Heres a tasteful photo travelogue of Australia on DVD-ROM that makes a great gift item and wont break the bank.

Anyone with a DVD-ROM drive can view this title, which, on the one hand, looks like an expensive collection of screensavers and, on the other, a wonderful photographic travelogue of big, beautiful Australia. Some of the shots are of familiar landmarks; others not so familiar. The photographer is Michael Scott Lees and his primary technical trademark is his preference for natural light and shooting without filters.

The DVD runs rather like a point-of-sale display, scrolling from image to image. Its not just a straight show and tell, however, because the images have been rendered in panoramic format; they pan slowly across the screen then run into a transition before moving onto the next image.

The slideshow runs loosely into a number of categories: high country, seashore, rainforests, city and outback. Some of the scenes may not be to your liking - if I see another dinkum dunny shot Ill be sick - and others are more uplifting. My own favourites are the misty waterfall shots that I can never seem to photograph with the same effect. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but this photography has been superbly executed. Theres some magnificent scenery and the photographer has done it justice.

An outstanding soundtrack from Rivertribe creates a backdrop of sound to accompany the 65-minute ramble around the continent. Those with Dolby Digital playback capabilities will benefit the most. It blends bush sounds with different and unusual instruments that along with the slideshow makes for a hauntingly beautiful experience.