Melbourne Australia

On February 7th we can claim to have been in the hotest city in the world which was Melbourne. The tempature was 46.4 C or 115F. I don't know what the effect of wind would be but if it is -10C and there is a wind it will feel and the impact will be as if the tempature were colder i.e. -20C (Windchill). There must be the same effect with heat, for on the day the tempature rose to 46.4C there was a very strong wind and it felt as if there was a very huge and strong hair dryer on full force blowing you. The Australian Open was played in Melbourne the week before we arrived in 40C tempatures. The city and downtown are centered on the river with lots of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. There was lots of activity and one can easily believe that Melbourne has been classified as one of the best cities to live in. In our Australian travels two topics dominated news the fires raging in Victoria and the floods in South Australia. When we were in Melbourne the fires were only 50 kilometers away and had already claimed over 200 lives and displaced thousands. The State of Victoria has had drought for over 6 years and everything is bone dry and ideal conditions exist for raging fires that can and do outrun or overcome firefighting efforts.
On Feb 6th we took a trip to Phillips Island to see the Penguin Parade. Phillip Island is home to one of the smallest penguins. Once dark arrives they come out of the sea and waddle to their burrows, in the mornig they leave before the sun rises. The timing of their arrival and departure helps to avoid predators.

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