Melbourne S Western Gorges

Situated just 45min west of the Melbourne CBD, these three remarkable state and national parks offer some of the best gorge walking in Victoria. With its unique user-friendly layout and incorporated GPS data (for free downloading), Melbourne's Western Gorges will become an essential reference guide for all walkers. This full-colour, 96 page walking guide is produced in a handy A5 format.

Victoria’s South-West is an iconic region of Australia that includes the exceptional landscape features of the Grampians-Gariwerd, the Victorian Volcanic Plain with crater lakes and cones, the forests of the Great Dividing Range, and Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay. Victoria’s South-West supports remarkable wildlife, including some found only in the region, and is recognised as both nationally and globally significant for the conservation of biodiversity. Wildlife of Victoria’s South-West is a comprehensive photographic field guide to the region’s wildlife, many of which occur throughout south-eastern Australia. It covers all the mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs that occur in the region, including on land and in the coastal marine environment. Each of the 432 taxa profiles includes detailed information on identification, range, conservation status, habitat and ecology, and the local Aboriginal name for the species when known. An outstanding colour image and regional distribution map is also included for each species. Additional information is provided on habitat types, conservation and management of wildlife in Victoria’s South-West as well as 19 places in the region to visit and view wildlife. Ideal for those who wish to identify and learn more about the diversity of animals found in the region, while also gaining an understanding of the distinct role Victoria’s South-West has in contributing to conserving Australia’s stunning wildlife.

On July 2, 1970, tourists in Australia spotted a smashed car, teetering precariously on a cliff edge, overlooking the raging ocean below. It seemed the car would fall into the water at any moment, but the car lingered as did a mystery, revealed when police traced the license plate to the Crawford household. Here, the police discovered the shocking truth: a mother and her three children had been murdered, with the husband and fathernow missingthe main suspect. The quadruple homicide sent a wave of panic through Australia. Where was the husband? And what would make a father kill his own children? There was much speculation but few answers, as the Crawford patriarch remained missing. Forty years passedforty years of Australias Most Wanted, police dead ends, and silence until an unidentified body appears in a Texas morgue. Almost Perfect is the firsthand look at a terrible crime from the perspective of Greg Fogartya neighbor to the Crawford family and later a member of the Victoria Police Force, Australia. Using his skills of observation and investigation, Fogarty has put together a tragic and detailed crime narrative with a shocking conclusion. Could a morgue in San Angelo, Texas, hold the body of Australias most sought-after murderer or will the Crawford homicide remain unsolved forever?

Within the Greater Melbourne region there are a remarkable number of places where you can lose yourself in a forest, walk on a deserted beach or watch wildlife in their native environment. This 224-page full colour guide introduces 30 of Melbourne's magnificent 'wild places' selected from national parks, state forests and conservation reserves, all within an hour-and-a-half drive of the centre of Melbourne. Co-produced by CSIRO Publishing and Museum Victoria, Wild Places of Greater Melbourne provides authoritative information on natural habitats and the animals and plants that live there. The book is written at a level that everyone can understand and is stunningly illustrated with more than 200 colour photos, many specially commissioned by some of our leading photographers. Wild Places of Greater Melbourne is designed both for people who live in Melbourne, as well as those who are just visiting for a short while. Every reader will find a wealth of useful information that will help them enjoy greater Melbourne's wonderful natural heritage.

This book, part of the series Cave and Karst Systems of the World, begins with a review of the interaction between people and caves in Australia (including conservation), followed by descriptions of the spectacular cave diving sites, before comprehensively covering all the major carbonate and noncarbonate karst areas, subdivided by rock type and region, and including the origin of the caves. This is followed by broad overviews of cave minerals and speleothems, cave biology and cave fossils. Each section was written by one or more specialists in the topic and is illustrated by clear diagrams and superb colour photos. The book emphasises the unique aspects of the Australian karst, including the variability in the age of the caves (very old to very young) and the impact of isolation on the stygofauna, as well as the vertebrate fossils preserved in the caves. Written in an easy-to-read style, the book is a primary reference guide to Australian karst and represents a valuable asset for anyone interested in the topic, not only cavers and academics.

Multi-owned properties make up an ever-increasing proportion of commercial, tourist and residential development, in both urban and rural landscapes around the world. This book critically analyses the legal, social and economic complexities of strata or community title schemes. At a time when countries such as Australia and the United States turn ever larger areas into strata title/condominiums and community title/homeowner associations, this book shows how governments, the judiciary and citizens need to better understand the ramifications of these private communities. Whilst most strata title analysis has been technical, focusing on specific sections of legislation, this book provides higher level analysis, discussing the wider economic, social and political implications of Australia’s strata and community title law. In particular, the book argues that private by-laws, however desirable to initial parties, are often economically inefficient and socially regressive when enforced against an ever-changing group of owners. The book will be of particular interest to scholars and legal practitioners of property law in Australia, but as the Australian strata title model has formed the basis for legislation in many countries, the book draws out lessons and analysis that will be of use to those studying privately-owned communities across the world.

Join Santa on his magical sleigh ride over Australia where he is always secretly excited to visit to deliver his glittering presents. The stars of the Southern Cross in the Milky Way guide him over Uluru, on to tropical Queensland where he sings Christmas carols with the kookaburras. His journey takes him to the Great Barrier Reef where he spies phosphorescence he’s never seen before and on to Sydney, through the mouth of Luna Park, just for fun. The devils in the Tasmanian forest astonish him and he is amazed by Wilpena Pound. Santa’s smile is as wide as that of the crocodile he encounters in the Kimberley.