> The walkabout is, originally, an aboriginal rite of passage and as such has something of a religious
> connotation. I think it has taken on less spiritual connotations among Anglo-Australians...

I think you're spot-on here. In the past, Anglo-Australians have failed to understand the spiritual aspect of the walkabout, so referring to an aboriginal Australian as having "gone walkabout" usually had a perjorative sense - i.e. it implied that they'd irresponsibly dropped their work and gone wandering in the bush. So, it's right that the negative connotations are context-sensitive, but it's still a phrase I would avoid using.

Mark Waddington

Mark Waddington