Australian hospitality goes unmatched by that of any other culture I've ever experienced. Meeting and interacting with Walkers has been an excellent way to get immersed in the Australian way of life. Sharing a meal, telling each other stories, teaching each other, talking about our hopes, dreams, fears...through these small "rituals" I'm learning about the character of each Walker I encounter. This fictitious family-reunion system for meeting strangers is shaping up to be an excellent way to travel as well. What's in a name? Some sense of odd kinship that might just be enough of a human bond to allow strangers to feel like family.