Help me pack!

[JVes]

Melbourne weather has been going crazy lately. We're going from sweltering 30+(C) indoors to wearing blankets and a jumper indoors (right now). I wouldn't be surprised if we were in the low 40s last week.

 

My family got me one of these last year on my birthday. GET ONE. Get one for everyone in your party. Every time I started to feel hot, I put mine on. It makes an amazing difference to me. No promises it'll work for you, but yeah, wear it.

Take clothing for your dry 40C Texas weather, but expect sticky, humid weather that leaves you feel sweaty the moment you leave the aircon. If you can afford to shop, get linen, silk or bamboo clothing, with no sleeves, and short. OR the sun-barrier clothing that is made of stuff that will keep you feeling dry and cool.
Either way, sunscreen. Highest rating you can find. Reef safe, please.
And remember that sunscreen only extends the amount of time you can safely be in the sun - even if you keep applying it through the day, you can still get burned. Wear the sun-barrier clothing, or be in the shade. Or both.

 

In late spring last year, I went on a cruise (My first cruise! YAY!) in Bass Strait and the part of the Southern Ocean between Bass Strait and Adelaide. It was spring. I didn't bother packing warm clothing. It was a BIG MISTAKE. 

The coldest ocean in the world is the Southern Ocean. Perth and the South Island of New Zealand are both in the Southern Ocean. (In Perth's case it's actually just really close.)

Pack for really cold windy weather, but make it just layers of the warmer-weather stuff and a windproof jacket. You won't need the cold gear often, just if you want to go to the Lido to grab something while you're on the Southern Ocean.
 

[yes!yes!yes!]

I would prefer to over pack.

I think one jumper and jacket for new Zealand is not enough

[Jean C]

And if you find you need something extra for unexpected cooler early sightseeing, ie cruising through the NZ South Island Sounds, go out on deck with a pool towel wrapped around your shoulders - you won't be the first to do this, or the only one 🙂

[possum52]

4 hours ago, JVes said:

 

The coldest ocean in the world is the Southern Ocean. Perth and the South Island of New Zealand are both in the Southern Ocean. (In Perth's case it's actually just really close.)

 

The coastline of Greater Perth borders the Indian Ocean, not the Southern Ocean. The South Island of New Zealand is classed as being in the Pacific Ocean. 

[MicCanberra]

 

Southern Ocean 

[Jean C]

Regardless of the technicalities of where the Southern Ocean is, our visitor from a hot State like Texas will likely find some of NZ cold, especially for the latter leg in mid-March. Not all of the South Island is cold though, for example Christchurch has some of our highest temperatures, often reaching the 30s ☀ 

[boeckli]

4 hours ago, Jean C said:

And if you find you need something extra for unexpected cooler early sightseeing, ie cruising through the NZ South Island Sounds, go out on deck with a pool towel wrapped around your shoulders - you won't be the first to do this, or the only one 🙂

 

[yes!yes!yes!]

7 hours ago, JVes said:

Melbourne weather has been going crazy lately. We're going from sweltering 30+(C) indoors to wearing blankets and a jumper indoors (right now). I wouldn't be surprised if we were in the low 40s last week.

 

My family got me one of these last year on my birthday. GET ONE. Get one for everyone in your party. Every time I started to feel hot, I put mine on. It makes an amazing difference to me. No promises it'll work for you, but yeah, wear it.

Take clothing for your dry 40C Texas weather, but expect sticky, humid weather that leaves you feel sweaty the moment you leave the aircon. If you can afford to shop, get linen, silk or bamboo clothing, with no sleeves, and short. OR the sun-barrier clothing that is made of stuff that will keep you feeling dry and cool.
Either way, sunscreen. Highest rating you can find. Reef safe, please.
And remember that sunscreen only extends the amount of time you can safely be in the sun - even if you keep applying it through the day, you can still get burned. Wear the sun-barrier clothing, or be in the shade. Or both.

 

In late spring last year, I went on a cruise (My first cruise! YAY!) in Bass Strait and the part of the Southern Ocean between Bass Strait and Adelaide. It was spring. I didn't bother packing warm clothing. It was a BIG MISTAKE. 

The coldest ocean in the world is the Southern Ocean. Perth and the South Island of New Zealand are both in the Southern Ocean. (In Perth's case it's actually just really close.)

Pack for really cold windy weather, but make it just layers of the warmer-weather stuff and a windproof jacket. You won't need the cold gear often, just if you want to go to the Lido to grab something while you're on the Southern Ocean.
 

nup. Perth has been on the Indian Ocean all the years i have lived there

[JVes]

3 hours ago, possum52 said:

The coastline of Greater Perth borders the Indian Ocean, not the Southern Ocean. The South Island of New Zealand is classed as being in the Pacific Ocean. 

My apologies.
Regardless of my geographic ignorance (which I will correct for the future), both will have their cold times and/or places.
Both will also have their hot times, I assume.

[cruiselvr04]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions.  We will pack for for both scenarios. I love the 5 S’s. 
 

