The heat is on!

Well, it is summer after all but the last few days have been a bit of a shock to the system. After a perfect day weather wise for Christmas the temperature started to climb again with Perth's heatwave making it's way across the country to Victoria. New Years Eve was our hottest day for the whole year. Being a work day for some of us the city took a while longer to change from a place of business to party central. The heat played a part too in keeping people home until after dark.

Bill & I ventured out about 10.30pm and wandered off to Fed Square where we managed to find a little cafe up the back that still had a spare table & the bonus - it was air conditioned. So after a drink and something to eat we set off to the best viewing area, the middle of the Princes Bridge, to watch the fireworks at Midnight. Special permission had to be granted to allow the fireworks to continue on a Total Fire Ban day. As you are not allowed to stop on the bridge the trick is to time it right so as to be where you want to be when the countdown begins. Of course that's where erveryone else is too but it makes for a great time for 10 mins or so. Once again the fireworks were spectacular and worth going out for.

A different route off the bridge this year and we were at Crown toasting the New Year, with a glass of Sparkling Red, in record time. 30 degrees at 2.30am was still a touch warm but with hundreds of people still out & about it was a friendly walk home.

The cinemas & the shops were the coolest place to be over the next few days and that is just what we did staying out of the heat and being entertained at the same time. Of course most of what was on offer was for the kids but we managed to find a couple that were OK. Mum & I saw Atonement during the following week. It was very good too. Definitely not one for the kids!

I started the New Year off with a bang of a different sort, managing to kill the car on my way to work on my rostered Saturday. I am OK and the car is getting fixed but we'll have no women driver jokes thanks very much. Needless to say I didn't make it to work that day.

I thought the Sculpture 'Reed Vessel' from the Docklands Park was a fitting picture for this week. It is by artist Virginia King from New Zealand. It's themes are migration, survival and the sea. The water was the one area that people flocked to this week to try to escape the heat.

Bill was in Adelaide last week looking forward to escaping our heatwave only to fly straight from one here to another there, and then followed the heat home again. With a cooler weekend forecast it just might be time to get out and see what new adventures we can find.

Until next time.........