Summer in Australia: things that shock visitors
 

some locals to be avoided at all costs -

https://www.smh.com.au/national/he-s...10-p50l89.html

and these -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-...=statenews_nsw

The whole no air con thing shocked the hell out of us when we moved to Australia. I got so tired of being hot.

Can't say I miss the roaches, spiders and snakes, but man, do I miss the birds!

I haven't clicked on the links (would be better to copy the text to the thread I think) but we always find airconditioning in America way too cold. It must be what you're used to. We now live in a hot climate in Brisbane and very rarely use our aircon. Growing up, aircon didn't exist, it was summer, get used to it :lol:

Kay

I find the lack of air conditioning uncomfortable in the summer but surprising have not noticed it in my travels to Australia. Granted, it was unseasonably cool when we were there a few weeks ago, although places in Queensland seemed to have it on. I did notice the lack of AC in parts of Northern Europe in the summer though.

The flying insect bit did give me a laugh though. Definitely had my share on Kangaroo Island and in Noosa on this visit. Nothing as bad as what is at Uluru in the summer though.

and heatstroke! -

Three tourists and toddler's lucky escape after suffering heatstroke while hiking in 45C outback

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-31/tourists-heatstroke-no-water-during-outback-heatwave/10676020

"...warned visitors to Central Australian parks "to consider postponing their walks or to walk very early in the morning when it's cooler".

"Even if you are an experienced walker you must take precautions when visiting Territory parks," she said.

In February 2017, German tourists Wilfred and Gisela Thor tragically perished from heat stress and dehydration in the East McDonnell Ranges after wandering off a marked trail at Trephina Gorge.

Whoa! That font is somewhat larger than I was hoping, but the potentially lethal outcome of heatstroke is important to keep in mind - and not only tourists succumb - this year has also seen tragedies involving experienced locals.

"A Perth man has been left red-faced after his angry interaction with a household spider prompted a full emergency police callout to his suburban house."

"Only in Australia — snakes, spiders, crocodiles and sharks, that's what we're known for, but it doesn't usually happen in the metro area. It's out of the ordinary," he said.

"We want to create the SRT — the Spider Reaction Team.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...pider/10683454

Thanks for the laugh farrermog!

Tourists and new arrivals tend to be over represented in drownings, so at the beach remember to always swim between the flags - the area patrolled by volunteer lifeguards or surf lifesavers as they are known here.

"The beach can seem like the ultimate destination at any time on the long, hot days of the Australian summer.

But the desire to cool off with a dip in the ocean can end in tragedy – and already has for far too many people this summer."

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/good...pot-rip-beach/

I think we should make swimming lessons free and compulsory in all schools - primary and secondary.

That won’t stop visitors who can’t swim & don’t have the good sense to stay out of the water from drowning,
nor will it stop the idiots, usually males, full of booze & bravado. But it will at least give our newcomers, and those whose parents don’t swim, a chance to enjoy our wonderful beaches, lakes and rivers safely.

I also think people who ignore life savers’ instructions to get out of the water, or into safer areas, should be charged and fined. An on the spot fine of $250 or so, going to the Life Saving Club, would be an effective deterrent - and put some much needed $ back in their coffers. They are putting other’s lives at risk, and being an unnecessary nuisance, when they have to be rescued - and setting a bad example if they don’t.

Bokhara - couldn't agree more; would save almost all except those from heart attacks due to over exertion and rock fishing deaths where being knocked out presumably precedes drowning (my old man was washed off the high South Curly cliffs and miraculously washed back on without being sconed - perhaps because there was not much there to start with!). Fresh water difficulties due to lack of buoyancy and snags are another thing of course.

And bluebottles! -

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46777854

The odd shark in a swimming enclosure -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...beach/10701940

btw in the background that's Botany Bay and a Sydney Airport runway and at the end of the clip the heads of the Bay where Cook sailed in.

Reminds me of our weekly school swimming in an exclosure in the Noah's Arky Lane Cove River off Sydney Harbour; one day we arrived to find an abnormally low tide and a huge hole in the bottom of the net.

Missing German tourist "...has travelled off the beaten path for many years and in many countries and has always proceeded with caution", but "Police have said they believed Ms Billen went hiking on the 43.5 degrees Celsius day."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...clues/10715938

[The temperature's just climbed above 39C here in Canberra and I'm avoiding going out to check the letter box until this evening.]

farrermog- are you working for the anti tourism board ��

"farrermog- are you working for the anti tourism board ��"

Working for a few years in the outright tourism booster industry many moons ago (between unrelated careers) proved quite an eye opener, so have long since worked (over compensated if you like) pro bono for the safe and informed tourism board, with, I hope, the occasional bit of Australian humour (so perhaps not to everyone's comprehension or liking) thrown in. All the same, did have this rare lapse not long ago, admittedly qualified by the story about the rotting carcasses -

https://www.fodors.com/community/aus...ralia-1659362/

Btw the story about the missing German tourist Monika Billen - by all accounts an experienced and thoughtful traveller - has not had a happy ending -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...pring/10721000

Sadly another succumbs to the heat, this time an apparently fit local -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...in-wa/10721528

It really is too hot to be doing anything at all outside throughout much of Australia at the moment. No matter how fit you are it can be deadly.

Meanwhile here in Canberra it's about 41C and I've just survived a trip to the clothesline and back; at least the humidity's only 17%.

