Christmas Day. Moree, NSW 2400.

Well it is not the usual Christmas weather here in Moree. After all the drought, today could be a British summer day with warm air and constant drizzle.

Trust me to come to the outback, where it is not unknown to have 140 degree heat at Christmas and it rains.

We have had a lovely morning where I played santa for the family...resplendent in my reindeer ears.

Tom's family are lovely and I am spending my Christmas in the presence of an eminent doctor, a Brigadier General, an engineer, a psychologist...just a tale of your average country folk.

I was very privileged to be given very loving and appropriate gifts from my family to bring with me and they all brought a smile of home to my face.

Tom also gave me a lovely book remembering the old days when we taught together in Surrey...wonderful memories!!

We had one of those wonderfully traditional Christmas afternoons with everyone slumped in front of the TV watching White Christmas, before a real Australian icon in the movie Shine.

To round off a wonderful day, just as Christmas Day was becoming Boxing Day I spoke with Mum, Dad and Nicola at home in Scotland...talk about a bush telegraph!