I've lived in Australia for over half a dozen years. I met and married Bronwyn here, we became citizens and we've bought some property.

Why Australia? Well, we just like the place. We found that we missed it when we were abroad. The country is largely bush, and I'll take countryside over urban life any day. The people are generally relaxed and have largely not yet been infected by either the American 'if it moves, sue it' or the European 'if it moves, legislate against it' mentalities.

Australia is rich in resources (apart from water, but almost nobody has water these days), has no heavily armed and boisterous enemies, and is largely insulated from the rough and tumble of international politics by virtue of being, as it says in the National Anthem, girt by sea.

So, in brief, it is beautiful, fun, prosperous and safe. Another bonus is that it makes a great launching platform from which to travel to New Zeland, a wealth of island countries in the Pacific, and Antarctica and southern Asia; all of which is good news for the continuation of this website.