While it is good to be back within just-pop-over-for-a-coffee range of Melbourne-based family and friends, I do miss the accessibility of the outback from Alice Springs. A half-hour drive from our house in Alice would put us well into the bush with the likelihood of bumping into another person at slim to none. In comparison, it is quite challenging having to share Victorian parks and nature reserves with dog walkers, cyclists, and people talking loudly on their phones.