DianeOZ

I'll raise my glass to you tonight - be there in "spirit" ('doh)

Diane

janeyray

This is our first winter here to, and its freezing!!. Wonder why no one has central heating ?, it's cold enough in the winter!!!. At least then I would have somewhere to dry my clothes!!!!

Not lived through a summer yet but arrived in tempretures of 43c

tinaj

Thanks Diane for this thread, I was going to chuck my electric blanket but I will definitely bring it with me now!!

I will also bring all of the coats etc, I am sure when you aclimatise you feel the cold much more.

I can't believe houses don't have central heating - are they alll mad over there? Can't you get an air con system that also blows out hot air?


Tina

Zebra4

Coldest place on earth Perth. Bring woollies, boots, duvets, and even big knickers and Damart double force vests.
Don't believe those who says it never gets cold - you'll end up with really ugly gas heaters & inhaling the fumes, cos no one thinks they need central heating.

Zebra

Teresa

Diane, Dotty, Sandra etc

Thanks for a very good post, we are coming to Perth next year and deciding on what to take and what not, only ever visited in summer, apart from melbourne being extremely cold even then!

Keep telling us what to bring, otherwise us that don't know will dump the lot!

Badge

great post Diane!!

and not hijacked as well!!

badgers

MartyO

We went to Perth once at the end of September/early October and found both daytime and night temperatures to be fine. We stayed with my wife's cousin in Wanneroo.

It did seem though that we were the only ones who thought it was warm enough. The house had natural gas bayonet points in the public rooms and our hosts were so cold in the evening that they wore plenty of clothes and had a portable gas heater on. We were comfortable without the heater with shorts and T-shirts on - at the time I put it down to us living in Scotland and being so used to almost year round temperatures at or below the teperature threshold considered as 'cold' by the average person used to the Perth climate. I don't doubt that it gets colder in the peak of winter and would intend taking some jumpers and warmer clothes.

During the day in teperatures of around 19-24c we were basking in what in Scotland would have been considered glorious summer weather. Again, our hosts couldn't quite believe this. They did think it funny when we returned from a day trip around Perth to hear that I had to pop into a shop to buy a jumper. In the city out of the sun with the wind blowing through the streets it was a bit chilly!

I might even set up in business in Perth selling second hand jumpers as I have so much personal stock!!

The Tooth Fairy

It only costs about $5K to put in ducted central heating and not a lot more to add on cooling.
Brivis

Well travelled

Do you have carpets in bedrooms? does that help to keep the heat in winter???

any suggestions on what else to bring gladly received

The Tooth Fairy

Carpets throughout except the kitchen / bathrooms / laundry are the norm.

Ceiling insulation is the norm. Wall cavity insulation less common in older houses and most effective as a retro-fit after ceiling insulation.

Sandra

Carpet does help- but also you want the polished boards and tiles come summer! Rugs therefore an alternative - up or down!

One thing I am am very disappointed in here is as an earlier post says the little electric fires - very dangerous especially with children, I went looking for a superser - you know those gas ones you have a bottle inside (not any less dangerous but might be worth switching on cause electric two bars sure aren't). Anyway the aussies here think I am mad never heard of them So if anyone is coming Sydney way and wants to bring me out a couple I would be very grateful. I can manage the gas bottles cause they have loads of those for the outdoor ovens!

I am now the proud owner of my first fleece pjs - my mum bought me a full size babygro when I was 18 as a joke - including the feet, so if anyone knows where I get those as well let me know please!?

The Tooth Fairy

This type of heater produces no noxious exhaust in the room and does not become hot enough to burn:
ELECTRIC OIL FILLED RADIATOR HEATER

Good for bedrooms overnight.

dotty

We had ducted reverse cycle (air condit/heat) system put in a single level house it cost $13,000.

In this house which is freezing as it has a creek running down one side, we have a huge wood heater and airconditioning units for summer. The two huge (cooling only) units for different levels cost about $3,500 each. However they still do not do all of the house as it is simply to big and ducted was not put in when built. It was fascinating when they were installed they left the pipes out and there was a continual tap like stream of water coming out from the humidity I simply could not believe how much water is in the air.

Reason people dont have them here is expense they consider it too expensive. However after the awful summer Ceri and I talk about (2 years ago I think) they have become more common especially with older people and in new upmarket apartments.

The Tooth Fairy

With reverse cycle air con, if you have a large thermal load (big house or poor insulation), it is neccessary to have access to 3 phase electric power. This can add substantially to the cost over single phase power. Having individual air con units for bedrooms and living room is often a more economical option compared to whole house ducted air con.

Ceri

Most of the houses here in Brisbane have no carpets, although the odd few do (tiled floors - or wood) only in the bedrooms do people tend to have carpets. I'm opting for no carpets at all in the house I'm building - I hate carpets-they're a pain in the butt to keep clean.

electric blankets and such can be bought here, I'm not sure of the price as I've never bought one. But if you go to Kmart or BigW etc you'll be able to buy one there.

Things to bring besides coats and jumpers (you do not need heaps of these like you do in Britain - but you will need some, just bring one coat each)- bring quilts, blankets etc if they are good ones - if not - they can be bought cheaply enough here.

The daytime is quite pleasant - it's the night which the temperature drops, the lowest I've seen it for my area was 7c one year, Ipswich I have seen dropping down to a 3c, and a minus in some places - it depends where you live in Brisbane - inland places like Ipswich and even caboolture will drop lower than where I am which is next to the bay.
Take for instance I don't think I've ever worn a coat in the daytime here (jumpers yes I do wear in the day) , I only wear coats out on the bay or when raining etc for the day- it's in the night which I will wear a coat and pile on the jumpers, or in the very early morning (4am etc).

cheers