Living in Brisbane - the Drawbacks (article)

[New member]

Hi

I've read the following article. I would like to hear your opinions please...

Here goes:

I don't like to say it, especially since I've just been writing another article about how much I love living Brisbane, but there are also downsides to Brisbane.

Let's see, in the "I love Brisbane" article I painted a glowing picture of how early the sun rises in Queensland in the summer. This enables me to go to the beach very early. The trouble is, even in summer, the sun goes down before 7 p.m.

That's awful if part of the attraction of moving to Australia is having leisurely barbies after work in warm, evening sunshine. Most other Australian states move their clocks forward in summer and enjoy lighter evenings. Not Brisbane - we just get early darkness.

I can't mention twilight barbies without mozzies entering my thoughts. These critters love warm, still, humid nights - and days for that matter! Brisbane's mozzies will bite you until you're raw unless you wear repellent - something I don't really like doing but I often have to out of necessity to enjoy the great outdoors.

Unfortunately, Queensland's mozzies can infect you with Ross River virus - the mozzies in all of Australia's big cities can infect you with this virus. Ross River virus causes a lot more distress than the usual mozzie bite. It's a fairly nasty disease - about 5,000 Aussies catch it each year - leading to aches and flu-like symptoms lasting, on and off, for up to a year if you're unlucky.

So mozzies are a "must avoid" and flies, of course, can be a pest too. And then there are the cockroaches - as big as mice and much, much uglier. You're almost certain to have an encounter with a cockroach. To minimise such meetings, my best advice is to buy a newer style house in which all doors and windows seal well when closed and to make sure insect screens are in place when windows and doors are open.

And now the bug count carries on - to termites. According to experts, these pests will attack about one in three homes in Brisbane. Termites feed on wood and are capable of literally eating your house and turning it to dust. Most Queensland houses contain significant amounts of wood and hence are vulnerable to attack. Worse, your home insurance policy doesn't cover you for the damage! Fortunately, it's possible to have the soil around your house treated to prevent termite attack. We've had this done for our house on the basis that it's better to be safe than sorry.

That's enough of the six-legged pests. Now it's time to talk about the two-legged variety - the Aussie bloke. Aussies definitely have a different sense of humour to Brits - a more confrontational humour whereby they will knock some aspect of you - like your accent - usually not very subtly. What you're expected to do is give as good as you get - be a good bloke and knock them back. It's a kind of verbal fencing. Some people enjoy it but it's not my cup of tea. Not all Aussie blokes engage in this sort of banter, thankfully.

Have I mentioned the humidity yet? Try humidity so intense that although it's warm overnight, wet clothes hanging outside on a rope won't dry.

Unlike the UK, where you plan outdoor work for summer, here you aim to get it done outside the summer months. If you do try to do any outdoor work in summer - like fixing up fencing or gardening, you'll find yourself damp with sweat within a few minutes of starting - so you tend not to bother.

I mentioned in my "positive" article that I like to get out really early in the summer to avoid the worst of the sun - believe me the sunlight and glare are very strong here in the summer and you do need good sunglasses.

The summer humidity can be very trying and what astonishes me is the number of schools that don't have any air conditioning. The government is spending more money on this at the moment but it's definitely a black mark against Brisbane schools that kids have to study and teachers have to teach in hot, sticky classrooms. Actually, the lack of air-conditioning is a black mark against many schools in all of Australia's states - but Brisbane is the most humid of the big cities and so the kids feel it worst here.

Speaking of the weather, if you think you've seen a downpour in the UK, you'll realise if you come to live here that you've just seen heavy rain. When there's a downpour here, there's really a downpour. In a summer storm the daytime sky goes black, the wind can blow you down and the rain is so intense it's painful on the skin. You can't see more than a few yards in front of you and streets can be flooded in a matter of minutes.

Storms in Brisbane usually hit late in the afternoon at the end of the hottest and stickiest of days. As such they can almost be a relief - not if you get a tree blown down onto your house though, or all of your power gets shorted by a lightning strike - and this happens quite frequently!

Anything else to add? Yes, the television is poor - I think this is common knowledge about Australia. If you're trying to watch a movie it can feel like there's as much advertising as movie.

So there you have some of Brisbane's negatives. I could never really dislike Brisbane though - it's much too laid back and friendly.

If you add up the positives and negatives at the end of any day here, you'll find the positives have usually won handsomely. Brisbane is a great place to live

[Kerry-Lea]

Sounds to me like Durban!

Really - the author is obv from UK and would probably say much the same about the climate etc in SA!

I think you need to take it from where it comes.

Although - its always nice when people are honest about the good and the bad.

[Brissy Bessies]

Kerry I was thinking exactly the same all the way through the article re: the weather - it is just like Durban! I think the writer is from Cape Town and admittedly nothing beats those late summer nights in Cape Town when the sun only goes down at 9pm. I have read that Saffers from CT and JHB do battle with the humidity in Brisbane, so I guess we're lucky to be used to it already

[SHIRLS]

Are you sure that wasn't a decription on Zululand,well I suppose they are almost on the same latitude and South East-I love it and heading there soon mysely if my sanity holds out a bit longer !

[Chris&Natasha]

Well I think this is a GREAT post ... I would like to know the good and the bad about the city ( Melbourne) we are moving to ;-)

Thanks for the post Brisbane will be one of our first holiday destinations once we are there and settled in ;-)

Chris

Edited May 28, 2008 by Chris&Natasha

[Guest natalie3]

Do the cockroaches steal your tv and stuff?...

