Christmas in June

I will admit, I'm having a very hard time grasping the seasons here. In my Northern Hemisphere reared brain, June equates to warmth, sun, and sitting outside on a deck catching some rays. Unfortunately, I've completely thrown my atmospheric timetable out of whack by moving to a country in the Southern Hemisphere where it is now winter. Let me tell you, I thought I could handle the cold. I was wrong. This past week has been one of the coldest on record here in Taranaki with Monday's temperature never rising about 3 degrees Celsius. That temperature in and of itself would be fine, but combine it with blustering southerly winds and rain, means I nearly didn't leave the comfort of my thrice blanketed bed. Oh, and central heating? An almost non-existent concept in most New Zealand homes, including my flat. They live on space heating. You can imagine how quickly I awaken in the morning going from a warm bedroom to a cold hallway and bathroom.

Fortunately, we on the North Island have not suffered to the extent of those on the South Island which was blanketed in up to 3 meters of snow over the last two weeks, cutting off power to most of the island for up to 10 days. Emergency rations from the North Island were flown in by helicopter. Agricultural areas were particularly hit hard, as farmers were unable to reach their livestock, requiring helicopters to make daily scouting flights to check on the animals. Eventually power was restored and roads were reopened, but not before another storm dumped more snow, this time on the high ranges of both islands. This temporarily closed central roads on both islands, forcing transport trucks to be rerouted over our usually quiet Taranaki regional roads.

With all this snow around I nearly expect Christmas carolers and lights to pop up on every street corner. This idea only encouraged by the occasional Christmas carol played on my iPod stereo as it shuffles through my albums. Unfortunately, Christmas will not appear for another six months. By then I'll be getting ready for the Christmas barbecue.