South Australia and Tasmania vie for this country's most important title

Next December, Covid-19 permitting, you can spend Xmas eve in downtown Bethlehem. I usually stay at Room in the Inn, a short walk from Manger Square, the Mosque of Omar and the Church of the Nativity, which not surprisingly hosts the Grotto of Nativity where the miracle man was said to be born. There are two negatives you might want to consider before hopping online to book your room to be there for the 2021 carols and midnight ceremonies.

Bethlehem is in Palestine. This means that, while you can rent a very fine Ssangyong Rodius (Rodius aptly means Lord of the Road) for about $150 a day from the Upper Nazareth branch of Hertz Car Rental, you can't drive to Bethlehem, so save it for cruising the 175km Trans Israel highway where the speed limit is meant to be 130km/h. Just be aware Israeli drivers figure every minute on the road is a race but their race cars have the world's most used horns and no indicators.

South Australia and Tasmania vie for this country's most important title: Australia's most fanatical petrol, diesel and alternative fuels (except electric) heads. Most politicians who understand economics and like creating jobs encourage all forms of auto investment, from parts manufacturing to motorsport. Ironically then, the current South Australian government, hard on the heels of losing car manufacturing, has turned its back on motorsport.

As Victoria realised when it stole the F1 from its neighbouring state, motorsport creates jobs, attracts tourists and gives the place lots of publicity. But Premier Steve Marshall shut down the Adelaide 500 (a nationally and internationally televised event featuring Supercars) and the Adelaide Motorsport Festival. In a festive season miracle, opposition leader Pete Malinauskas has promised to bring back both events if enough people vote for him next year.

And our final miracle is the blue 1993 Cizeta V16T that RM Sothebys will be running over the block in Arizona this month. Designed by Marcello Gandini for investors, former Lamborghini test driver and development engineer Claudio Zampolli and the father of disco, Giorgio Moroder, it's one of nine, three of which (including this one) were bought by the Sultan of Brunei. It comes with a transverse-mounted 402kw, V-16, with 64 valves, eight camshafts, two fuel-injection systems, four-cylinder heads, four pop-up headlights and 983km on the clock.

Have a miraculous New Year.