'Everyone's giving me grief' about the series being over ahead of my trip.
Sunshine, meat pies and world-famous cricket grounds - what more could an England cricket fan ask for?
Well, perhaps an contest for the urn in Australia where they remain in contention to win back the Ashes following the initial matches.
This is not the case during this tour, after Australia's crushing triumph in Adelaide put the hosts with a 3-0 lead for the fourth straight contest on their own soil.
The loyal traveling fans, the vocal contingent, have a large group flying out for the concluding fixtures in New South Wales and Victoria.
There are also organized trips who will celebrate the holidays in Australia, as well as families and friends planning a dream holiday.
The Ryding Siblings
A group of four supporters are a prime example.
Alex, Sam, Rory and Katie had their travel arrangements and match passes booked for the fourth and fifth Tests "well ahead of time", anticipating a historic English victory.
From afar, they've seen Australia defeat England convincingly in just under two weeks from their house in Penwortham, Lancashire.
"Everyone at work has been teasing me regarding the concluded contest for the last two weeks," commented one sibling.
"The hope was that we would have a meaningful contest by the time we arrived."
Diminishing Hope
Optimism was high about England's chances of ending their 15-year wait for a series win in Australia ahead of the tour.
But they are now looking at the possibility of extending their winless run in the country to 19 games when the Boxing Day Test begins in Melbourne on Thursday, 25 December.
The England team - and their followers - will be keen to prevent a clean sweep.
Alex said the "thrill and enjoyment" of head coach Brendon McCullum's 'Bazball' in recent years had "brought fresh energy to" the five-day game for followers of the team.
But the Ryding siblings said they had realistic outlooks for the final two games - and all they are hoping for from the players is "some resilience".
"Every pundit alludes to it, but it all is about mental resilience. 'The aggressive approach has been turned into a buzzword now that is just, like, impractical batting," commented another sibling.
"During a long match, you should hunker down. Chasing balls 'wide of off stump has not been part of the coaching manuals, and that is primarily due to the frontline batsmen."
The Remaining Matches
When questioned if he believed England will secure a victory in this Ashes series, Sam said: "It looks like the Australians are superior at the moment."
"There is going to have to be multiple performers that makes a significant contribution and produces a match-winning display."
Regardless of the result, the siblings are still looking forward to the trip.
"We are going to have a fantastic experience regardless," said Katie. "We have to go with that mindset."
"Obviously it is disappointing we don't have more to play for, but we have made a substantial financial commitment as it is."
"We'll enjoy celebrating the holidays overseas. This will be mine and Rory's first time away from home over Christmas."
A teacher, Katie is intent on maximizing the lengthy journey as part of her seasonal break.
"If all else fails, I can play golf to fall back on," she added.
