@ Scott
The longest I ever drove, only stopping for gas, was from Barcelona (after arriving with the ferry from Ibiza) to West Berlin. I left in the evening and arrived the next afternoon, more than a 1,000 miles later. My travel days are still 12-13 hours, but longer if needed. I take at least one long trip per month.
I am currently stationed at the U.S. Army Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany--with no desire to ever return to the States (just been on home leave in San Diego--what a waste of my time). I found motorcycle heaven in the Alps and Dolomites--not too far away from where I am. It's not just the breathtaking landscape but also the ferry-tail like towns and villages and the awesome people. Everywhere you see signs "Bikers/Motorcycles Welcome".
To entice you, check out the book by another San Diegan, John Hermann, titled "Motorcycle Journeys Through the Alps and Beyond." Unfortunately, it's a long ways away from Australia. But if you ever consider coming here, send me a PM. If you are on Facebook, send me a PM because you can follow my travels there. I know the Alps/Dolomites extremely well, and there is always room in my house and garage for a fellow CB enthusiast. Riding a motorcycle in Europe is an entirely different experience than riding in the States. I can see why a full fairing, or riding a Goldwing, makes sense in the States. Here, every other motorcycle used for long distance travel seems to be a GS BMW (which is so ugly to me). I always preferred the low riding position for travel. Unfortunately, I never had the privilege to travel in Australia.