Australia is, in my opinion, the most beautiful place on the planet. Solo travels around four States and both Territories reinforced my belief that I ought to have moved there while young enough to fulfil the immigration requirements.
I saw only two flaws in what was otherwise a paradise. Firstly, the carnage on outback roads where each morning I would see dozens of dead and dying kangaroos, possums and other marsupials that had been hit by night-time traffic.
Secondly, and even more distressing, was the widespread racism openly and unashamedly directed at Aborigine people by otherwise reasonable and level-headed white Australians in cities and outback towns alike.
Despite being highly conscious of my visitor status I had to voice my opinions whenever the 'blackfellah problem' (a common subject during bar-room discussions) was raised. The responses ranged from 'you have to live here to know how bad they are', or 'you're just a f***ing tourist, you don't know your arse from a hole in the ground' to offers to 'settle things outside'.
In Darwin there was a spate of 'Abo-bashing' where white youths would drive around at night until they found Aboriginal people asleep and then beat them with clubs. How horrifying is THAT in a civilised country in the 21st century?
Neither the many decent white people I met nor the Aborigines I spent time with hold out a great deal of hope for improvement in race relations in the near future. I hope they are proved wrong, but with Honest John Get Re-elected Howard at the helm, well.....