Back at Tam's having now handed back the hire car. We enjoyed a game of golf at Katoomba on Friday but at the 8th it became very dark, and then even darker until the rain came down in sheets. 20mm fell in a few minutes and we were thoroughly drookit (drenched) amid thunder and lightning - pretty scary! We headed home absolutely wringing. It has been raining pretty continually for two or three weeks now (very much needed) and the golf bags etc and Tam's car seats took days to dry out.

Sunday we went into Sydney with Tam and Don to meet up with Jean to see Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sydney Symphonia Choir (plus about 400 volunteer singers) perform Handel's Messiah at the Opera House. Despite so many visits to Sydney over the years this was the first time we'd actually been at an event in the Opera House. The Messiah is performed every year in December and has become a Christmas tradition for Sydneysiders. It was a wonderful performance, especially by the massed choirs (although the soloists were a bit disappointing) and we all came away feeling very uplifted and much the better for it.

The weather continued wet and cool, thus curtailing our outdoor activity (no more golf and, very disappointingly, no chance to do a trek in the Blue Mountains). But this left us plenty time to get to grips with sorting out all the stuff that has to be sent back to the UK.