'People keep ribbing me' over the Ashes concluding prior to my arrival.
Beautiful weather, classic snacks and legendary venues - what more could an England cricket fan ask for?
Ideally, they'd want an contest for the urn in Australia where they still have a chance to secure the famous trophy once the opening games are done.
That will not be happening this time, though, after the hosts' dominant victory by 82 runs in Adelaide gave Australia with a 3-0 lead for the fourth consecutive series on their own soil.
England's famous supporters' group, the organized fan base, have a large group traveling for the concluding fixtures in Sydney and Melbourne.
There are also organized trips who will spend the Christmas period in Australia, as well as relatives and companions embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
The Disappointed Travelers
A group of four supporters are among those affected.
Alex, Sam, Rory and Katie had their travel arrangements and match passes arranged for the fourth and fifth Tests "well ahead of time", anticipating a historic English victory.
From afar, they've seen Australia dismantle the tourists in just a short period from their family home in their hometown.
"Everyone at work has been giving me grief about it being over for the last two weeks," said Sam.
"The hope was that we would have something to play for upon our arrival."
Lowered Expectations
Hope was abundant concerning a potential victory of breaking a 15-year drought for a series win in Australia before it began.
However, the situation is now facing the prospect of continuing a barren spell in the country to 19 games when the next match starts in Melbourne this week.
Ben Stokes' side - and their supporters - will be hoping to sidestep a whitewash.
It was mentioned that the "excitement and fun" of head coach the positive style of play in the past couple of seasons had "brought fresh energy to" the longest format for followers of the team.
However, the group said they had low expectations for the remaining matches - and all they are hoping for from the players is "a show of spirit".
"Commentators consistently references this, but it all comes down to psychological strength. 'The aggressive approach has been elevated to a term now that is just, like, unrealistic play," stated Rory Ryding.
"Over the course of five days, you should dig in. Chasing balls 'wide of off stump has not been part of the coaching manuals, and that is largely because of the top order."
Future Prospects
When questioned if he believed England will triumph in a Test in this contest, came the reply: "The evidence suggests the Australians are superior currently."
"Necessarily, there must be more than one player that stands up for England and makes a big impact."
Regardless of the result, the group remains looking forward to the trip.
"We are going to have a great time anyway," added another sibling. "We must adopt that mindset."
"Naturally, it's unfortunate we can't contest the series, but we have spent so much money as it is."
"We'll enjoy spending the festive season out there. This will be a new experience for us traveling at this time of year."
An educator, Katie is determined to make the most of the lengthy journey as part of her time off.
"If all else fails, I can play golf to turn to," Katie concluded.