Climate

I'm just gonna get this out of the way: Australia is rather warm, anyway around it. Sunny, humid Brisbane rudely awakened Larry and I to this fact the instant we arrived. The hottest we've seen so far was 37C (just under 100F) with about 60% humidity about a week after we got here. That was supposedly one of the warmest days of the year for the area. It should also be remembered that we saw -20F wind chill right before we left Montana.

Since the metric system is used in Oz like everywhere else except America, we've gotten used to using the Celsius scale for temperatures instead of Fahrenheit. We've adjusted to the SI system by taking note of what various temperatures feel like. For example:

25C = Better put on some sunscreen

30C = So this is why Aussies are willing to pay $10 for a cold beer

32C = You remember what -20 wind chill was like? I don't. It must have been great

35C = Oh dear God

37C = My brain is cooking from the inside out

Emerald was a different experience. Because it was a couple hundred miles inland, it could go from dry to humid fairly quickly and often depending on the weather. When it was dry, temps could be considerably higher, yet not feel as if you are draped in hot, wet towels. If a storm rolled in, it got quite muggy. We spent an afternoon cutting some trees to use for brace posts, and due to the cloudy skies and stillness, it was downright steamy.

I have never sweated more in my life than I did out at the stations. I believe temps were into the upper thirties Celsius (close to 100F), and you exert yourself a bit pounding steel posts, tamping wood posts, or holding legs in front of a branding fire, all in full sun. I may as well have been totally submerged. I had never before soaked through a set of Carhartts and a pair of boots. Startling AND disgusting, I know.

Having been through this hellfire, just about anything below 100F at least sounds comfortable. I can't speak for Larry at the moment, but I only sweat most of the time now instead of all the time.

All this sun exposure no doubt raises the question about sun protection. Queensland allegedly has a less-healthy ozone layer than most other parts of the world, so the harsh sunshine is particularly damaging. One of the first items we bought upon arrival was sunscreen, which we have used liberally and dutifully. Even with sunscreen, we always wore long-sleeved shirts and long pants while working, along with wide-brimmed hats. And of course, we wouldn't forget our imfamous Solar Shields.