People & Places
Montoya's Australian Blog September 2007
Dave Montoya brings us up to speed with life on the Gold Coast this month and oh boy, is he blown away by this area and the weather!
G'Day All
Here we are again, another month on since I last put finger to keyboard!
Hey, I believe I will be appearing on a seminar panel from right here on Oz for all those at the upcoming Emigrate shows. A chance to speak live to someone who has gone through what you are about too, should be fun! (Look for details here).
Well what's happened since the arrival of my Wife Linda from her UK trip back in July/August? Well, the weather is certainly getting warmer now. Today, as I write, it is the 20th day of spring and we hit 30 degrees out on the Gold Coast and Brisbane! We have had many a warm day over the last month, and it's getting warmer (even though we are still almost two-and-a-half months away from summer). Seriously, it can get pretty warm up here on the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Queensland in general really! The further north you go the hotter it gets! Some people, I hear, leave Queensland because of the harsh summer months and the very warm spring ones (with the occasional shower). It can be very overwhelming if QLD is the first state that you emigrate too. As some of you know we started our Australian life in NSW (Inner-west Sydney) which was pretty warm / hot at times. However, QLD is much more humid and is more difficult to cope with, trust me! You must have air-conditioning, if you don't you will suffer. We have not used it as yet even though it's high 20s and 30deg; evenings are a cool 15-20deg at present, sometimes with a cooling breeze which is great! I have all doors and windows open as I type - 22.10!.
When you make your move to live in Australia, do your homework! If, like us, you end up in Queensland, make sure you really want it first. We fancied having a go at living up here from Sydney and have never regretted the move! This is to say nothing against Sydney - we have great memories and friends there - but life for the Montoya family is much more suited to the Gold Coast!
So, what's so great about the Gold Coast? In a word, EVERYTHING! We live next door to Wet n Wild, Dreamworld, Movieworld and all the fun you could ever want at a relaxed holiday destination - after all, that's why over two-million visitors come here in the Summer months! All season is warm, pretty much. One day it's beautiful the next it's perfect! Winter is not too bad (being a pom). Ten degrees is cold round here! And summer, well temperatures regularly hover around 35 degrees up to 40 plus. Spring, for me, is the best time of year. High 20s to early 30s and cooler nights that are comfortable to sleep in!
It's also the best time of the year for going to the beach as in the summer spend 30mins in the sun and you'll be roasted inside out! Beware of the sun out here; it can be very dangerous indeed!
The sea is getting warmer already and the kids love it. Within 15 minutes from our home we are at one of the many glorious, beautiful beaches that are out here. Dolphins were out the other week, swimming up and down the channels! To me the Gold Coast must be one of the best places in Australia (if not the best) to raise a young family, come see for yourself... That's it for now as I believe there will be lots more to discuss at the live seminar soon.
Take Care, till next month (or the shows).
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