Hey, it's a heatwave Down Under - no snow, no freezing weather, just good old-fashioned sizzling heat.

40 degrees Celsius = 104 degrees Fahrenheit 

50 degrees Celsius = 122 degrees Fahrenheit

Hello there!

We live in an alternate universe Down Under, where the weather from the Northern Hemisphere saturates our news, but our own weather hardly rates a mention. Polar Vortexes, Sub Zero temperatures, high winds and destruction - so much more exciting than boring old heatwaves and the consequences. Australian weather? We just accept that it's summer, so we expect ridiculously-high temps, with drought/and/or floods/and/or bushfires/and/or cyclones thrown in. What's new? It happens every year when December rolls around. (Funnily enough, that's when I escape to the Northern Hemisphere, being someone who prefers cold to heat, lol!)

The fact that this heatwave has been in full force for about two months, makes it a bit harder to ignore. So I thought I'd do a post and show you a typical day in Australia during 40 - 50 degree Celsius temperatures (Conversion at top). 

This photo was taken near Brisbane (where I live), on a day when it was expected to reach 50C. I think it only got to 46C. Welooked at the sunrise, and commented - 'Looks like we're in for it!'

So if you're lucky enough to be at the beach on the Sunshine Coast for the weekend, you head to the wonderful Baked Poetry Cafe in Peregian Beach and imbibe a cooling iced coffee - bliss!

Baked Poetry Cafe iced coffee, the best I've ever tasted!

Okay, you can't sit there under the shady trees drinking coffee all day, even if it's 46C, so let's head for the beach! Yeah, yeah, I know, you shouldn't be sunbaking in this heat, but what the heck! You can easily cool off with a refreshing dunk!

If you can't get to the beach, you might cool off under the moisture fans wherever you see one!

But we coast dwellers always remember the Outback, where there's no beach and little water for pools - (they head for the nearest dam)...drought is severe and stock are dying. 

The Australian Outback...always sizzling! A great setting for Australian romances...from Australian authors like Annie Seaton, Jenny Schwartz, Anna Campbell et al...

Our native koala is parched too. Anywhere for a drink! Lucky suburban koalas.


Bushfires always abound in summer, especially in 40C+ heat and in the south where the heat is dry! Queensland where I live is humid.

Victoria, in the south of Australia, has had on-going bushfires for weeks. They're really suffering. Many homes have been burnt to the ground.

And of course, it's not a Queensland summer without bushfires. Here's one on North Stradbroke Island, off the coast near Brisbane.

It was 54C this day!

What about writing? Not easy in the heat...



Too hot to be inside, so the Vannguard Writers Group met at the Coffee Club in the city and participated in a writing exercise at the Wednesday Farmer's Market.



My youngest daughter lives in Townsville, where they've already had their first cyclone scare for the year. Luckily, Townsville was spared. It hit the towns to the south, but not too badly.




At the end of another unbearably hot day in Brisbane, you head to South Bank beach, which is open all year round, well into the night.

Too hot to go home to bed, so you may as well take a ride on the Brisbane Wheel.



Ha ha! I hope you enjoyed my photo essay. And the good news is that it has cooled down a little!

• Speaking of Australia, Australian author and friend, Charmaine Clancy, has just released her third MG novel - Undead Kev. Kev follows on from My Zombie Dog and Dognapped?

And I'm looking forward to seeing the movie, Tracks, where a young woman goes on a 1,700 mile trek across the deserts of Western Australia with her four camels and faithful dog. Drama/Biography/Adventure

And finally, let's all cheer our friend Roland Yeomans up by visiting him after his facial surgery. D.G. Hudson has a brilliant post on Roland's progress and his novels. 

An Aussie Christmas

An Aussie Christmas is about simple food and the beach

Been reading the blogs I follow (mainly English for some reason) and a few Christmas stories are trickling through, enough to highlight the difference between a Northern Hemisphere Christmas and a Southern one. Hmm.

In Oz we have been suffering extreme heatwaves (40+C in some parts), bushfires (already!), floods (although I see England had a wee bit of a one), drought (in my area) and endless debates on Climate Change and Global Warming causing it all.

We're on our third leader of the Opposition and all due to Global Warming. Hum. All shaping up to the usual Aussie Christmas that we love so well. And the very reason the last few Christmasas I've managed to be in the Northern Hemisphere struggling through blizzards in Belgium and driving on snowy roads in France, not to mention being frozen in London. What is worse?

I'm about to become reaquainted with the lovely Aussie Christmas!

For many years we have struggled with the ridiculous idea of cooking a roast dinner in 30+C heat, but thankfully that is one of our British Empire traditions that has mostly found its way to the archives of modern history - now we go for prawns and lots of other delicious seafood, salads, wonderful crudites and cold trifle or cheesecakes for dessert.

Thanks to another British import - Masterchef (which I watched when I was in London a few years ago) - Australians have upped their expectations of food. We are now ALL masterchefs. The show has taken Oz by storm. We are out trawling the Farmers' Markets and Gourmet Delis to plate up the freshest and finest for our loved ones. So it ain't half bad!

Well and I managed fine getting the Chrissy deckies up yesterday - no lofts to climb, no dreaded lurgy laying me low in high summer, just a few boxes to get out of the backs of cupboards and bingo! Lights and colour. I'm completely addicted to fairy lights, so all the extra heat is going to add to the already warm temp and I'm going to have to crank up the air-con. What was that I was saying about Global Warming? Who's responsible? It is me after all....

Merry Christmas everyone!

But of course Oz does have its compensations - gorgeous beaches, swimming pools everywhere, resort holidays, watersports - being in a hot clime does have its good points...