Cold, Rain, Wind 'n' Braving Winter in South Australia

Recently I have mostly been braving the Winter in South Australia!

I do not do cold weather!  Even the slightest chill leaves me 'freezing'. I'm certainly not one for a ski trip, I prefer hot beach hols with plenty of summery sunshine. So, when I've recently experienced my first winter weather in 5 years it was a real shock to my system!

With little to smile about when my toes are so numb I can barely walk and with my extremities turning blue (actually black - I was sure it was frost bite), all I could do was throw on another layer of clothing, be brave and hope for the best as I set out braving Winter in South Australia.

Living in Singapore until recently and suffering my last Winter back in France in early 2011, this South Australia winter 2016 has been one heck of a test!

one July morning - frost, hail and freezing winds

As I say, this was a shock to my system and totally unexpected.  I know South Australians will be laughing their socks off - I should have known something was a miss when, back in March, I announced I was cold and that I didn't think much to this South Australia winter because, other than looks of bewilderment, everyone was saying "wait until August"...I chose not to listen and truly believed they were having a laugh. 

I didn't believe (or perhaps chose not to believe) that anywhere in Australia would get 'soooooo wet and cold'!  In my defence  I have to point out that I never saw rain or wind in Home & Away and definitely never saw a long sleeved shirt or hat and scarf on Neighbours. I know these 'deceitful Aussie soaps' are not set in South Australia, but I have recently found out that both Sydney and Melbourne do indeed suffer from winter weather -  real, proper cold winter weather!  I have been totally deceived by Aussie soaps xx :)

Craig McLachlan wouldn't have looked quite as good in a wooly jumper in Winter

Tom and Pippa never braved the cold, wind and rain

and this cheery lot were never spotted in rain coats, hats and scarves

Ok, before buying our home and making the life changing move from Singapore to Adelaide, I did all the research on schools, where to live, how to buy a car, converting drivers licences, good restaurants, where to do shopping, how to apply for Medicare but what I failed on was checking the weather!  

So, after 5 years of not experiencing winter weather conditions,  I had to face the cold, smile in the rain, avoid the wind and just be brave!  So, as Spring dawns here in Adelaide, I am happy to report I survived my first South Australia winter xx :)

a particularly huge pine tree uprooted!

the pine tree fell across the road and into our paddock - barely missing the hay barn

We lost a few trees to the wild wind, but I didn't lose any toes to frost bite!  Now the weather is brightening, warming, drying and improving every day, Spring is definitely set to give me lots to smile about xx :) 

the colours of spring to brighten the days

Spring blossom buds bring happy endings to the Winter

I am informed that this 2016 Winter has been particularly bad - the most windy in the last 30 years, rainfall for July was at 415 mm (usually the full year only gives Adelaide 544 mm!) giving Adelaide its wettest Winter in 75 years, as well as hail, flurries of snow and regular frosty mornings.

So, fingers crossed this year has been an exception which would mean that 'normal' South Australia Winters are mild (and not so wet).  So, perhaps I can survive future Winters...I'll survive or I will hibernate from mid-April to early September xx :) 


With all this cold and rain, a winter-sun break was a much appreciated surprise from my hubby.  Celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary, we headed off to Port Douglas (near Cairns) for a long weekend of sunshine and relaxation.  More about that next time including a mini review of the Pullman Resort at Port Douglas, the restaurants we tried and the beaches we walked...


Visitors beware!


WEATHER NOTES : 

Adelaide, South Australia falls into Autumn in March through to May where visitors should expect cooler temperatures (lows of around 10 degrees C) and rainy wet days (around 25 rainy days in Autumn)

Winter in Adelaide starts in June through to August and visitors should prepare for low temperatures but also the wind chill.  Temperatures during the day with sun and no wind can be as high as 15 degrees C but the evenings and nights are particularly cold.  Frost and flurries of snow feature int the Hills.  The Winter months in Adelaide would, on average, have 45 days of rainy wet days.