Hmmm...pity you aren't speaking in Melbourne. Good to see you are having a look around.

The Australian telco Telstra is being sold off by the government and has a Universal Service Fund issue similar to your last post. Australia is a very large country with a relatively small population and therefore has telco service level problems, especially when considering fixed line.

Have fun up north - Darwin is a very different place to Melbourne. Friends of mine are holidaying on the Coburg Peninsula right now, amazing place.

Australians can be unfriendly - as a remote island and part of the old Empire, we are very monolingual and can be distrusting and xenophobic. Especially when you are fed a diet of fear-of-terrorism. However, like all countries, your mileage may vary.

Hope you have a good time. Looking forward to your observations.