Normally I am at Greens Lake, north central VIC this time of year but due to a health reason I'm set up near Wangaratta north VIC with 240v instead.

At Greens Lake I spend most of the HOT days in a wet shirt with a wet cloth around my neck to keep cool. I also spend a lot of time in the lake it self but with hat, sunnies and shirt. Oh! Shorts as well :) That helps heaps until around 3.00pm when I let Genny out of the back of the Collie and let her have a run. I then fire up the Aircon until around 7-8pm when all goes quiet in my camp. I am one that believes a Generator should only be on between 8.00am and 8.00pm. Unless you have a health problem and no 12v set up If it was me I would let anyone close by know that.

This year while I have access to 240v I still try and not use aircon until early afternoon if possible, that's just me. I have had a couple of days though that I had to fire up the aircon around midday due to not feeling well. I also have access to a lovely pool and spend a lot of time in that but covered up like mentioned earlier.

That's how I do it and sure I am not alone. That said, there are some very inconsiderate people around, both with Generators and I have noticed caravan parks as well. I have often thought of getting one of those air horns and give it a blast near those people early in the morning however, others around would suffer as well, then I would suffer with pain.

Keep cool Lily and keep safe on the roads and out there.

According to the news weather reports here on the pleasantly warm NSW Mid North Coast where our usual sea breeze keeps us comfortable (26C at 1.24 pm here) it is "scorching hot" everywhere this Summer.

I forget last year's description but it was equally outrageous. The really amusing part is that they all parrot the BoM media releases and misleading propaganda.

Recently I read a comment written by a person from Central Queensland who posted that he has a weather station and keeps records, and that right now in January 2019 the temperature is on average.

By the way, who has forgotten the terrible Federation Drought? Murray-Darling Rivers dry in many places. Time of the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia, Federation of States, early 1900s.

-- Edited by Knight on Thursday 3rd of January 2019 01:25:08 PM

According to the media these hot, dry spells have never happened before.

Young journalists relying on data or old timers with failing memories? perhaps a little of both.

Sidney Kidman knew all about Australia's boom and bust drought conditions in the early 1900's and made provision to deal with it.

"These activities were a means to an end. In 1886 Kidman bought his first station, Owen Springs on the Hugh River, south-west of Alice Springs. Long before his thirtieth birthday he had conceived the idea of buying a chain, later two chains, of stations stretching in nearly continuous lines from the well-watered tropical country round the Gulf of Carpentaria, south through western Queensland to Broken Hill, and across the border into South Australia within easy droving distance of Adelaide. Many stations on this 'main chain' were watered by Cooper's Creek and the Georgina and Diamantina rivers which sometimes brought northern tropical rain-waters to the centre even during droughts. By the 1890s he had begun to acquire his second chain of stations strung along the Overland Telegraph line from the Fitzroy River and Victoria River Downs in the north to Wilpena station in the Flinders Ranges near Adelaide. Thus, by moving stock from drought-stricken areas to others, by selling in markets where the price was highest, by his detailed knowledge of the country, and by his energy and bushcraft he withstood the depression of the 1890s and the great drought of 1902. By the time of World War I he controlled station country considerably greater in area than England or Tasmania and nearly as great as Victoria."

http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kidman-sir-sidney-6948

Lily2018 wrote:

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Chances are there isn't a place to escape the heat in Australia at this time of year but that given, where is your favorite place to spend this season?

And how do you manage air conditioning without going into a CP? It's been 40C and over where I am and while my house is reasonably cool there have been times when I've had to put the aircon on. I imagine a RV would heat fairly quickly without a decent amount of shade and a cool breeze coming off some water.

Best of wishes for 2019.

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We love staying home for December, January & February. We've lived adjacent to Port Phillip Bay since 1974.

Our favorite ''chill out'' area gets lovely cooling sea breezes most afternoons. Read a good book or sing a few songs.

A very refreshing drink is a wedge of Lime squeezed into a glass & topped up with soda or mineral water.

We're currently planning our trips for 2019 (6 months in total).

We love going away but at this time of the year it's home sweet home.  

I feel the same DD, best not to register the caravan for couple of months before we set of somewhere! Summer holidays isn't a good time to hit the road, too busy, too many loud boats or hoons and too hot- just my experience.

We built a 7 metres diameter rotunda where we chill out and have good views of the local golf course.

erad wrote:

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Whenarewethere:
Lovely photo. Was this December last year? If so, how were the flowers? We live in Cooma and we are melting at present, so a quick trip up to the top may be in order - as long as there are some flowers out.

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 Yes just the other day. Yesterday we bought lunch in Cooma & sat in the park under the trees out of the sun. We walked up Dead Horse Gap Track on the 31st but didn't do the summit as the weather changed & we were blown off the track a few times. Lovely walk & we are glad that we put the effort in. But the signage at the beginning is 4km, then 500 metres in it increases to 4.5km, so about 5.0km to Thredbo Top Station! Not a lot of flowers, but just enough, but nice nevertheless. A lot less humid than Sydney.

rockylizard wrote:

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Gday...

Outside, under a big tree, dappled shade, in me camp chair, sipping on cold cordial. Bearable.

Cheers - John

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Fermented grain or aniseed cordial? Or just plain?   .