Anyone with the travel bug will find considerable pleasure and inspiration in this compact coffee-table book. Subtitled ‘The Top 100 Places You Should See in Your Lifetime’, the book offers a well-curated list of Australian destinations, with an emphasis on natural environments. These destinations are marked on a map inside the front cover, so dreams can start becoming reality, and the contents are presented as a checklist.

Written by Jennifer Adams and Clint Bizzell, who host the Channel 10 travel show Places We Go, Australia’s Ultimate Bucket List is designed for dipping in and out of. Following six top-10 lists, such as family-friendly holidays and outback experiences, the 100 destinations are gathered by state and territory (Western Australia wins with 18).

Each place is succinctly showcased across two pleasantly laid out pages: a summary of its appeal, a list of what to do (or sometimes a Did You Know list) and a photo or three. There’s also usually a quote from members of the public (who often live far from the place they cherish, so it’s not mere parochialism), and a section in which the authors reveal their personal experiences and insights. Readers are pointed to the book’s companion website for more information about every destination, which is tedious overkill.

The writing is enthusiastic but, like many travel guides, prosaic. It’s uncomplicated and unimaginative, so trite phrases and adjectives are common: people are passionate, views are spectacular and places have something for everyone. Numerous dangling modifiers will irk grammar geeks. The photography is attractive but, given the dramatic landscapes being celebrated, rarely as eye-popping as it could be.

Nevertheless, Australia’s Ultimate Bucket List achieves its aim of inspiring readers to visit, or at least consider, what are arguably Australia’s best destinations, from Kakadu to Kangaroo Island, Cradle Mountain to Coober Pedy.

Reviewed by Patricia Maunder