Al the Tog’s Trip Down Under

I thought it was supposed to be a uniquely British habit - queuing. Maybe it was a hangover from the wartime queues for food rations, and more recently for petrol, but the British seem to have the patience and discipline needed to endure long queues. This patience was put to the test in the Chinese airports at Beijing and Shanghai, where we had to queue when we landed, only to be shepherded straight out to get on a plane to the next destination.

Travelling with the Barmy Army has taken it a step further. On Christmas Day, we had to queue for our barbeque (a good move as it turned out because we avoided a torrential downpour), then for our 4th Test match tickets, then for our “free” shirts and hats. On New Year’s Day, we had to go to the Coogee Oval where the Barmy Army was playing against the Fanatics in a charity match. This was the place where we could collect our 5th Test tickets, so we had to queue once again. The patience and resilience shown by all was truly wonderful to behold.

In between, we queued to get a good place to see the New Year fireworks at Sydney Harbour, and we have since queued for many other things. Now we’re about to get the bus to Sydney airport for the long journey home, with an overnight stop in Beijing - more queues await no doubt.

We’re now here in Sydney, with the glitz and glamour of the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the sun and sand, and the final Ashes test match! Well, it’s an interesting place to be for New Year, too, and we were down at Mrs Macquarie’s Point for the fireworks along with 25,000 others. It was a grand spectacle, and locals and tourists alike enjoyed the occasion. I’ll try to upload some photos when time permits, but for now, with the fifth test over before lunch on Day 4, we’re off to the beach at Manly.

Bye for now.