When you ask someone what they think Australia's national pass time is most would probably say drinking(see previous post). Maybe one of the several football codes played here or footy as the word shortening locals call them. I would say it is flying however. Aussies love to travel and considering their isolation on the international stage and insanely low population density on the domestic stage flying is the way to do it.
Don't get me wrong Aussies love a good road trip, but when the country is the size of the lower 48, has a population similar to Texas, and 5 main urban centers which account for the vast majority of the population it just isn't practical. I think the phenomenon is best demonstrated by the fact the Ululru, a massive and impressive rock formation in the middle of the outback, has its own airport. It just isn't practical for most people to drive there from the nearest city of any size. Alice Springs is a 6 hour drive through the middle of nowhere away. A daunting task for sure.
I of course have no stats to back up this claim, but I would suspect Australians are per capita the biggest flyers in the world. Geography, love of travel, and a high standard of living make it a perfect storm for a busy airline industry.
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