Heat wave and Bush fires

People were not joking when they said Aussie summers were H-O-T!

We've been dealing with temperatures in the mid-30's to low-40's for weeks now. We've both made the comment that on hot days it feels like we're walking next to a blazing fire - no exaggeration! On these days, we also find that it smells exactly like a sauna! It's very strange, and it really makes us appreciate having air con at our home, at work, and in the car!

The heat this year has surpassed previous records. Temperatures soared to a national record average of 40.33 degrees on January 7, the highest since record-taking began more than 100 years ago! Australia even needed to add new colors to its heat map! Deep purple was added to represent temperatures ranging from 50 degrees (celcius) to 52 degrees, while magenta was added to represent temperatures between 52 degrees to 54 degrees. (Yes, it made it to 54 degrees one day this year in Brisbane!)

Unfortunately, all of this heat meant that the country was at severe risk of bush fires (or as the Country Fire Authority rated it, 'catastrophic').

At one point this month there were between 100 and 150 bush fires across NSW and Victoria States. We even had several fires within 50 km of Canberra city - there were a few days that we could see dark, smokey skies in the distance. Luckily we live in the city center so we really didn't face much risk, but many of our colleagues live outside the city. Pretty scary times, but luckily Canberra escaped without too much devastation this time.

New Years Eve on the Sydney Harbour

As most Aussies can attest, there is no better place to be in Australia for New Years than the Sydney Harbour. Each NYE, the harbour hosts approximately 1.5 million people and the city spends over 6-7 million dollars on entertainment which includes two firework shows with over 7 tonnes of fireworks!

Seeing as this was our first NYE in Australia, we decided to enjoy it in style and booked tickets on a boat called 'The Pontoon'.

The Pontoon

Compared to its sister ship, 'The Starship', the Pontoon is much smaller with a capacity of only 300.  The limited capacity was especially nice as it allowed us to have a prime spot on the boat for the fireworks, and the boat never felt packed with people. The tickets for the boat certainly weren't cheap, but given that there was unlimited food and alcohol available to us (not to mention the best seats in the house for NYE all night long), it was well worth it. It also allowed us to casually stroll up to the boat at 6 pm, instead of camping out the night before in an attempt to get good spots along the shore (many people do this in order to secure a good view).

Great location for the fireworks show!

As the night progressed, all of the boats on the harbour lit up for the Parade of Lights Festival. It made for some great pictures and a really great atmosphere. The Sydney Opera House was also well lit up.

Looks like a neon pirate ship!

Many boats at Circular Quay!

The Sydney Opera House

There were actually two fireworks shows, one at 9pm for families with kids and the other at midnight. We snapped some pictures from both fireworks shows -- here are a few of our favorites.

This is without a doubt one of the best ways to spend New Years Eve. Everything about the night went smoothly and everyone on the boat was very friendly. Unlimited champagne, wine, and beer all night long, all of which were continuously topped up by waiters (you could never manage to finish your drink without them arriving with a new one for you)....Unlimited food, also delivered right to you by the waiters, and then ice cream served just before midnight. We couldn't have asked for a better experience!


Happy New Year everyone! We wish you all the best in 2013!