Frühstück mit Kängurus: Australische Abenteuer

Bryson travels by train (e.g. Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth), by car and on foot through big cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra), the coast and the vast Outback. He describes spectacular landscapes (Uluru, Great Barrier Reef, Blue Mountains), but also dangers: poisonous snakes (10 of the most poisonous in the world), spiders, jellyfish, crocodiles, deadly fish and the sun that can kill.

In addition to personal experiences (failed surfing attempt, encounters with Australians, trains through nowhere), Bryson inserts historical digressions: from the arrival of the first convict fleet in 1788, through the gold rush, to the fate of Aborigines and forgotten explorers who died in the harsh nature. He marvels at how Australia - the continent with the most killer animals, the driest, the flattest and the oldest - is at the same time a place with friendly people, clean cities and incredible flora and fauna (80% of species are unique).

The book is full of anecdotes, irony, and wonder at Australian eccentricities (strange place names, a missing prime minister, dangerous pets). Bryson portrays Australia as a land of contrasts: wild and modern, isolated and hospitable, dangerous and beautiful.