Sunny Claus... but the Aussies love our winter Christmases!

YOU’D hardly know it’s Christmas in Miami or Fort Lauderdale judging by the lack of decorations when I was there last week, although, if we think about it palm trees are probably more the Holy Land than the German traditional firs popularised by Prince Albert.

Maybe the Floridians are just waiting for the weather to dip below the mid-20s (sorry). Not that the heat stops others from hot parts of the world from adopting our winter customs.

The Indomitable Mrs M who spent part of her childhood in Australia still recalls roast dinners, Christmas trees and snow effects while the sun was beating down on them in Victoria.

Aussie Christmas came to Dublin this week with the Emirates Christmas Party where barmen who looked more like Kiosk Kev before he grew his beard kept us libated with cocktails... one called Bondi Beach Bramble went down too well.

Relatives who have taken the long journey home from Adelaide for Christmas with their newborn arrived suitably refreshed and eulogising about Emirates.

Adelaide may be considered the less-exciting little brother to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but it should’t be.

South Australia is known for its wines. The Barossa Valley, 60kms from the state capital is known for its reds, particularly its Shiraz. And its beautiful women.

A South Australian goddess, whom I’ll call Di because that’s her name, that I met on my much-storied booze bus trip to the Munich Beer Festival waxed lyrical about her home state’s vineyards over a romantic drink in London on our return.

Romantic yes for her and the boyfriend she never told me about who arrived midway through. Seems she liked Scots. It was a long eight-hour overnight bus ride back up to Aberdeen!

I’m not bitter, though, and Di sold Adelaide to me.

I found a sample return ticket with Emirates from Dublin to Adelaide from €1,649 for the sample dates January 7-14. Visit www. fly4.emirates.com.