Traffic etc...
Thanks for a post with something objective.
A year or so, I had a gear issue in the circuit in Bourke and had trouble on Area.
I've also had to relay calls to airlines that were not reachable on area (Merimbula)
And I regularly fly through the blackspot near Nhill.
My memory is hazy, but I reckon once I had a call relayed to me from an airline on 121.5 - or vice versa. But I can't recall the circumstance. A faulty Comm1 may have been involved.
So, while I hear your comments, I still mistrust Australia's VHF network and I think its getting worse, not better with technology. So, I'd rather have comm2 on 121.5 rather than sitting fat dumb & happy with it on some irrelevant CTAF frequency from miles behind.