WALES hooker Mefin Davies has revealed a fresh aid in the ever growing fitness regime - surfing.

Davies is a big fan of water sports, and was delighted with two days surfing in the Sydney suburb of Manly when Wales spent a few days there ahead of settling into their Canberra training base.

But there was a serious purpose to it all, Davies revealing 'surfing is better for recovery than the cold bath we usually have.

'In Manly people are surfing night and day, the waves have the same effect as a jacuzzi, and it's an important part of our fitness.'

Davies is sharing with former Pontypool centre Mark Taylor, and like the rest of the squad, they are doing their share of cooking, a routine which has acquired plenty of coverage in Australia and the UK.

The Wales squad's base is at the Canberra Raiders rugby league training ground outside the Australian capital, and is reachable by driving through a nature reserve.

En route today in glorious early Spring weather, but more like high summer in Great Britain, we were intrigued by signs warning of stray kangaroos and couldn't help observing that all the brown vegetation was more like autumn back home.

Canberra is a city of government and foreign embassies but peaceful, nothing like the vibrant coastal cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Our hotel, host to half-a-dozen Welsh rugby writers, is situated at the top end of a lake with miles of countryside and a mountain range behind with nothing to impede the view.

It's a tough regime, or it is for the one who opts for a five-mile run around the lake and beyond at 8am every morning.

And there is disappointment - there is no gym in the hotel though I think I'll get over it! I'll settle for an occasional game of golf.

The hotel's bar and entertainment centre is called Bobby McGee's which will strike a chord with popular Newport group The James Boys and their fans.

We soon learnt how rugby league not union is the number one game out here.

The pilot at Heathrow on our Quantas jumbo revealed the sporting result of the weekend - the Aussie league final not the union World Cup.

And The Australian newspaper today revealed how the World Cup is hardly living up to its billing as the biggest thing since the Olympics.

The anticipated influx of 50,000 fans has not materialised, and forecasts have been dropped to 40,000 while hotels are complaining about the lack of guests, and are also dropping their prices.