Well I am Antipodean albeit not Aussie, but I do feel the downunder attitude to motorcycling is more pragmatic than many on this forum. I was four years riding around the farm before I got my full licence, less than a month after I turned 15...... no mucking around back then.
Coming from off road, you will know about bikes and how to ride them; adapting skills to the road is not a biggie. Learning to deal with traffic is another thing. Even if you have been driving a while, riding on the road you will soon find you see things from a different point of view....... and car drivers often don't seem to see you at all.
Welcome!