What Aussie's do in the heat

[pig.slayer]

Thought I'd post this up as it's quite obvious that many in the USA and Europe are in the grips of winter.

Here in Australia we have had some extreme weather.

I'll extend my best wishes to any Aussies in QLD or VIC affected by some of the terrible flooding in the weeks gone by and also to the people in far North QLD who last night had a terrible tropical cyclone hit the coast.

In the Hunter Valley where I live (2 hours north of Sydney) we have had a heat wave all week. Daily temps have been around and over the 40°C mark and the hotest we had at home was 43°C on Tuesday.

So as you would imagine it's hot, sticky and great - stay under the air conditioner inside weather, either that or the beach but it's even bloody hot there.

Well my wife is away tonight on a shopping trip so what does an Aussie do when it's been hot all week and a thunder storm roll's over...

Wet weather hammock and tarp setup practice, that's what.
Yes I have pictures so it did happen.

Bloody great way to cool off a bit and I actually didn't get too wet.
If my wife was home she would think I'm crazy Maybe I am
But she will never know

Oh well, now it's setup I guess I'll just have to sleep outside in the hammock tonight

Maybe some of you people would like to swap us Aussies for half your weather, and we could give you some of ours. That might give us some nicer weather all round, not to hot, not to cold.

[Lepmeister]

Jealous!!!!
Wife is home and we have had no rain..

Set-ups looking good.

[MedicineMan]

'Yes I have pictures so it did happen.' Cool! and thanks for the photos.
Do you ever seen any Brown or Tiger snakes in your area??? If I lived
in Oz I' have to always be looking down at the ground.

[missingdna]

Brown snakes and Tiger snakes are, along with Hoop snakes,some of the deadlist known and found up and down the east coast of Australia...


frankie

[pig.slayer]

'Yes I have pictures so it did happen.' Cool! and thanks for the photos.
Do you ever seen any Brown or Tiger snakes in your area??? If I lived
in Oz I' have to always be looking down at the ground.

That's a very "American" comment (Don't take offence to that as it's not meant that way)

I spend a fair amount of time in the bush and yes, Snakes are about.
Mostly red belly black snakes and brown's where I go. Tiger snakes are a bit less common.

Honestly snakes are more interested in getting away from you and I think most Aussies, or Aussies that have spent a decent amount in the bush just learn to respect and live with them.

Just think - bear's, cougar's and wolves.
As an Aussie we (I) would be worried about them if I came over there, where as you would be used to them (if that's possible) and take the required steps to minimise exposure and risk.

I have actually had this conversation on a farm in Australia with some Canadian family that were visiting. Exactly the same thing, they hate our creepy crawly's and we don't like the bigger things that try to eat you.
It's all in prospective and just what we have grown up with.

[Cogola]

Pig.slayer
You neglected to mention the very real threat of dropbears (http://www.cfr.com.au/dropbears/)
I reckon they'd give a grizzly a run for its money.

[MedicineMan]

pig.slayer--no offense taken at all and your thought out response is spot on.
I've come across bears and rattle snakes here in the states and its exactly like you say, they want to go the other way...well the rattlesnake didn't but he had our respect.
What frightens me is what I can't see-SPIDERS. Two or three times a year here in the hospital we get someone in with skin sloughing off...brown recluse, and the witch is that 9 times out of ten they don't remember when or where they were bitten.

[whayneneal]

Here in the south we have plenty of snakes of are own, including copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlers, and corals. While they may not be as deadly, a bite from one would certainly ruin your day. Copperheads and cottonmouths can be aggressive although it is unusual. As with the snakes in your neck of the woods, they prefer to get out of the way. +1 on the spiders and no see-ums, particularly the chiggers and ticks.

[SkyPainter]

+1 on the spiders and no see-ums, particularly the chiggers and ticks.

====> One more good reason for hammock camping!

[mbiraman]

Well call me canadian but give me the cold over the heat any day. Having said that i'm getting tired of winter and looking forward to spring.