In retrospect Australia was a highlight of my trip
The people were so friendly and genuinely glad to see us. In Sydney all we had to do was open a map to check our direction and folks would stop to help us. They went out of their way to make sure we had a good impression of their country.
The American dollar was very strong against the Aussie dollar, so strong in fact we have twice the buying power. That sure helped make Australia affordable. Australia would be a great place to retire, property is plentiful and cheap. Living on the ocean could be a strong possibility. The only drawback is the distance, the country is so far away from home and family.
Given the choice, I would not make Australia a bicycling destination. The country is just too huge and gets very rural fast. The drivers do not like cyclists taking up the road and for the most part do not give an inch. This is a fact I learned within the first 10 minutes on the bike and it never changed the entire time I was on the road in Australia. The sugar cane trucks were hauling 2 and 3 trailers, they sped by without pulling over in the other lane to give us a wider berth. There were so many times when, had I not been aware of the traffic behind me, I could have been seriously injured.
This to me is not a relaxing way to travel. Unfortunately or fortunately, we have gotten used to the traffic, it just depends on how you look at it. I would rather spend my time cycling in a bike friendly country that risk death or dismemberment. It is not a joyful way to ride.
Someday I do hope to return to Australia and drive/fly to all the sights I didn’t see on this trip. It is a wonderful, fun loving country and there is so much more to see.