50,500 Kilometres later....

And so ends my blogging...thank god I hear you say. The tour is almost over. Lila is safely back home and I leave Monday, arriving back in the UK at some unearthly hour before the sun has come up and no doubt before the Woking Railair link starts working!

I had originally decided to stay a few extra days in Sydney after the Test match so that I could enjoy the atmosphere after we had retained the Ashes. In reality this has meant a thoroughly miserable time watching beaming Aussie faces everywhere and smug TV presenters to contend with. However there is a shining light on the horizon as I see Lord Vaughan has been appointed 1 day captain with immediate effect.

So to escape from the Aussie party I took myself off to Manley beach yesterday on the ferry and had a thoroughly good time watching the world from the beach. I conveniently choose a spot within distance of a women's beach volleyball contest going on so that I could contemplate my expedition.

What have I learnt from 2 months away I mused? Well certainly I could see myself living in New Zealand and/or Australia in the future. The people and pace of life is so much nicer out here. Strangers are friendly, prices are reasonable and the climate is much better. In fact I'd say if wasn't for the fact that I'm blessed with wonderful family (in-laws included) and friends in Blighty, there is very little that I would miss about living in the UK. Actually, let me go back on that...I'm dying for a decent pint! The beer out here really is poor!

On the flip side I am also looking forward to being able to walk out my front door without spending 10 minutes caking myself in suncream and having to don shades and a cap to avoid the sun!

I now have 10 days to get life back to a normal routine before my next trip to Schiffau and I guess some catching-up is required with a trip to Christchurch first on the priority list. I guess a trip to Adams Park is also in order as I reach the 20th Anniversary of my first ever Wycombe game. It's nice that Mourinho has agreed to mark this landmark by bringing his premiership all-stars down to give us a game. I'm not predicting a scoreline because as many people have pointed out to me, I did say the Ashes would be 1-1 and therefore perhaps I ought to keep my views to myself in future. Although despite this BBC East Midlands have been on the phone asking if I could help their sports reporter to raise his prognostic game.

Chobham's AGM has been coveniently slotted into my return to the country, so hopefully the lads will lose their collective common sense yet again and vote Squiffy and I back into power. I promise that I have learnt nothing from Freddie's captaincy this trip, so we should stand a reasonable chance!

All in all, a great tour with some very happy memories to take home. Perhaps I'll do the same again in 2010/11 when hopefully we'll make a better hash of defending the Ashes. Although I hear that we touring New Zealand in early 2008....

Up the Monty

Ant/ Swiss/ Casper/ Rigsby/ Bally

New Year in Sydney

so 2006 comes to an end and 2007 was brought in in style with the backdrop of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House as company. No doubt that this was the most expensive meal I have ever bought in my life...won't go into detail...but suffice to say that my Bank Manager will be looking for a 1-2-1 when I get back for some financial tutition.

We were treated to a 5 course banquet over the course of the hours of 7 - 11:30 whilst we waited for the fireworks and in order it looked like this. Canapes * duck with wild mushroom salad * Ocean trout * Venison loin * chocolate cheescake. We just about managed to avoid the Elton John diet routine to be able to move from our table to the quayside to take in midnight. The food was awesome!

The fireworks were spectacular as I sure you saw from the BBC news and it looked like the whole of Circular quay was lit up as rockets shooted from every building and bridge conceivable. Apparently 1 million people were in the quay area that night and it felt like it! The volume of pedestrians was enormous.

New Year's Day involved another trek to the Opera House so that we could see it properly in the daylight and also to do a bit of celeb spotting. Stuart Clark pushing his toddler around the Rocks and Dicky Branson having lunch on his rather impressive yacht in the harbour. It was also an opportunity to catch up with Lila's friend Veronica who took us to a rather nice bar with a birds'eye view of the Bridge.

I've not got too much to say on the Sydney test as I've not seen a live ball bowled yet. Unfortunately tickets were in short supply, so I'm only going to days 3,4 and 5 if it goes that far. Although it does look interestingly poised at the moment and it was good to hear that Sir Frederick has managed some runs for a change. So, instead Veronica whisked us off to the Hunter Valley and we had a pleasurable couple of days tasting the local cheese and wine. Lila in fact set a personal record of 30 different wines during an afternoon session and is currently attached to a saline drip in the hotel room! Talking of which, Hotel Pensione in Sydney...not so good...Think Backpacker motel with the added bonus of a 5 star price tariff. Complaints will be lodged!

Lila in fact heads home tomorrow leaving me a further 4 days before I have to return to the grindstone. Oh no, forgot that I have a skiing holiday as soon as I get back, so it's a good job that I've probably got a job sorted out to start in February as the financial toll is getting a little cumbersome.

And finally 2006 highlights...

* Skipper's chat up line in a nightclub in Latvia, "you see Agnieszka,the thing about the common agricultural policy..."
* My catch against Byfleet that will be surely on Chobham DVD's for years to come
* working with the recruitment team at Unilever and meeting some extra-ordinarily gifted people
* catching up with Hoogs & Wheelo in Oz, Andy in the US after a couple of years
* Craaaaaaiiiiggg David's skiing clothing
* Gaining a world tour sponsor

Lowlights...
* My drop against Valley End that cost us the game...Sorry lads!
* Watching the Ashes lost with the complete contempt for the English cricketing public shown by the team.
* Getting goosed in a Cheltenham nightclub by a member of my own sex.

All in all a good year, let's hope that 2007 comes up to scratch and starts with a Carling Cup Final appearance in February

Happy New Year all