I eventually came to terms with the fact that I had to drive this truck because it was a work vehicle and essential for me to carry gear to and from the field. It was also important because I was at higher risk to hit large animals on the road, which made having a larger vehicle a safety matter as well. Learning how to drive a manual transmission car with a pick-up truck was fun. While being slightly difficult to learn at the beginning, I enjoyed becoming better at something new that was not necessarily related to my studies!
I consider both the pick-up truck and the traveler van connected to the culture and the environment in Australia. First, there are so many farmlands across the country that most cars I encountered on the road were trucks used by producers and farmers. Second, another major contributor to rural traffic is the tourism industry. As many foreigners typically come to Australia to enjoy the scenery and exotic wildlife, I saw many traveler vans during my field season in the Wilsons Promontory National Park.
