I know I’ve already mentioned the cold weather and the beautiful weather, but when renting a typical Auckland home with little or no insulation and no heat, getting down to 2.2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight really consumes your thoughts while shivering around the house. I suppose we are simply wimps compared to the native Kiwi’s, but what about the palm trees? You know, tropical beach palm trees? They live here, so it can’t be that cold!
Now of course, I’m no stranger to the cold (sub-zero weather and snow at college in New England and occasionally around Seattle), but it just really surprises me that the norm isn’t insulation and central heat. The climate in Auckland is along the lines of Seattle or San Francisco in many ways – temperate marine climate – but people get along with portable electric heaters, and electric blankets as bed-warmers.
Cindy’s sister Sandy arrives Thursday – I daresay it will be quite a shock to her coming directly from mid-summer to mid-winter. We’re going to be touring around parts of the North Island, then on to the South Island by train to Christchurch. I expect it to be sub-freezing down there, I just hope they put more insulation and heat in their homes!
But here in the tropical northern parts of New Zealand, as we sit huddled around our portable heaters, I do worry about those poor palm trees outside!
Time to put on my cold-weather cycling gear and pedal off to work. Brrrr.
Update: On my way to work, I passed a true native Kiwi, strolling along in shorts and jandals (flip-flops), and nothing to acknowledge the cold except a jumper (sweater)!