One of those seven people is Greg Dick, who has run the Aileron Roadhouse for the past 30 years, and who so perfectly encapsulates the NT residents reaction to the speed issue he should run for mayor. Dick, for the record, has a pet wedge-tailed eagle, a gigantic, predatory bird with a wingspan of more than

six feet. Passing tourists loved it. Until it ate one of their dogs.

“Mate, we couldn’t give a s**t. I was driving at 180kph [112mph] when there was no speed limit, and I was driving at 180kph when there was a speed limit. The only difference is that now I don’t need to slow down if I think I see a cop,” he says.

“It’s all you blokes who make a big deal out of it. It’s normal for us out here.”