Five to Two

INTERNET ACCESS has been awkward over the past few days, so apologies for those who've been waiting for replies to email or, more importantly, for me to do some work. It should all be done now... ;-)

It's been a mixed few days to say the least - Friday we spent doing not very much in McLaren Vale (the premier region for wine production in South Australia) during the day, followed by the Bond film in the evening. We did all manage to fit in an hours' swimming in the sea which was a great way to cool off and get a tan at the same time!

Saturday was the Dolphin swimming off Glenelg. Pretty good, though both Hoopy and myself gave up after the first swim and spent the rest of the time watching from the deck, where it was much easier to see them for long periods of time. Ali, Mike & Chaz went in for almost every swim and Charlie got to touch one (albeit with his foot), so he was a very happy bunny. It was the hottest day in South Australia, reaching 43 degrees at our house. A photograph of the thermometer will shortly be winging it's way home, just to piss everyone off.

Yesterday drove me to despair - Ali & Hoops had their parachute jump booked for 4.30pm, so we did bugger all in the morning as we had to leave at 2 for that. We got to the airfield a little after 4 only to be told that they couldn't jump and would have to re-arrange for today as the heat and lack of wind meant that their little airplane (a Cessna 6-2-something, if memory serves) was running like a snail and they wouldn't get to Ali & Hoopy until after dark. So it got to 6pm and all we'd done all day was precisely sod all! Fortunately, we did salvage something of the day by happening across Strathalbyn on the way home - a nice little town, with an amazing old tree and millions of cockatoos in the park, followed by dinner in Port Noarlunga.

As for today, it's Xmas! As Ali & the boys leave tomorrow, heading back home to drizzly Devon from the sunny Australasian continent leaving Hoops & I to watch England's cricketers suffer at the hands of the Aussies for another month, we're having our Dec 25th early. It is going to be, by far, the longest Christmas day on record. We've been up since 04:30, Ali & Hoops have done their skydive (thus rendering my final chance of a life insurance claim against her useless...) and we've all just been tattooed. That's tickling a bit, but not nearly as much as I expected it to. Now we have to go shopping for presents and Xmas dinner, which I think is going to be fresh fish on the barbecue.

We've taken about 450 photographs so far, so there's a lot of people back home in for some *very* boring evenings . Mind you, now that Ali & the boys are going, that snap-rate is likely to plummet as I suspect Hoopy and I will start spending a little (or slightly more) time in licensed premises, if only to continue the Pool competition we started in the UK before we left. We're presently 19-all, so we're both out for early blood. Look out Perth - we're on our way!

I've really enjoyed Adelaide and southern South Australia and definitely intend on returning sometime to explore further. Can't speak for the others, but it just seems more "comfortable" to me than southern Queensland, whatever that means.