Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere

In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are opposite and the winter solstice is June 21st. Growing up with cold winters that test our fortitude and make us Canadians hardy souls, I believe that if you can survive winter the rest of the year is clear sailing.

So far, winter in Perth has been FANTASTIC! From our bedroom window we can see the sun rise in the east. At the winter solstice the sky turned pink at about 6:40am. In the afternoon I took Dawson for a walk in Wireless Hill Park behind our house and watched the sun set over the Swan River about 5:20pm. Not bad for the shortest day of the year.

Right now the day temperatures can go up to 20C (about 68F) and the night temperatures can go down to a low of 8C (45F). Definitely not like the winters were when I grew up. I remember walking on snow that crunched with each step and when I spoke the air turned white. In Perth right now there are flowers still in bloom, including Poinsettia trees with their distinctive bright red flowers.

But I think that this lack of cold air has made my Canadian blood go thin - last night it went down to 3C (35F) and when John said he would take Dawson for his evening stroll - I succumbed and stayed inside because I didn’t want to get “rugged up” to go out in the “cold”.

So as I sit here smugly surviving a winter in Perth, with great pleasure, there is a nagging thought at the back of my mind…… I have to remind myself that if the locals consider this to be winter – WHAT will SUMMER be like??? Perhaps I will not be quite so smug in December and January….