England head to Australia this winter to try and cling on the Ashes. You can be there too! Freedom Australia have some great packages, taking in different venues and different cities. Here’s what’s on offer around the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
For many Englishmen, watching cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is a more than suitable Christmas present, but in 2010 Andrew Strauss and his men laid on extra festivities, bowling Australia out for a meagre 98. The Aussies probably would have preferred coal in their stockings.
Larger than any sports stadium in Europe, the MCG presents a daunting challenge for visiting opposition. In addition to the 100,000 pairs of eyes wishing for an English wicket to fall, the ground is surrounded by Australian sporting greats of days gone by. Bronze statues portraying some of the finest to don the baggy green, including Warne and Bradman, team up with athletes and Aussie Rules legends, all of whom have satisfied the country’s constant hunger for sporting success.
They may seem well accustomed to colder climates but penguins also appreciate some vitamin D. Every day of the year at sunset, Phillip Island – just a 90-minute drive from Melbourne – becomes a hotspot for the flightless birds. As they waddle across the beach, bearing an uncanny resemblance to WG Grace approaching the crease, you can start planning your adventure down the Great Ocean Road, but for now, all roads lead to Sydney and the final Test.
