Each year this little chat among ourselves reaches a crescendo at around about this time.

The time is Australia Day — and we all know this is no coincidence.

And each year, I am sure, we get a little bit closer to finding some answers.

But we need to be patient, because just as Rome wasn't built in a day, such a search as ours for a national identity will not be successfully completed overnight.

This is a process that will take years, decades even, but we shouldn't worry because it seems to be such a natural thing to do in a young country like ours that is continually welcoming thousands of new citizens.

So we're a part of the way on a very long journey.

Who knows, it may take 50 or 100 years.

Nothing wrong with it; better to take our time and get it right.

Tomorrow is the big day, of course, and we suspend the conversation so we can celebrate the achievements of those among us who have excelled over the past 12 months.

Our sports people, our scientists and, even more importantly, our volunteers, will be receiving Australia Day honours at hundreds of ceremonies across our fair land. This in itself is a wonderful thing, a rare event across the planet.

As our former prime minister, John Howard, used to say, the things that unite us are more important than the things that divide: Australia Day certainly brings us all together, no matter where we have come from.

But once the ceremonies have been completed, the honours bestowed and the fireworks spent, we will go to bed knowing that on Friday it will be on again, for young and old.

We will resume our arguments, our civilised, non-violent hostilities, about refugees and boat people; we will also agree to disagree on whether we need a new flag, as well as a slew of other issues.

As I said, not to worry, it's what we're about at the start of the third millennium. And, you know what, I hope we will always be a country which has a national conversation about the things that matter.

It's just possible that this what it's all about in the land Down Under. Time will tell.