Standing outside their trusty caravan with their dogs Sasha and Dusty in a caravan park in the regional NSW town of Bathurst, the only thing COVID-19 has really affected is their travel plans.

"We were supposed to be in Darwin this winter," John, a retired builder from Lismore, said

"So we decided to do a five-week tour around New South Wales instead — we couldn't really go anywhere else."

That all changed on Thursday, with South Australia opening its border to NSW and residents from more shires in northern NSW being allowed into Queensland.

But as John and Kay toured around the northern part of their home state — which has had very minimal exposure to the virus — they said one thing stood out.

"You don't notice it up here too much mate, that bloody thing," he said.

"I mean you notice all the closed shops — and that's a real shame I tell you — but things are chugging along just nicely."

Like most Australians, the couple's experience — and concern — with coronavirus comes down to where they live.

And data from the COVID-19 Monitor, a research project from Vox Pop Labs in partnership with the ABC, confirms it.

Are we still 'in this together'?

This week marks the six-month mark since the first heavy restrictions were implemented on the Australian population — restrictions that have got worse for some, and better for others.

At the time, Prime Minister Scott Morrison prepared Australia's population with the now well-worn line "we're in this together".

Six months on, it turns out, we have grown a little apart.

According to the data, there has been a distinct fall in the sense of "solidarity" with the rest of Australia amongst South Australians and West Australians — people from two states that, over the period, effectively cut themselves off from the rest of the country.

Victoria, which went through a severe stage 4 lockdown, has also lost that sense compared to the start of the pandemic.

The Northern Territory was not included in the data analysis because of sampling limitations.

However, according to University of Queensland professor of Social and Organisational Psychology Alex Haslam, the divide between the states should be worse — much worse.

He argues Australians have been resolute, and we should celebrate that as a nation.

"I think that's even more true now, if you compare it to the rest of the world," Professor Haslam said.

"Particularly around shared identity and solidarity, as well as compliance, general mental health and wellbeing.

"They've lost that in Britain and they've lost it in the US.

"We've preserved that in Australia and what's been working is solidarity, support and mutual concern, and in my opinion, that's what the data shows."

In the 'lucky state'

According to the COVID-19 Monitor, West Australians have been travelling the most.

They're just slightly above Tasmanians, with 66 per cent having ventured out or planning to go soon.

David and Gaynor Hall (Below) are part of that trend.

The couple travelled 2000km north of Perth to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

Standing on the grassed area above Broome's famous Cable Beach as the sun sets, they say they are just grateful to be West Australians.

"Well, [for one] we can travel where other people can't," Gaynor said.

"The locals in Broome seem to be very happy because we [West Australians] can't go anywhere else.

"Perth's the most isolated city in the world, that's helped, and we feel really lucky."

It is this isolation — and WA Premier Mark McGowan's staunch defence of the state's hard border — that has enabled West Australians to do things other Australians can only dream of.

Sandgropers, as West Australians are affectionately known, are also the most comfortable shaking hands — with 26 per cent saying they now do it despite the health advice not to.

They're the most comfortable going out in public, with 74 per cent either "very comfortable" or "somewhat comfortable".

And according to the data, West Australians are the least anxious, aren't lonely and have been feeling better about most things compared to the rest of Australia.

Residents of the ACT are the happiest and have minimal feelings of "despair".

But according to Professor Haslam the deep political divisions that have played out state to state across Australia should have made the psychological effects more profound.

He said, again, that hadn't happened.

"Like with boredom, for example, you would expect that Victorians would be bored out of their minds, but they're not — well not as much as you'd expect them to be compared to say Queenslanders," he said.

"But I think, overall, if you compare Australia's experience with other countries such as the US and the UK, I'd argue the core story is a positive one.

"The big story is the enduring willingness of Australians to comply with best practice to responding to a pandemic … whether that's complying with restrictions and doing whatever it takes to help their fellow Australian."

'We'll get there'

Back in NSW, Catherine Thompson reckons she's noticed a big difference between the start of the pandemic and today.

Sitting out the front of her home on the Mitchell Highway, the main thoroughfare through the regional town of Geurie, Catherine treats her porch as the barometer of the community's pulse — a space where people can have a cuppa and a chin wag.

And things have been much busier over the past couple of months.

"I really noticed that initial lockdown because we weren't allowed to sit down and chat," she said. "There was a lot of tooting from cars and waving."

But, she said, that was starting to change.

"To be able to chat face to face, you just see the smiles," she said.

"And I think this period has really made us appreciate and be grateful for each other, and we've all had the Victorians in our thoughts.

"There's still anxieties, definitely, but we'll get there — we're Australians, we're optimistic, positive and strong."

Below | David and Gaynor Hall, at Broome's Cable Beach, said they felt lucky to be able to travel.

Story By |  Nick Sas, ABC