Hello from Radelaide!!! We arrived on Monday night in Adelaide where we are staying for a week with Lizzy and Leigh our friends from back home in their lovely house with the very cute Pepper, a lovable, slightly crazy, black lab.

Coincidentally our flights had been arranged to enable us to enjoy the 5th day of the 2nd Ashes test, if it ever got that far. Even though we only got about an hours play we were there to see England win their first meaningful test in Australia for 24 years, there were notably few Aussies in the crowd and the press and supporters are thoroughly depressed - it's brilliant. We had lunch in the botanical gardens before sheltering from the torrential downpour that would have saved the Aussies - brilliant. We then went for a couple of beers and watched a fairly spectacular lightening storm out over the ocean.

Wednesday we pottered around the city centre, visited the food market and then headed off to see the Gorillaz and de la soul at the Adelaide Entertainment centre, a pretty good gig. Thursday the girls went wedding dress looking and Steve stayed at home with Pepper fixing the garden furniture and then we had a really nice meal on the waterfront with Lizzy who then gave us the exciting detour on the way home down the cacophony of flashing illuminations, better than Blackpool, on a little residential street where the competition in Christmas illuminations is at fever pitch - they even have a santa coming out of a whales blow hole people, worth the trip to the otherside of the world alone. Today (Friday) we have spent the day in the Maclaren Vale wine region sampling the great Australian wines they make down here before we head out to the local workers club in the town of Semaphore (great name).

It's been a really great time relaxing with old friends and we still have the weekend before we head back to Sydney for Xmas and New Year with our family (including Steve's Mum who is now jetting out for New Year) which we are really looking forward to.