However, clearly, the integration and dilution of cultures makes them less prominent, and indeed, many migrant populations that now reach to successive generations, are just other "Australian" families, with perhaps only something like "Asian" physical features making any claim towards diversity.

In the post 1960's, there was quite a distinct breakaway from the conservatism of the post war years, and with many material aspirations met, Australians pushed further into more liberal politics. Beware, though, the "Liberal" political party in Australia is the conservative right and the "Labor" party traditionally more towards the left!

Matters such as Aboriginal land rights, women's equality, free education, and anti Vietnam war sentiment paralleled much of the American experience.

Now is perhaps the time to point out that despite the physical distances, starting in the days of satellite communications, and reaching the present web-age, connectivity between Australia and the rest of the world is fast and all encompassing.

The trend towards "Americanising" Australia is one of the parallels of the communications behemoth, with MacDonalds and KFC starting up in the early 1970's, and a proliferation of television and other media influences quickly overcoming the more "traditional" English cultural imports that had prior sway since initial British colonisation.

Interestingly, though, part of the "schizophrenia" is that the conservative parties, and indeed the prime minister, cling to the Queen and monarchy of England ("no republic of Australia!") whilst swearing an almost cycloptic allegiance to the USA and its policies.

This trend towards American culture is also seen in the move towards "traditional religion," with Christian fundamentalism making headway in both spiritual and secular spheres, sometimes in covert rather than overt ways.

However, as nearly always in Australia, most attitudes left or right, political or religious seem to be skewed more towards the centre, with very few adherents on the far fringes.

Beach Culture
We certainly can't do a dissertation on Australia without prominent mention of "The Beach!"
Superficially, this might be the literal entity: sand, surf, mind-numbing sun exposure, and finding a good parking spot in the heavily subscribed metropolitan hot-spots.

But it does go a little deeper.

Firstly, think of an "archetypical" abbots head! A bald pate fringed with a ring of lax hair.
Now apply this to the topography of Australia: it is largely a desert with a fringe of oasis-like coastal domains.

On the east coast, this tract is a mere hundred or so kilometres wide, less or more depending on where you are until you meet the great Dividing Range an ancient, reasonably low mountainous strip that delineates where the fun starts and the deprivation commences! This is not strictly true, with hundreds of thousands of acres of grazing land to the west of the divide.

Personally, unless someone can convince me otherwise (start a sheep farm?) I choose to live no further than 5 minutes form a beach. So why is this more than superficial?

Well, for one, there is the issue of climate. As you move into a desert environment, you get the extremes of scorching, stultifying daytime heat, and icy nights.

On most of the coast, this undulation is evened out: the "nor-easterly" breeze on most summer days cools the brain and the body, and night temperatures do not swing into frozen depths. Even within a few kilometres of the coast, these swings are more far reaching.

Then, "beach culture" is echoed in many ways: from eating at an alfresco café, hopefully with a water view, to choosing clothing that lets your skin touch the weather.

Water sports, swimming, surfing, sailing, diving, etc is one prime way of exercising without the imposed discipline or monotony of a gym. Camaraderie on the beach such as surf life-saving clubs or the winter-swimming stalwarts rain or shine, in the brine sees a social leveling from affluent to struggling, from new-born to geriatric.

There is an inherent freedom, too, in many water activities.

I recall at one skiing sojourn the craziness of driving for an hour to the snow-fields, trekking to the ski lift with paraphernalia, mummified by the requisite clothing, gloves, scarves and hat...walking in that stiff-legged frog march dictated by ski-boots, only to turn back because of poor weather and yes, you forfeit payment of a day's worth of lift tickets.

Compare and contrast: into the water with nothing but your "cozzies" "Speedo’s" "budgie-smugglers" or whatever your preferred swim attire, or even select locations where such coverings are irrelevant and legally superfluous.

The cost? Generally free, in a world where "free" is a rare commodity! Many a day I have gazed at the pageant of a summer's day and thought about what sort of monetary value a traveler must forgo to substitute this scene for their familiar trappings of home.

Downside
The downside, I think, is that with all of this free resort living at your disposal, other cultural pursuits can take second place. Indeed, if you choose the more southerly destination of Melbourne to the more temperate Sydney (probably the beach capital of the world) you will find more intellectual debate, more art/music/design, and cosmopolitan lifestyle.

Sydney tends to offer a more diluted dose of these activities. But few international cities can boast world class beaches that are just another part of the suburban environment.

In the middle ground, though, sporting activities such as golf, lawn bowls, can be found Australia wide, plus many more extreme sports (jumping out of a plane, abseiling, trekking, white water rafting.) just about anywhere you go.

Whilst the smaller towns tend to fade with offerings of art, museums, cinema (other than mainstream) most take pride in some regional feature, be it the Stockman's Hall of Fame or the outdoor picture-theatre (cinema) but you will probably turn to the "www" for anything more intellectually challenging.

Also, with a small population (some 20 million) you won't find the "depth" of resources offered in other countries, so for an interest group with "0.1% of the population" following, you might only find a handful of others who share your passion.

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