Yes it does seem strange to say, Canada Day in Winter but for Canadian teachers in Australia, this is when we celebrate Canada Day. We won’t be having BBQ’s or sipping Caesar’s, instead we will be heading to an ice hockey game, going skatingor perhaps staying warm at the pub.
Does Australia really get a winter?
Well I think this is one of the greatest misconceptions around when talking about Australia because whoever you talk to, either from Australia or people who have travelled parts of Australia will say that Australia is always warm. In fact, this is not true!
Yes Queensland and Northern Territories in Australia are always warm with seasons around wet and dry rather than summer, winter, fall and spring. But ask any Canadian teacher in Melbourne, Australia, and they will tell you that when it’s winter here, it feels cold!
The south end of Australia (closest to Antartica) gets cold, with cities like Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne really feeling it. Yes they don’t get into the minus degrees but the difference is, they still don’t have insulation in houses so what is going on outside, is likely being felt inside.
We wrote an article about Winter in Melbourne last year describing some of the things you need to wear when here. But people continue to show up with no jacket, or scarf or hat (toque) and then end up buying it while they are here (which are more expensive and not as good quality as we have in Canada).
So listen up Canadians coming to Australia, if you plan on travelling in Australia during the months of June-September, this is winter and ifyou are visiting Melbourne, Hobart or Adelaide, then bring your winter clothes and a nice pair of warm slippers for indoors.
Just last week my heating broke here in Melbourne, Australia and when the electrician came to fix it, as usual, he said, ” well your from Canada so this must be nothing compared to your cold.” I promptly responsed, “Ya we get cold but not indoors!”. So for all you Australians still telling people it is always warm in this country, stop fibbing. Also if Austrlaia really wants to decrease their carbon useage, I would highly recommend each house invest in proper insulation and double glaze windows, so that when you have the heat on, it actually stays in the house rather than going through the walls and windows back outside, but also in the summer, the insulation and windows will actually keep your house cooler as well!
So Happy Canada Day to all those Canadian teachers in Australia at the moment! Put on your scarf and toque and go out and enjoy a winters day in Melbourne!
Tags: Canadian teachers, Life in Melbourne, living in Australia, moving to australia, Teaching, working in Australia
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