THE MEANING OF OZ - All you need to know!

Good luck bearing with it. I suspect there are significant similarities in the climates of coastal California and South Australia. We have a roughly 14 year cycle of drought & heavy rainfall associated with the El Ninho/La Nena current cycle in the South Pacific, During the dry years we get periodic easterly winds from the hot, dry interior, particularly in Southern California where they are called "Santa Anna" winds. They bring 40 deg C temperatures and widespread forest/grass fires. During the wet years we get lots of mudslides in the coastal hills. A lot of this is a result of a cold water coastal ocean current (down from Alaska) moderating what would otherwise be a hot, dry continental continental climate. This last aspect of the situation may also exist in South Australia.

Bearing it hasn't been at all difficult today or yesterday, George.
Mid-20s, both.
Almost chilly!
Indeed, quite a bit of what you describe in Southern California sounds very familiar to us folk living in the southern states of Oz. Except upside down ... like replace the cold bursts from Alaska in winter with freezing cold bursts from Antarctica ... & so on.
The grass/bushfires you describe sound very similar to (sadly) similar regular events in SA & Victoria .... usually associated with the extreme heat (& in our case), the westerlies.

My memory is a bit hazy on this, but I seem to recall that firefighters from southern California assisted in fighting the horrendous Black Friday (& on) bushfires in Victoria in 2009 .

I have been trying very hard to ignore the temperature. As soon as I reach 'my office' (the dining room table) the air cooler and fan get switched on and I fight the urge to press the 'temp' button on my medialert console. Out come the dictionaries and thesaurus and I get stuck into the crosswords - a task of titanic proportions at the moment as my brain seems to get caught in 'neutral' since my last stint in hospital.

Yesterday I heard the forecast on the news of 31 degrees. Lost in space somewhere between the Baffler and the Giant Cryptic, I flipped on the TV to see if there was anything worth watching. Third day of the Oz/India test match. 'This will keep my mind off the heat for a little while.' Ha! The few minutes I intended to watch stretched into hours of rapt enjoyment. What a wonderful day it would have been to be at the SCG! Then I realised the worst of the day was now over, and though I was hot and sticky I had not even noticed the heat.

Now, if only they would ban the grunting and moaning I would go back to watching the tennis!!

I'm no cricket fan, but it WAS a great stinking hot summer weekend pursuit....before I had air-conditioning! You know those days during a major heatwave, when you just could not move.

I'd lie on my sofa, wearing a wet sarong and with my trusty fan on, and read and watch cricket. It was back in the days of Lillee and Rod Marsh and Imran Khan at his most gorgeous. There was something so soothing about the pace of the test matches, the white against the green, the hypnotic commentary. When that palled I'd read., looking up when there was a bit of excitement.

One would also have ice water next to one, and I used to have a cool bath run to leap into when it got unbearable,

You're right...you need a distraction.

It sounds as though you are especially affected by heat though, Ragnel? Is this because of your illness? I am very sorry it affects you so much for whatever reason.

I also really enjoy watching good tennis occasionally.....you're right, the grunters and screamers drive one mad though!

Re the exchange of fire fighters. It's really cool...we regularly send ours to major fire dramas in the US, and they come here to help us. The seasons make this logical.

Kind of makes you choke up a bit though.....it's such a great thing for people to do.

Yes, I agree. 100%

It's a wonderful thing to do.
And yes, it's choked me up, too.

You're such kind girls, can I offer you a tissue?

Yes, please.
Thank you!
<honk!>

But seriously, I remember some of the farewell street "parades"in Melbourne, the community thanking & waving goodbye to those overseas firefighters who came to help fighting the nightmare fires of 2009 .....
Very, very moving.
(I admit I howled. )
We felt so grateful to them!

So I'm going to Sydney for 2 days, (partner and his daughter stay one more), apart from the obvious, any suggestions you Aussies you ?

Sorry, FS, but I haven't visited Sydney for a few years now so don't have any terrific suggestions for you.
Hopefully some better informed person will, though.
Enjoy the trip!

Thanks anyways....

It's only a couple of days (now that saying rings a bell)



But, you never know, someone may have a good suggestion we haven't googled

I hope so.

There's always the harbour!

Right smack looking at it

And great for walking around bit of, on a beautiful sunny day!

Anything here grab your fancy?

Sydney this week:
http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/aroundtown

OMG looking, looking

David is a Chef, his daughter's Mum is an award winning pastry Chef, they do like their dining.

David and I LOVE Comedy , daughter is 13 she does too but last time David and I went to one, 3rd date, there were "naked" women on stage Then again Daughter is well travelled:)

You just taught me something Work-a-holic me, ...to view dates before booking, some things there are just before or just after we go grrrr.

Wow, thank you msolga...

We will go through this tomorrow together you are , well awesome but you know that

My pleasure, FS.
Too bad about the timing of some events, but I hope a few things suit.

But in any case, just being Sydney in early January ..... perfect!

First trip like I said you taught me something watch out next time, actually we are very impulsive people we just do on the whim:) And enjoy every part of it, there are things there I wouldn't / he wouldn't have seen so again fanks

Take an umbrella with you!

(just in case! )


Wild storms, lightning hit Sydney town:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/wild-storms-lightning-hit-sydney-town-20120108-1pqb6.html