Yamaha discontinued XT600E imports to USA in 1995, and we never got the new generation 660's, do get Tenere' 1200.
But ... IIRC ... the UK (and possibly the rest of EU??) got the XT600E until 2003 or so, no? Is that correct?
What about Australia? 2003 is not ancient times. Seems to me parts would still be around from Yamaha since the bike was in production for so long? After market support is another issue ... and I'm sure by now it's dropped right off in most markets. That happens after an 11 year absence.
The good news is that there is so much "knowledge" about the XT600 that it seems certain help will be around for years to come, so it's worth the investment to buy the parts NOW and RIDE RIDE RIDE ... but nothing lasts forever.
We're lucky to still have the Suzuki DR650 in production with fantastic aftermarket support. On the road as a travel bike the DR650 has now become a very common site along with the KLR, V-Strom, various BMW's, Hondas and a few others. You won't see many XT's in the Americas nowadays.
For this reason, I'd go with the DR650. But I know and trust this bike, so for me it's a "no brainer".
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