IN A few days, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will head into the wilds of the South Island of his native New Zealand to satisfy his other fix: the pursuit of speed.

Deans loves jet-boating along remote rivers in picturesque, uninhabitable regions. It is his way of getting away from the pressures of being a high-profile coach and bringing it all back into perspective. And when the adrenalin rush is over, he will contemplate a whirlwind year.

It began with taking the Crusaders to another Super 14 title, and then a day later he strode into the unknown, travelling to Sydney to become Australia's first foreign Test rugby coach.

Five months on, Deans has discovered this assignment has been everything he expected - invigorating, exasperating at times, but, overall, satisfying. He and many others can see that his team, despite stumbles this year, is starting to progress the way he wants.

Attuned to success, Deans would prefer a perfect record, and nine wins out of 14 Tests is well short of that. With this has come the frustration that he couldn't stop the Wallabies falling into their old habits, and they failed to put away the All Blacks in Brisbane and Auckland. Also, the record loss to the Springboks in Johannesburg hit hard. Deans was shell-shocked after that, but not as infuriated as he was in Brisbane.

The All Blacks were there for the taking, but the Wallabies couldn't do it - and suddenly Deans realised that his mission to transform the Australian team from a stagnant, also-ran side into an exciting, expressive outfit with a belief they can beat anyone would not be a simple task.

But getting their attitude right is gradually happening, with Deans realising the best way is to change the team's outlook and culture. Bring in fresh blood. Give them new ideas. Treat them intelligently. Convince them to be instinctive. Be honest with them. Convince them they are winners and that they can rebound from adversity. But most importantly, get everyone banding together.

This was one of the most unified Wallabies touring teams. There were no cliques. No seniors versus the pups. Players were told straight out where they stood. The tour thrived on laughter, and, with so many youngsters involved, should ensure the Wallabies environment stays healthy for some time.

And the look of the team is changing. Selecting 12 new Test Wallabies this year brought a spark to the squad, and that will continue, with the Brumbies' Josh Holmes and Waratahs' Rob Horne expected to be the next new blood to be brought in during 2009.

Deans is also cleverly covering his bases. He knows there is a generational change happening within the Wallabies, with uncertainty over whether many important senior players will still be around by the 2011 World Cup.

Stirling Mortlock will be 34, Nathan Sharpe 33, George Smith 31, Lote Tuqiri 32, Al Baxter 34, Matt Dunning 32, and Phil Waugh 32 in 2011, and while they all believe they will make it, some clearly won't.

So Deans is also working on the alternatives, giving David Pocock his chance, along with Quade Cooper, James O'Connor, Lachie Turner, Richard Brown, Digby Ioane, Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander and Dean Mumm.

But there were some disconcerting signs. At times, the Wallabies went back to being robots, as in the final minutes of the Test against Wales when, attempting to score a try for victory, they went on an ineffective pick-and-drive campaign instead of having a go in the backs as the Crusaders would have done.

That would be playing on Deans's mind, ensuring that after his stint in the New Zealand wilderness, he hits full throttle again.