December 2008 weather summary
The first month of summer in Mount Gambier recorded an average maximum temperature of 20.4 degrees (69F) compared with 31.8 in Kalgoorlie (89F).
That’s a substantial difference, and I much prefer the cooler conditions.
Overnight temperatures showed a similar contrast. In Mount Gambier the average minimum was 10.6 (51F) compared with 17 (63F) in Kalgoorlie.
In Mount Gambier the coolest minimum was 6.2 (Kalgoorlie 11.4). The coolest maximum was 14.9 and the warmest was 30.2. (more…)
Cool start to summer
Kalgoorlie had fairly mild weather in November compared with my recollections. The average daily maximum was 25 degrees compared with a long-term average of 30.
I didn’t like the relentless heat of summer in Kalgoorlie. Having grown up in Gippsland, I’m a bit soft I suppose when it comes to typical Australian summers.
Mount Gambier is more like what I’m used to.
Here is a comparison of maximum temperatures between Mount Gambier and Kalgoorlie for the first five days of December:
| Mt Gambier | Kalgoorlie | |
| 1 | 19 | 30 |
| 2 | 18 | 33 |
| 3 | 19 | 37 |
| 4 | 21 | 30 |
| 5 | 19 | 31 |
Nostalgic for Kalgoorlie
I’ve been feeling nostalgic for Kalgoorlie this week. It’s a great time of year there, heading into Race Round (September 7-13) after Diggers & Dealers.
The weather is perfect unless the wind picks up, low 20s, hardly any rain.
Mount Gambier needs rain and nobody audibly complains about the fact there have been showers every day for the past 28, except one.
Jim (4) complained though. He wants to know when it will be spring.
He and Maggie spent more than half their life so far in Kalgoorlie and they don’t appreciate the wet weather. It doesn’t bother me, because I’m either at work or home most of the time, and I’m used to it previously.
Kalgoorlie has an extremely hot summer, which I didn’t like, but you can generally avoid the heat and plan your holidays then.
I think I’ll feel a calling to Kal every year about this time.
Skywest Kalgoorlie-Melbourne
I was sorry to read on the Kalgoorlie Miner website that Skywest will abandon its Melbourne-Kalgoorlie service in November.
I used the service thrice, and although expensive it was a marvellous time saver.
They say it is not economically viable at 50 percent capacity given high fuel prices, operating costs “and the deteriorating economic conditions in Australia”. (more…)
First soccer game in Mount Gambier
Michael played his first soccer game in Mount Gambier today, after a break of three weeks. He’s playing for Gambier Centrals and his under 12 team lost 1-4 to Inter. (more…)
The Border Watch website
I’m putting the finishing touches to a new dynamic website for The Border Watch. It’s my modification of the Revolution News WordPress theme. (more…)
Feeling the cold
Winters in Kalgoorlie are short and not very cold, but temperature is a relative thing. It does get down to zero in Kalgoorlie but it’s a dry crisp cold and days starting that way tend to warm up nicely.
I only encountered a handful of days when the wind was strong enough and chilly enough to make indoors more attractive than being outside.
Moving back to south-eastern Australia we’ve experienced a very mild start to winter, but there have been a few hints of what’s to come.
Stopping near Ballarat for lunch I wanted to close the door to keep the cold out; haven’t done that for three years. (more…)
