Luckily I was out of the country during the Sydney test - in a place where cricket doesn't figure in the news. That the series ended in a meaningless draw sums the whole thing up really.
Cricket Australia need to think outside the square for the future. I assume that we have England every 4 years and India every 4 years for 5 test series - that covers 50% of Boxing Day/New Year test series. West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe need to be kept out of the major test venues until they improve significantly - off season tests in Darwin, Cairns or Townsville only.
That only leaves Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand to fill the other 2 years of the 4 year cycle. Sri Lanka have been good in the past, so hopefully they can improve from their current display in NZ. Depends which Pakistan turns up - if they are on they are highly competitive. I'd like to think that NZ could be convinced to play tests in Australia in December/January as the alternative was a ODI before a few thousand people in rural NZ. I understand that Sth Africa want to play their own home tests on Boxing Day/New Year and are unlikely to change that desire.
We simply can't have another series against sub-standard opposition at this time of year.