A reminder of the time before aircon and when HG Wells was among those who suffered and assisted during our 1939 heatwave -

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/opi...15-p50rga.html

A sad reminder abominable acts happen here too, sometimes involving visitors, more often than not young women -

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/nat...17-p50ruz.html

Btw @ #21, that's not to say that tourists and other visitors have been targeted; a while ago that was the case with a small number of miscreants and slight, perhaps assumed to be more submissive, Asian women, but a couple of high profile cases involving Indian students were found, inconveniently for some Indian nationalist types and other troublemakers, to be exceptions to the violence which was being committed on Indians in Australia overwhelmingly by other Indian nationals. There have been huge increases in student visas and temporary worker numbers so perhaps it is not surprising that visitors appear to be increasingly represented in victim reports and presumably the stats.

Quite by coincidence, I just turned to the news for an update and found this story posted just over 20 minutes ago -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...-free/10723922

This latest atrocity involving a young visitor has affected a wide section of the community (as did the recent murder of a young British woman in NZ where such occurrences are much rarer) -

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/nat...18-p50s6u.html

and thankfully the alleged killer has been quickly apprehended.

It gets HOT in Australia in summer and it's getting HOTTER - which curtails outdoor activities, including sightseeing. Here in Canberra we've just had a record four consecutive days with a maximum over 40C, but thankfully today should only reach 33C - brrrrr!

Btw note that the man taken into custody in relation to the Melbourne murder of Arab-Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe has not been charged with any offence, and there continues to be a huge outpouring of revulsion and grief -

https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...18-p50sbo.html

Geez, farrermog - you're depressing the hell out of me. As if watching my local news and the non-stop national coverage of our orange turd in chief isn't bad enough.

Have an ice cream or two Mel, I find it works wonders in either the heat or cold -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...twave/10729008

Btw saw at one stage yesterday that the Melbourne story had temporarily knocked off Trumpski and his despicables from #1 on The Daily Beast site.

"Using someone else's air con" is exactly what we did in Perth a few times. We once spent a few hours in a medical office, long after our appointment, just sitting in the lobby reading, to avoid going out to our car and back to our hot house.

Sought refuge in a few libraries and shopping malls too, as well as the Perth Convention Center.

It's 14 F here this morning in Colorado. Time for some snow ice cream!

And here's an expat American making use of Canberra's museums for his two year old -

"I take the little guy to the museums a lot, they're free and all have aircon," Mr Thornton said.

"Originally from Boston in the United States, Mr Thornton said heat to this degree was a new experience but he said back in Boston children would get cabin fever stuck inside due to snow, much like the recent heat."

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/nat...19-p50seq.html

And as it happens we're about to go to the National Portrait Gallery cafe overlooking the lake for (a cool) brunch; prospective visitors should note that the Portrait Gallery will be undergoing extensive renovation works this year -

https://www.portrait.gov.au

We lived in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait (and Indonesia) and weirdly enough, we felt hotter in Indonesia and Perth than in Saudi and Kuwait.

Must have been that 'its not the heat, its the humidity' thing.

Last weekend in Sydney met an old friend who lives and works in Indonesia and who returns frequently (also for medical treatment btw): at least in Jakarta it's 32C whether it's wet or dry he said.

We lived on Sumatra. The humidity was oppressive. We had two seasons - wet and smoky:).

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/im...e-over-sumatra

Again, not pleasant reading, but taking heed of the message from these tragedies cannot be stressed enough, both for visitors and locals alike -

"Underestimating the wrath of the Australian sun and heat can have devastating consequences, a truth laid bare by two recent tragic incidents."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...tures/10714576

And don't let this put you off going -

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...on-toilet.html

"Everything is suffering through this drought, even the wildlife"

even the koalas are suffering from heat stress and looking for a top up drink -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-...tress/10751338

@#34 - the comments are probably even crueler than the experience; but there is at least one small mercy - at least she doesn't have to front up in court on animal cruelty charges!

farrermog, you probably mean well but can't you find something positive to post? We have such a beautiful country, you are putting people off visiting!

Kay

I hear what you are saying Kay - that must be why I was not in the Australia Day (26 Jan for others here) Honours list, especially as our national government, for the time being at least, is headed by a former tourism chief! But as I tried to explain at #18 above, I actually do see it as (a very modest) public service and small offset to some of the outright and even dangerous tourism puff (not necessarily on this site of course). And I have encountered - OK, so not exactly statistically significant - what I nevertheless would regard as an influential subset of tourists - mainly young people and Swiss and Germans I have to say - who are actually attracted to the extremes and accounts (at least) of dangers they don't get in their homelands. Watch out for the pythons! :menandwomen: =-O

And please permit me to submit the following in mitigation -

the python in the toilet story was brought to my attention (the UK Daily Mail is not normally high on my reading list) by a brother who has lived in FNQ for over 25 years (so just wait until I regale the readership with the attractions of The Festival of the Knob! - Yorkeys Knob that is)

when I was a young bloke I had an NRMA road map of SE Australia on my wall, had coloured in most of the routes by around the age of 22, and lusted after a job on the counter at the NRMA touring section

I am probably one of the few who managed to travel (and at his own expense) to every Australian state and mainland territory (Heard Island was a bit too far, although I did have an uncle who wintered there twice in the early 50s) before venturing OS

B-)

I see what you mean Kay - and you probably mean well, too.

However, if Farremog saves one tourist or local from doing what common sense and a halfway working knowledge of water & land in our country would tell them to avoid, I’ll take the “negativity”, any day.

If some get spooked by the hyperbole of such as the “Daily Mail” - I think our tourism numbers can survive their absence.