'People keep ribbing me' about the Ashes concluding prior to my arrival.
Golden sun, savory pies and iconic stadiums - what more could an Three Lions follower desire?
Realistically, they'd hope for an Ashes series in Australia where they retain a possibility to win back the Ashes following the initial matches.
This is not the case during this tour, after the hosts' dominant victory by 82 runs in Adelaide left the home side with a 3-0 lead for the fourth straight contest on home turf.
The Barmy Army, the vocal contingent, have a large group making the journey for the final two Tests in the SCG and MCG.
Furthermore, other travel parties who will be vacationing overseas, as well as loved ones embarking on a special expedition.
The Ryding Siblings
A group of four supporters are among those affected.
The group had their itineraries and entry credentials secured for the Melbourne and Sydney matches "well ahead of time", dreaming of a long-awaited triumph.
Instead, they have watched Australia dismantle the tourists in just under two weeks from their residence in their hometown.
"People in the office has been giving me grief about it being over for the last two weeks," stated Sam Ryding.
"The hope was that we would have something to play for still when we got there."
Fading Positivity
Hope was abundant regarding the team's prospects of ending their 15-year wait for a series win in Australia ahead of the tour.
However, the situation is now staring down the barrel of extending their winless run in the country to 19 consecutive Tests when the fourth Test gets under way in the MCG on Christmas Day.
The England team - and their followers - will be hoping to sidestep a whitewash.
It was mentioned that the "entertainment" of head coach the positive style of play in the past couple of seasons had "renewed interest in" the five-day game for English supporters.
But the Ryding siblings said they had realistic outlooks for the remaining matches - and all they are hoping for from the players is "a bit of fight".
"Every pundit points it out, but it all is about mental resilience. 'This style has been elevated to a term now that is just, like, impractical batting," commented another sibling.
"Over the course of five days, you should hunker down. Chasing balls 'outside the line has never featured in the textbooks, and that is mainly the fault the batting lineup."
Looking Ahead
Prompted about he believed England will win a match in the current series, Sam said: "It looks like the hosts are a stronger side currently."
"It will require multiple performers that makes a significant contribution and makes a big impact."
Even with the series lost, the fans are looking forward to the trip.
"It will be a great time regardless," commented Katie Ryding. "We must adopt that attitude."
"Naturally, it's disappointing we don't have more to play for, but we have spent so much money already."
"We plan to savor having Christmas and New Year in Australia. Additionally, it's our first experience abroad over Christmas."
An educator, Katie is determined to make the most of the lengthy journey as part of her Christmas holidays.
"Should the cricket disappoint, I've got golf to turn to," Katie concluded.