Aussies are the world's best travellers. There, I've said it. I've travelled with all sorts from practically every flag and creed, but it's my fellow Aussies who have been among the easiest folks to travel with. So does this theory have some merit or is it a result of my bias?

A smile is the best travel accessory
Australians you meet in the world's weird and wonderful places are generally a travel hardy bunch who can have a laugh at ourselves - whether speaking woeful French or perhaps posing with an explosive after a silver mine tour in Bolivia and its (justified) nervous laughter.

There are exceptions: those who can't leave the country without a hair straightener, or drunks who should have stayed put at the local RSL. But on the whole, for the hundreds of travellers I've sat next to on planes, trains and automobiles, it's the Australians who have been among the most endearing fellow travel companions. You want to give me an in-flight meal? Why thanks, I'll take the chicken option.

Are we there yet?
Maybe it's a tyranny of distance thing but we can handle distances. Let's face it; it takes a long to get anywhere in Oz - take Uluru and the Daintree as an example. Cheap flights between Australian capitals is a thing of recent times - we used to drive ourselves to Sydney!

So when I travelled by train in China from Xian - where I came face to face with the Terracotta Warriors - to Shanghai (I don't remember how long it was, just a bloody long way) with a couple of Melbournians, we didn't bat an eyelid. Well, the cigarette smoke permeating through our train cabin did make it a little hard to get serious shut eye without crying. Travel within Australia stands us in good stead for travel further afield.

The simple things in life
Most Australians I know have camped. Good training for then 'dossing down' at a mate's place in London, or staying at a basic hostel for a couple of nights. Australian independent travellers are pretty low key. Our dollar has been languishing for years. It's finally on the up. Hallelujah! But watching our budget has meant we're keen to make the most of our experiences abroad like staying with a host family in Guatemala instead of a swish hotel, or catching local transport rather than hiring a car. And it's this DIY style and enthusiasm that's infectious.

Approachable travellers
You can spot an Australian traveller a mile away. We're typically the most casually dressed. And we're likely to be wearing Havaianas. We can transform a plain baguette in a meal thanks to Vegemite. We'll ask you to try it. You can talk to us about most things including Neighbours, cricket, the Sydney Olympics, Kylie Minogue or kangaroos (yeah, we ride those to school).

So we may not be renowned as the world's best lovers (while the Italians and Spaniards may be up there), but hey, we love to travel and see the world even if we have to cross halfway across the globe to do so. And that makes us among the world's best, with New Zealanders a close second of course.