Winter has officially arrived! While some are already counting down to spring, Walks Secretary Doug Miers is doing the opposite — celebrating it. Here are his top ten reasons to actually enjoy a Victorian winter.
Every year, when the cold weather settles in, I find myself counting down to the end of winter.
Last winter, halfway through June, I told myself, “we’re one-sixth of the way through winter” and by the end of June “, we’re one-third of the way through winter”. When we reach six weeks before winter ends, I start counting down the weeks till Spring! However, my Mum’s favourite season in Melbourne was winter. She was Canadian, so Melbourne winter would have seemed to her like a mild spring or autumn in Canada, where winter temperatures in parts of the country can reach 30 degrees below zero or colder!
I have this theory that Mum secretly thought that Melbournians are a pack of wimps, the way we whinge about how cold our winter is, but she was too polite to ever say anything of the sort!
These days, I try to focus on the positives, so I’ve compiled a list of ten good things to remind myself about winter. I’m talking here about a real Victorian winter, not those drier, milder periods that we sometimes get in winter these days due to climate change. So, here’s my list:
- No Snakes: That’s right, snakes don’t like winter either! While we’re walking above ground in the wet and cold, they’re wisely hibernating beneath the surface where we can’t step on them!
- No Bushfires: They’re the worst fears of Victorians in summer, with the potential to destroy life, property and forests, but in winter they’re the least of our worries.
- No Sun Protection Required: From around mid-May to mid-August, the BOM website says that we don’t need sun protection at any time of day, unless you’re exposed to the sun for long periods.
- No Watering the Garden: If you have a garden to water, that’s one less task to do in winter, except for plants under cover.
- Everything’s Green: In Melbourne, our parks and gardens are green. When we head out to the country for a bushwalk, the fields and forests are green. What a beautiful sight!
- The Footy’s On: If you’re a footy-head like me, the race for the AFL flag is getting serious, so it’s time to head to the ‘G to cheer on your team!
- There’s Snow on the Alps: For skiers, whether you’re into downhill or cross-country, it’s time to join the Dees fans on the slopes (you need to understand AFL stereotypes, perpetuated by the now-defunct Coodabeen Champions, to get that one).
- No Swooping Magpies: Especially for cyclists, you need to be wary of them in spring, but in winter, magpies are generally well-behaved, except that umpires cop heaps of abuse from fans of their AFL team!
- A Good Night’s Sleep: I sleep better in winter. Give me a cold night under a warm doona over a warm summer night any time.
- If it’s Cold, Just Rug Up: Whilst plenty of summer walks have been cancelled due to extreme heat, we’ve never cancelled a walk because it’s too cold. Just put more layers on, and once you start walking, you’ll begin to strip the layers off!