My guess is that  most, if not all, international cycle tourers have at some stage used LONELY PLANET publications as travel guides. 

This very successful, global business began very modestly on the kitchen table of a young couple called Tony and Maureen Wheeler after they’d travelled the overland ‘hippie route’ from Europe to Asia many decades ago.

Well today I was fortunate to not only meet Tony Wheeler, a legend of travel writing (he co-founded LONELY PLANET Publications), but then to join him and a group of other cyclists for a ride around our local lake.

Tony’s been described “the trailblazing patron saint of the world's backpackers and adventure travellers.” 

He was here in Canberra to speak at The National Library about bicycles and travel. He’s also generously sponsored the digitisation of historical cycle magazines to add to the National Library’s online collection.

Tony and his wife Maureen are outstanding philanthropists. 

They have already given away more than 50% of the $190million+ fortune they made from their LONELY PLANET publishing enterprise. They long ago sold LONELY Planet publications to the BBC. It’s since been sold to a USA company.

Yes, I devoured Lonely Planet books. Seems like Tony stayed a decent bloke. Glad you got to meet him. Thanks for the pics!

Very nice. I most certainly 'collected' many LP books and still have them from 20+ years ago. I feel I should get rid of them but they are full of memories - back in the day people I met jotted notes or their contact info right onto the pages.

A few years ago I had a major declutter of my books. This included two of the original Lonely Planet editions. “South East Asia on a Shoestring”, and the “India” guidebook, which I’ve since learned was the publication which was so successful it transformed Lonely Planet from a home-spun operation into a mega success. 

Interestingly, Tony has well and truly moved on from Lonely Planet. His focus is his Foundation and it’s philanthropic projects. 

It seems that he and Maureen started Lonely Planet just at the right time. But they also sold the business at just the right time.

In the short time I spent with him yesterday, I got the impression that Tony is a very modest, very understated person. A classic quiet achiever. 

That’s an impressive collection. 
Something I learned at the talk, and in discussion with Tony, is that since they sold Lonely Planet Publications to the BBC, they’ve written books in their own names. 

For example, Tony wrote one about Australia’s islands. It’s now out of print but we found a second hand copy.

Thanks Graham, good to know.

It's been awhile that we used LP (the last 3 tours we didn't use the LP) because information now on the internet. That has changed touring interactions I think with other cyclists that we'd meet. It used to be a given that you would stop and talk with other tourers for information or in a hostel sit and talk with others. But it is nice to not carry a book.

That importance of communication and connection with other travellers is something Tony emphasised in his talk. When the Wheelers still owned Lonely Planet, they set up The Thorn Tree Forum site which helped facilitate traveller to traveller communications. 

It’s a long time since we’ve relied heavily on Lonely Planet publications. The 1980s. ‘South East Asia on a Shoestring’ and their ‘India’ book were almost essential references at the time.

The Lonely Planet phenomenon had a few downsides. One was concentrating back-packers into certain areas and routes. I can remember coming across these backpacker hotspots when cycle-touring and being grateful I could easily by-pass them on the bike.

The pros and cons of mass tourism is a topic which didn’t surface at the talk on Saturday at the library. The focus was on bicycle travel.

Yes, I remember the Thorn Tree, and I even wrote to LP about including more of a cycling emphasis. 

And there is exponentially more folks out there bike touring and how it has changed.