Pros & cons of where you live...
Feb 4, 2019 23:45:27 GMT 10
SA Hunter, WolfDen, and 1 more like this
Post by Peter on Feb 4, 2019 23:45:27 GMT 10
Following a discussion in another thread, I'm curious to know people's opinions of the pros & cons of their local climate & conditions. Please share to your heart's content as it will likely give us all ideas we hadn't thought of. Please show metric & Celsius as well as archaic measurements such as imperial and Fahrenheit for the benefit of those members in less advanced countries...
en.climate-data.org is a website that provides some great information on cities around the planet. But for now, I think a brief description will do. For me:
Metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.
Hot/dry summers (usually maximums are between 30-43C(86-110F)), cool/wet winters (it rarely gets to 0C (32F) on the coldest of nights).
We used to have heatwaves where several days in a row would exceed 40C, but the last three summers haven't been so hot.
Comments:
- We don't normally freeze to death, and there's no snow (except one or two nights every year or two there’s about 1mm (3/64") of snow on one peak a few hundred kilometres south of here. But heat stroke and sunstroke are a concern for some (particularly the elderly and frail). Dehydration is a daily consideration in the warmer weather.
- Water storage will be a proper bastard WTSHTF as I'm in the suburbs and the summers can be long. Average annual rainfall in Perth is 733mm (2.4”), but stuff all of this is in the hot months.
- Being metro, there are very few walking meats around. Fortunately, there are rabbits nearby (however long they'll last when the grid goes down) and a river with saltwater fish, crabs, & prawns nearby. There are also plenty of waterbirds, which can't be hunted now but in a WROL scenario that would change. We don’t have kangaroos around here, although they’re common in the outer suburbs (southern Mandurah, north of Joondalup, and in the Hills east of Perth, plus the occasional golf course throughout the suburbs, etc)
- Although my family has the space to grow some food (we're on about 1,000m2 (that's about 10,700 square feet)), many newer residential lots are <300m2 (about 3,200 square feet). Once a house is built there's stuff all space to grow even weeds. Even the iconic Australian backyard lemon tree is rare here these days. Hills Hoist is a relic of the past I’m afraid to say.
- Very few native fruit & vegetables grow wild in the area. And one can never tell what they’ve been sprayed with if you find them.
- Perhaps the biggest concern is that the only contact many people here have with their neighbours is a quick wave as we drive into our garages. The sense of community is sorely lacking.
- There's the occasional critter here that'll cause you problems, but they generally aren't an issue. We get tiger snakes & dugites here, redback spiders (did you know there have only been 2 deaths in WA from redback bites since 1958?), whitetail spiders (although their danger is the subject of controversy), plus the usual stuff in the ocean if you venture that way (they tell me there are bull sharks in the Swan & Canning Rivers but I've never seen any. Regular sightings of dolphins though.). Folks in the country have much bigger concerns in these regards.
- The medical system here generally works (although I've had major infections from minor surgery in a major hospital in the past...) but of course it'll be stuffed post-crunch.
The big question: Would I move?
Yes. Finances permitting I’d move to the south coast of WA around Albany/Walpole/Denmark… around 900mm+ (a touch under 3’) of annual rainfall, but it’s more evenly spread out than Perth. Community is stronger. More farms. Less bullcrap (although there still is plenty among some folks). Bigger residential land plots (although I’d want to live on an acreage).
Also, Mrs Pete would love it. Unfortunately, however, this is largely due to being closer to her parents who live down there. I though 400 km (250 miles) was the perfect distance to be from the outlaws. Not so close that there are regular visits, but not so far away that the visits last too long…
en.climate-data.org is a website that provides some great information on cities around the planet. But for now, I think a brief description will do. For me:
Metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.
Hot/dry summers (usually maximums are between 30-43C(86-110F)), cool/wet winters (it rarely gets to 0C (32F) on the coldest of nights).
We used to have heatwaves where several days in a row would exceed 40C, but the last three summers haven't been so hot.
Comments:
- We don't normally freeze to death, and there's no snow (except one or two nights every year or two there’s about 1mm (3/64") of snow on one peak a few hundred kilometres south of here. But heat stroke and sunstroke are a concern for some (particularly the elderly and frail). Dehydration is a daily consideration in the warmer weather.
- Water storage will be a proper bastard WTSHTF as I'm in the suburbs and the summers can be long. Average annual rainfall in Perth is 733mm (2.4”), but stuff all of this is in the hot months.
- Being metro, there are very few walking meats around. Fortunately, there are rabbits nearby (however long they'll last when the grid goes down) and a river with saltwater fish, crabs, & prawns nearby. There are also plenty of waterbirds, which can't be hunted now but in a WROL scenario that would change. We don’t have kangaroos around here, although they’re common in the outer suburbs (southern Mandurah, north of Joondalup, and in the Hills east of Perth, plus the occasional golf course throughout the suburbs, etc)
- Although my family has the space to grow some food (we're on about 1,000m2 (that's about 10,700 square feet)), many newer residential lots are <300m2 (about 3,200 square feet). Once a house is built there's stuff all space to grow even weeds. Even the iconic Australian backyard lemon tree is rare here these days. Hills Hoist is a relic of the past I’m afraid to say.
- Very few native fruit & vegetables grow wild in the area. And one can never tell what they’ve been sprayed with if you find them.
- Perhaps the biggest concern is that the only contact many people here have with their neighbours is a quick wave as we drive into our garages. The sense of community is sorely lacking.
- There's the occasional critter here that'll cause you problems, but they generally aren't an issue. We get tiger snakes & dugites here, redback spiders (did you know there have only been 2 deaths in WA from redback bites since 1958?), whitetail spiders (although their danger is the subject of controversy), plus the usual stuff in the ocean if you venture that way (they tell me there are bull sharks in the Swan & Canning Rivers but I've never seen any. Regular sightings of dolphins though.). Folks in the country have much bigger concerns in these regards.
- The medical system here generally works (although I've had major infections from minor surgery in a major hospital in the past...) but of course it'll be stuffed post-crunch.
The big question: Would I move?
Yes. Finances permitting I’d move to the south coast of WA around Albany/Walpole/Denmark… around 900mm+ (a touch under 3’) of annual rainfall, but it’s more evenly spread out than Perth. Community is stronger. More farms. Less bullcrap (although there still is plenty among some folks). Bigger residential land plots (although I’d want to live on an acreage).
Also, Mrs Pete would love it. Unfortunately, however, this is largely due to being closer to her parents who live down there. I though 400 km (250 miles) was the perfect distance to be from the outlaws. Not so close that there are regular visits, but not so far away that the visits last too long…
