LeadSled,
Thank you for your suggestion re The Rule Book. I did indeed have a look at it and I'm pleased to say it proves every day is a school day and I learnt something useful about listening watch and the requirements of Reg 243. That'll teach me to assume the same rules apply in Australia as they did in my 'old country'
Compressor Stall,
No, it wasn't me in the middle of WA nearly getting clobbered by you. I know this because I've never been anywhere near the middle of WA, nor any 'stations'. As I said above, I've learnt the error of my ways regarding a listening watch in Australia and will not sin again. However, to answer your specific questions (a)when bimbling I don't fly along in straight lines. I'm often turning and regularly clear the airspace to the side and behind me, so stand as good a chance as anybody in Class G airspace at seeing conflicting traffic (b)the altitudes at which I bimble, versus their distance from any airfields would put me way below any aircraft on a normal descent profile into those locations (c)before you talk about approaching aircraft below that profile because of low(ish) cloud, I don't bimble on such days (d)where I slip the surly bonds of Earth we have no turboprop traffic, save for the very occasional RFDS PC12. And, for what it's worth, I've done the low level aeros without 'playing risky'.