I only had myself to blame for the unpleasant sensation.

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Cold, gnawing and mean crept up from my soles unhindered by the lightweight canvas sneakers that clad my feet. It was a shock after days in the tropical sun, when the minimum temperature was only two degrees cooler than the maximum, which was a steady and sticky 30 degrees.

Much worse, though, was I caught myself whingeing about it. No thought, just reflex. Pointless complaint for complaint's sake. As useless as the old man in The Simpsons shouting at clouds.

Of course, my feet were cold. I'd flown straight back into midwinter. But rather than savour the crisp air and the glorious clear blue sky that met me when I stepped from the airport, to my great shame, I griped.

But I'm glad I caught myself. On the trip home from the airport I made a conscious effort to remind myself of all the good things about being home.

The traffic moved smoothly. Drivers generally observed the speed limit and stuck to their lanes. Pedestrian crossings functioned as they should. Cars stopped to let people cross, a rare gesture in Asia.

The sky was still vast, even if the city skyline was punctuated by cranes pulling up new apartment blocks. The new housing is denser than what we've been used to but is still a long way from the hulking tenements that blot out the sun in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and countless other Asian capitals.

And it took relatively little time to leave the city behind and revel in the wide open space for which Australia is renowned.

As much as I itch to travel, the homecoming always reminds me of how good we have it in Australia compared to other countries. As well as the world class health system, superannuation, public education and compulsory voting, there is a general orderliness we tend to take for granted.

Simple things like footpaths uncluttered by motor scooters, properly covered drains, regular rubbish collections, clean air and tap water that won't make you sick barely register. But they're part of what makes our country so........

© The Examiner