My flight out to Perth was via Hong Kong, with a 90-minute connection spent in a modern, well-designed airport.
We arrived at 10.45pm Perth time, whizzed through immigration and customs, and reached The Westin at midnight. We unpacked and hit the hay at 1am. Ten hours later we were up, looking out over a sparkling Perth CBD. We decided to walk to the Optus Stadium, passing the WACA and through the grounds of the Crown Hotel and Casino. Its size made it quite an experience and a great place to stay.
Clients started arriving from the next morning, so suddenly we had to spring into action to ensure all arrivals went smoothly, with early check-ins sorted for those arriving around noon. Welcome drinks were held on the night before the match on the Westin Hotel patio, with our chairman Matt Root and our tour managers Ed and Neil in attendance. Everyone was excited and had plenty to talk about in anticipation of a good match.
A Brief Test and a Busy Schedule
Day one proved unusual. England won the toss and elected to bat. Nineteen wickets in the day and England finished the day on just 123 for 9, 49 runs behind.
Day two was eagerly anticipated, with a good bowling attack, but it started badly, with England scoring 164 all out. It did not take long for Australia to be in control, with Travis Head making 123 while our bowlers faded in the heat.
This was the shortest Ashes Test match in over 100 years. However, we had Jonathan Agnew and Dan Norcross that night for a client dinner, which helped make up for the disappointment of the day.
Unexpected Freedom and Western Australia
With three unexpected days free, we quickly provided three sightseeing day trips. One was to Fremantle, which everyone loved, including a stop at the prison and Victoria Market for lunch.
Another was to Rottnest Island, home of the quokka, a delightful small marsupial, as well as Second World War historical monuments. Lastly, we enjoyed an afternoon in the Swan Valley, visiting two vineyards for wine tasting.
Our first stop was Ugly Duckling, a boutique vineyard, and the second was Lancaster, a rustic vineyard perfect for a small group. Both provided fantastic cheese platters and a selection of four wines to taste on a self-pour basis. Of course, there was nowhere near enough. We finished with a visit to the Margaret River Chocolate Factory. Such happy faces and so much chocolate.
From day six, everyone started heading off to an array of places to fill the gap between matches. Bali, road trips around Western Australia, Cottesloe and Scarborough for the beach, Sydney, the road trip north to Brisbane, and for some, the long flight home after completing their bucket list experience.
Queensland, Sydney and Home
I flew to Cairns via Alice Springs to explore some of Queensland, including the Daintree rainforest at Cape Tribulation, the village of Kuranda, and of course the Great Barrier Reef. Oh, and I also met my long-lost Aussie cousin Bruce, who took us out for the day to the beautiful village of Palm Cove.
Five nights later we took the overnight Spirit of Queensland train to Brisbane, travelling in the railbed section with lush duvets, pillows and flatbeds, covering 1,700 km. It promised spectacular views along the way, with several short stops at Townsville, Proserpine, Innisfail and Rockhampton. The snacks and meals were excellent, although the wine left a little to be desired. Finally, we ended the journey at Roma Street station in Brisbane.
The Brisbane Riverwalk is amazing, as are the CityCat ferries, which you can ride for 50p a trip, along with buses and trains. Bright sunshine made the days very enjoyable for discovering Brisbane’s treasures. Our second event featured Adam Hollioake and Dan Norcross on the deck of the Stamford Plaza in the early evening. What a fascinating discussion took place between the two of them about England’s performance over the previous two days and what occurred during the second Test.
The result speaks for itself. Australia won by eight wickets, but at least it lasted longer and there were some good England performances, particularly from Joe Root with 138, Archer with 38, and Stokes with 50.
I then left the tour and drove over six days to Sydney, stopping off at some fabulous locations with gorgeous hotels, including Byron Bay, Port Macquarie, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley. A remarkable road trip for so many reasons.
I had four days left in Sydney before the flight home. We stayed in Darling Harbour, which has expanded beyond belief, but in a good way, and I met up with my other cousin Paul, whom I had not seen for eight years.
We maxed out our capped daily fee on all forms of public transport, particularly the ferries. We stopped off at Watsons Bay, Rose Bay, Manly and Circular Quay for the Opera House. We left Bondi until the very last day and it did not disappoint. Such a happy place, even Santa was enjoying his day on the beach along with the lifeguards, surfers and swimmers. One day later, a very different scene unfolded, which will never be forgotten.
Sadly, all good things come to an end, and it was time to head to the airport for the journey home via Hong Kong.
See you at the 150th Anniversary Test in Melbourne in March 2027. Bookings are being taken now.
Australia has been a blast. It was great to see all our regulars and meet some new clients as well.
FANCY A TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA THIS YEAR?
