colour, good paper, detailed route notes, topo maps - all the usual stuff we expect from them of course. There's an extensive preliminary section on the threatened environment and species (almost 30 pages), plus sections on the threatened fauna and flora and the impact of coal on the area (over 100 pages) before you get to the 21 different trips. The trips themselves are extensively documented.>

The preliminary sections are not just wiffle waffle either: they are detailed technical (but very readable) discussions of the whole area. More to the point, with the success of the previous 7 volumes the authors have been able in this Book to draw on a wide range of experts from various places for input. The comments on the whole coal business are researched, factual and do not pull any punches.

All that said, it would be wrong to focus on just the text. To my mind, the really wonderful bit about this book is the photography. To be sure, some of the authors are very good photographers, and some of their walking partners are also very good, but this time there is much more. The book features some of the very best photos available from a wide range of external experts. Some of the animal photography is just unbelievable. Some of the photos of the Powerful Owl are downright intimidating!

Just beautiful.

Published in:

The Bushwalker Magazine, Volume 41, Issue 4 Autumn 2016

Reviewer:

Roger Caffin, Editor

Web Site:

The Bushwalker Magazine