Monthly Archives: November 2008

I’m Spinning Around … Move Out of My Way

By | | Australia, grrrr
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Spin. Gotta love it.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM, the Aussie MET Office) released its summer weather forecast today. Summer starts in 4 days, on the 1st Dec. Tonight it is once again chucking it down. It was at least beautiful and blue skies for long periods and the rain whilst heavy was at least in showers rather than constant.

So, the summer forecast is not very good, or great, depending on the spin you put on it.

Weather bureau predicts wet, cool summer
WEST Australia’s unseasonal weather is set to continue with forecasters predicting a wet, cool summer.

Perth has recorded the wettest and coldest November in 17 years – the seventh-wettest on record – and the trend is set to continue.

WA Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Glenn Cook said a warm Indian Ocean and several high-level troughs — or low-atmospheric pressure systems — had produced the wintry weather Perth has experienced during the past few weeks.
…
According to WA Bureau of Meteorology forecasts, central WA has a 70 per cent chance of exceeding average summer rainfall between December and February while maximum temperatures are predicted to remain average or cooler than normal during the same period.
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This time last year, Perth was on its was to recording the warmest November on record. But so far this month the mercury hasn’t reached 30C.

Cloudy skies are also robbing Perth of one hour of sunlight a day as the average 10.7 hours of sunshine is cut to just 9.8.

“It is the first time we have not had a 30C in November since 1964 ,” bureau forecaster John Relf said. …

Hot summer on the way, bureau forecasts
26th November 2008, 14:21 WST

It’s going to be a long, hot summer.

The Bureau of Meteorology has released its summer weather forecast, and it’s tipping hot days in the southern states, and hot nights in the north and west.

But there’s some good news too – there’s wet weather ahead for some lucky areas.
…
When it comes to overnight temperatures, most of the country is in for a warm summer.

Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory are the areas most likely to have unusually hot nights.

The mercury may rise this summer but there’s some relief on the way when it comes to rainfall.

Western Australia is in for a wet summer, as is north-east NSW and south-east Queensland….

So, its either a great hot summer thats going to be fab because of the rain, or a cold wet summer. Both from the same forecast. Gotta love that spin.

What they havent clicked yet is that its down to us. No matter where and when we go somewhere, the rain soon follows. The rainclouds worship us. They followed us to Jamaica, Lanzarote, Majorca, all over. And now they are here. The reason the UK had such a bad summer this year is that the clouds were sulking because we werent there.

*sigh*

The adventure continues.

By | | Australia, General Mumblings, grrrr
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Yup, time to pick ourselves out of the doldrums and get on with it. Australia is a pretty big dissappointment but that’s not going to change – we have resolevd to make the best of it for the time we are here.

We are seeing a bunch of adverts about Australia the movie with the first actress I ever had a serious crush on, Nicole Kidman. quite surreal to see what is portrayed (sunny, blue skies, wide “red dirt” country) comapred to what it’s actually like – very cold (there was snow in New South Wales this week – and remember, this is supposed to be summer!!), unbelievably wet (according to the government website, Perth actually gets more rain in a year than Edinburgh) and quite lush and green (from all the rain!).

It’s odd that weather plays so big a part in this for us, but really, that’s the one thing we were looking for. we reckoned being far away from home would be sufferable, and missing everyone would be tough… but hey – at least the weather will be better, right? anyways. positive. upbeat.

We have a plan!

We basically have about twenty to thirty hours a week with absolutely nothing to do (basically, every week day night, and at least one day of the weekend). Perth is essentially a waiting room for a mortuary, so there’s plenty of free time (seriously. there’s more night life under a plant pot.)

Plan A hasn’t worked out too well. That involved easing the boredom with alcohol (we have got through a frankly terrifying amount of the stuff since we got here – I am sure everyone remembers that I am an incredible lightweight: 2 pints and I am anybody’s. In one month, I put away 2 CRATES of strongbow.)
So, Plan B involves using the free time to get in lots of exercise, get the diet back under check and cut back on the sauce. It’s going rather well – Jen’s Wii Mii is looking decidedly more active now, and she has lost a good 12 pounds: I’m down a good 6 pounds (I started later).

actually, we have two plans – the other plan is for coming home. It won’t be until 2010 at the earliest, so don’t get the party hats bought in just yet, but we have started the plans – sorting out stuff to ship back to the UK now (so we don’t have to lug it around when we move house here!) and the stuff that needs to stay with us.

We have mentioned the plan(tm) to a couple of you, but here goes: we are coming back to scotland.  As I say, this won’t be happening right away, but we will be coming back when our Visa runs out (if not before). The reason this has now become something we are looking forward to is…

RTW tickets.

A few of the big airline groups (like the Star Alliance with BMI etc) offer round the world tickets – you have a maximum distance, and number of stops, and they work out at only a grand or so more than the cost of actually flying directly home!!

The plan includes Singapore, Tokyo, Beijing, Los Angeles, Florida, Washington and New York so far, with a few days in each. Should be fun. let’s face it – after Perth, anything will be fun!!!