Thanks for the update Lara - I was getting worried about the chick but good to read that s/he is doing OK . Wow, those are great pics of Curlew chicks. I have only seen one once (an adult) when I was walking around Mission Beach in FNQ, which was a great experience .

I don't pretend to understand El Nino in much detail but we had about 150 mm last week which my garden, especially my ferns, approved of.

Hot pic from the carpark.

Found CurlyLew taking a rest just now. Usually spends his or her time standing.

Thanks for the curlew pics and info Lara - glad to see the little fella is doing better.
I started watching the David Attenborough Great Barrier Reef series on tv last night - really interesting with amazing footage - seeing all that cool blue ocean while sitting in 32 Celsius at 9pm (no air-con) made me wish I was over there. We're having a minor heatwave past few days - nothing like you get over there but when you're not used to it you want to be anywhere cooler - I'd even take the blizzard they're having on the east coast of the US (hope you're all okay over there). Add to that a mozzie invasion during the night and I'm ready for summer to end. How hot's the weather up in Cairns?

It's pretty darn hot bluesfan. Not as bad here near the water although the temp overnight hovers around 25C

Apparent temp at this moment is 33.5C with actual temp just starting to drop now at almost 5pm. It's just under 30C and about to rain hopefully.

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ60...01.94287.shtml

I'll write more later. Have to race to shop bfor rain.

back...

It's like a sauna out there.

I know you have difficulty with the heat causing more pain, so I hope it cools a little for you soon.
32C with no aircon is not good for you.

The best way to describe the temp really is that it's constant and humid all the time.
Only two seasons here. Wet season and dry season.
We don't seem to get extremes like down south has had lately or you for that matter.
Today was really the first day I felt a little faint out in the midday sun. My daughter notices it more.
Looking at radar earlier it shows a lot of storms around the country.

Lara, that is a great picture of the Curlew .

Uggh, 30+ C and high humidity is not fun. I hope that it cools off a bit overnight.

bluesfan, do you have a fan??
If I get overheated I have to get in the water. Even just getting the hair and head wet cools me down a little. I hope you have screens to keep the mozzies outside. Last thing you need is to come down with some nasty mosquito borne virus. Some of those around these parts too.

kiwi, 30 isn't really that hot for a Queenslander.
I've become a bit of a wimp.
Can't believe I grew up here and no one owned an airconditioner in a house or a car.
Any wonder I have some skin damage from the sun. We just lived in the water outdoors.

Hi Lara

No I don't have a fan - electricity's too expensive here to blow hot air around! The only window screened is the bedroom - fortunately I can leave that window open at night - I have to close the windows before turning on any lights or hundreds of insects come in.

The mozzies get in when I have all the other windows open as late in the eve as possible to cool the house down - one or two get into the bedroom and it's the buzzing noise of that invisible menace that drives me nuts and has me chasing around with a fly swat at 1am! - I don't like sleeping in bug sprays.

Still it's not going to last for ever and if I do get desperate I know somewhere stashed away I have a hot pink mosquito net from my backpacking days. Overnight temp tonite is supposed to get down to 19 C (currently 28 at 10.30pm)