Australia is a big country and depends where you live – I can only speak for Melbourne and its only really hot for a month or so, though a planned weekend away can get spoiled by high bush fire risk
Quite a lot of riding within an hours drive (that’s living in the city for you, I used to ride out of the front door 🙁 and fantastic riding within a 3hr drive a bit like going to the Dales or Lakes from London I guess
I ride my hardtail because I’m not rad and am old school I reckon 90%+ of riders I see are on FS
Do the sums 2nd hand sale value versus shipping cost – if I was 100% committed to MTB, had a high value bike that I liked I’d fly with my MTB and buy a commuting bike
When I moved I flew with my CX and seafreighted the MTB as I knew I’d be riding more gravel and trails than bothering to drive to MTB
Spring and 20 degs today I will mostly be riding my SS rigid merlin malt shopper at the BMX track with a smaller antigee laughing at me
as to Fat Bikes rule – miles and miles of beaches!