After an unseasonably cold start to summer, Tom and I returned to Melbourne from Thailand in the middle of a heatwave. Southern Australia was in the grip of its worst heat event in six years, with multiple days soaring above 40°C (105°F). As a result, the state of Victoria was facing an active bushfire crisis.
Once the heat subsided, Tom and I took the train into the city for a date night. I'd heard good things about a Middle Eastern establishment called Maha, and we weren't disappointed. Afterwards we walked to Hamer Hall for a performance of Cats. I've always liked the musical, but I appreciate it even more now as a cat person!
Outside of work, I kept up swim training in both the pool and the bay. The jellyfish bloom has been ebbing and flowing with the wind and currents, flaring up after rain following hot spells. Some days, the jellyfish numbers were so high that beaches closed—enough to make the news. The last time Melbourne experienced something like this was in the summer of 2022—the year before we moved—and apparently they show up every few years. An interesting detail no one thought to mention last summer.
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| Underwater footage courtesy of the Seagals |
On the night of January 20th, a strong solar storm lit up southern skies with a rare display of the Aurora Australis. In parts of southern Australia, some people spotted faint green glows with the naked eye, though cameras revealed far richer colors. For the best chance of seeing it, you need dark, south-facing skies away from city lights, typically between 10 pm and 2 am. I was too tired to get up for it (especially knowing it’s often subtle to the naked eye), but enjoyed seeing photos on Facebook.
