Australia is big, REALLY big!!!

Yes, my European and American friends have trouble understanding the big distances between population centres. We have a lot of empty space.

According to the Internet (and it never lies) The distance between London and Moscow is 2498 kilometres. The distance between Melbourne and Perth is 2720 kilometres, and there is only one city of any size (Adelaide) along the way.

While tripping around the south of France we were never more than 10 minutes walk from a dwelling of some sort. Some of the speed zones were less than 1km long, you could hardly accelerate up to 90 before it changed back to 70.

It was very annoying for me where I am used to 100km zones that last for an hour.

With the new Albury bypass road, you can now drive from Melbourne to Holbrook in NSW at 110 :-)

8-)))
Yes, this is absolutely true!
I see you really visited France! I am always complaining about that when I drive a car. It became a real plague since there are speed cameras everywhere. Sometimes the only way to avoid heavy fines and the loss of 'points' of your driving license would be never exceeding 70 km/h.
One month ago, my wife had to pay some 90 euros for a few seconds at 76 km/h in a short 70-limited zone, without houses. It is an easy way to earn additional taxes, an exhausting cat and mouse game with the cops, where the cops always win. And I lost one point of my driving license, for the car was mine.
In the old time, French roads were quite pleasant. We slowed down when there was a real danger, often under 50 km/h. Now you must look at the speed meter, at the speed limitation signs, and if you have some time left, at the road.
Of course there were some speeders.

(The man at right is my father, the insurer, not the driver!)
And speed cameras and drastic speed limitation did not eliminate crazy drivers.