I do have my personal fan laid out.  I forgot to take it in Columbia SA in October and thought I might pass out from the heat and humidity.  We were standing in the shade dripping wet! 

 

We were also pretty cold in Alaska in July.  We weren’t miserable but needed long sleeves, hoodies, hat and gloves with a raincoat to keep the heat in. 
 

Glad to have chatted on here with all of you.  DH thought we’d need just summer clothes.  Your sharing has convinced him otherwise. 

[LauraS]

On 1/17/2024 at 7:11 PM, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Slip, slop, slap.

 

[LauraS]

Someone wrote to us about viewing embedded content on this forum, and assumed it had something to do with the settings of this forum.  In fact, it is the way in which a user formats the post.

 

When you want to embed a video from youtube, simply past the entire url into your boards post.  The video will then play in the post.

 

If you attempt to make any changes -- or attach the video url to WORDS to hyperlink it, it will not embed and instead you will be linking outside of our site, which means that some people viewing might not be able to view.

 

Are you all seeing the video I embedded above?

 

Laura

[lyndarra]

22 hours ago, Jean C said:

And if you find you need something extra for unexpected cooler early sightseeing, ie cruising through the NZ South Island Sounds, go out on deck with a pool towel wrapped around your shoulders - you won't be the first to do this, or the only one 🙂

On a Celebrity cruise we found small blankets were provided for those wanting to go outside on deck.

[MicCanberra]

Blankets were available on HAL Noordam as well.

[arxcards]

8 hours ago, LauraS said:

Someone wrote to us about viewing embedded content on this forum, and assumed it had something to do with the settings of this forum.  In fact, it is the way in which a user formats the post.

 

When you want to embed a video from youtube, simply past the entire url into your boards post.  The video will then play in the post.

 

If you attempt to make any changes -- or attach the video url to WORDS to hyperlink it, it will not embed and instead you will be linking outside of our site, which means that some people viewing might not be able to view.

 

Are you all seeing the video I embedded above?

 

Laura

The video is visible Laura. Thanks.

 

Could you please look at post #14 though. The attachment shows as unavailable to members of this forum.

 

Similarly a few months ago, I attached a Princess pdf in this forum to find it unviewable for anyone here, but the same pdf was viewable when attached to a post in the Princess forum.

[ceeceeDee]

10 hours ago, LauraS said:

 

The latest ad for Sun Safe - Qld Health

 

 

https://campaignbrief.com/the-sun-gets-its-own-horror-movie-in-queensland-healths-latest-sun-safety-campaign-via-chep-network-brisbane/

[ceeceeDee]

36 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

The latest ad for Sun Safe - Qld Health

 

 

https://campaignbrief.com/the-sun-gets-its-own-horror-movie-in-queensland-healths-latest-sun-safety-campaign-via-chep-network-brisbane/

The 'creepy granny' with the menacing garden shears and diabolical laugh is someone you are familiar with on this forum (honestly, I scrub up a helluva lot better in real life!!🙄). Beware, coming to a cruise near you soon! Bwaa haa haa!🤣

 

CeeCee

Edited January 20 by ceeceeDee

[MicCanberra]

Lol, everything here will kill you.

[ceeceeDee]

14 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Lol, everything here will kill you.

So they keep saying!😂

[FeebeeH]

37 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Lol, everything here will kill you.

When I emigrated to Australia as a child my parents brought home a brochure on Australia to show us what it would be like moving here.  Maybe they were trying to reduce the number of migrants at that time:  the first couple of pages featured sharks, snakes, spiders, irukandji and other horrors (including men wearing shorts with long socks pulled up to their knees, I could never fathom why - wouldn't you just either wear trousers, or shorts?  ..... anway it was the '70s after all).  My siblings & I begged our parents not to move to such a dangerous place, am I glad they never listened to us.  I now back onto bush and get frequent snake & spider visitors and my husband at one stage used to dive with sharks for a living ....how things have changed.  The irukandji I'd still want to steer clear of though.

[cruiselvr04]

Okay I knew you had stingers but I had never heard of irukandji.  I watched a video and am now terrified to go snorkeling in the GBR. 

[lyndarra]

7 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Okay I knew you had stingers but I had never heard of irukandji.  I watched a video and am now terrified to go snorkeling in the GBR. 

Here's some helpful information.

https://tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au/plan-your-trip/wildlife-safety/jellyfish-safe/

[MicCanberra]

7 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Okay I knew you had stingers but I had never heard of irukandji.  I watched a video and am now terrified to go snorkeling in the GBR. 

They are just like grissley bears. Not dangerous if you avoid them.

[FeebeeH]

If you go snorkelling during Irukandji season with a tour you'll most likely be provided with stinger suits.  My sister & her family went to Great Barrier Reef in Christmas 2018 and were wearing the suits.  They weren't the most attractive things, but it was better to be protected than fashionable.

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, FeebeeH said:

If you go snorkelling during Irukandji season with a tour you'll most likely be provided with stinger suits.  My sister & her family went to Great Barrier Reef in Christmas 2018 and were wearing the suits.  They weren't the most attractive things, but it was better to be protected than fashionable.

Definitely.