Good article..but it hasnt "put me off" one bit..ill brave the termites,roaches,mozzies and humidity anyday...heck...throw in a roo while u at it..im ready..bring it!

[Gweilo]

Excellent post. Thanks, need to know what the downside is too! If we only expect moonshine and roses we will definately not be well prpared for the tough times, which there will be lots off. Please add some more of your experiences, good or bad.

[Bob]

Warm climates are not only nice for people to enjoy, but insects and creepy crawlies too.

I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.

If you really can't handle mozzies and flies, the only obvious thing to do is shift to a cooler / colder climate where they aren't around nearly as much.

Queenslanders have never been one for shifting their clocks forward one hour ("Summer Time" or "Daylight Saving Time")

Brisbane, unfortunately, is at the bottom far south east corner of Queensland and gets the sun come up the soonest and the sun set the soonest also, so you get nights kick in that much earlier than the rest of Queensland.

[Duane W]

Some negatives about Brisbane

Brisbane traffic is bad. Not if you come from JHB

Brisbane roads are bad Around the city yes, elsewhere they are pretty good

The humidity sucks Especially if you come from JHB

There are no real beaches Besides the few man made ones you have to drive upwards of 70km

The Crows Nasty looking noisy bastards they love to wake you up at 5am with their cawing

I have seen one real storm which was on a par with a highveld thunderstorm most of the time its a fairly gentle warm rain, mebbe next summer

The creep crawlies are pretty much the same as the rest of Australia except for the Cane Toad which is a invader which is poisonous to everything except Crows lots of dogs die from biting Cane Toads.

You are supposed to refrigerate them before freezing them.

Edited May 28, 2008 by Duane W

[Nilo]

Brisbane:

Summer time sunrise at about 4-30 in the morning, sunsets about 7 at night.

Winter sunrise about 5-30/6 sunset about 5.

Mozzies, if your a mozzie magnet, sorry for you, bring on the Aerogard!! Good stuff!!

Humidity, Love Love Love it!! Not bad at all, clothes do dry in about 3 hours outside, as it would in Jhb.

Rain, no worries, lightning, no worries!! Power failures, in a year and a half,not one!!!

Heat, about a month of really hot middays, one scorcher!!!

Winters, Cold, night time and early morning, the rest fabulous!!

Cockroaches, about 10 big ones in a year and a half but used to 10 in a day while living in Seychelles.

Termites, new houses' timber are treated and have a mesh so as to stop the little critters getting into the woodwork.

Ozzies, yeah they'll teaze you, thats the ozzie bloke way of letting you know "your all right mate!!"

TV, Great programs on free to air channels, yep a lot of adverts but in which country do you get House, Grays, etc etc the latest series for FREE!!!!

Nah!! THis oke must go back to his Island if he doesn't like this one!!

I LOVE BRISBANE!!!!!!

Edited May 28, 2008 by Nilo

[The Willmore's]

I will rather fight with mozzies and humidity 3 months a year than live in prison in South Africa dealing with some other wild things

I LOVE BRISBANE TOO!

[colton]

This article was written by a Pom and when you compare the two countries, weather wise, you can see why he finds it so different. To the South Africans it is normal. As far as the humidity goes I find it MUCH less and definitely colder here than in Natal. I'm freezing at the moment and we haven't even started winter yet, eish! Been here two years now and seriously haven't had any days when we've used the aircons. Depends on what you are used to I suppose.

[Duane W]

Cold weather? Where? This is just fresh I havent even thought about wearing a jersey or jacket yet.

[colton]

Cold weather? Where? This is just fresh I havent even thought about wearing a jersey or jacket yet.

Hey Duane,

Remember I come from Durban so it is freaking freezing for me at the moment. Bring on hot summer temps of 30+ anyday, this 22o is like the North Pole for me.

[Kerry-Lea]

What about wind?

We are from Fish Hoek in Cape Town and the south-easter howls for most of the year. We are really keen on Brissie (hubby is a durban boy and wants his weather back) but is there wind??? please say no!

As for flies and bugs, we are in CT and its FREEEZING and we have LOADS of flies (an no, my house is not dirty , the whole area is afflicted and has been for a couple of years now!).

I cant wait to get there. Whats the use of moving to a new continent if everything is going to be the same? Where's the sense of adventure??

[Nilo]

Col he's a Joburg boytjie he doesn't feel the cold yet!! I'm feeeeezin tooo!!!

Kerry-lee no wind to talk about, well not like the Cpt at all!!

[Duane W]

Col he's a Joburg boytjie he doesn't feel the cold yet!! I'm feeeeezin tooo!!!

Kerry-lee no wind to talk about, well not like the Cpt at all!!

Nilo I didnt feel the cold in JHb either I have a good heater, the wimmins loooove me in winter cause I am always hot

[wislon]

I grew up in Joeys, and I must say those were the coldest winters I've experienced. I moved down to CT in about '91, and got spoiled, there. If it gets to 5 degrees, that's reaaaally cold for Cape Town. So I used to really suffer when I go up and spend a holiday with friends in Jhb over winter time. And I didn't like how brown and dead everything looked in winter either. CT is dead(ish) in summer and green in winter, I loved it

One thing I will not miss about CT is the wind. After a few days of it blowing non-frikken-stop, I start to get really ratty for some reason. I think there's a wind in Europe somewhere called the Foehn (not sure how to make it do an umlaut) or something like that, which has been tentatively linked to things like more murders, aggressive violence, accidents and suicides during the period it blows for. I used to think it was odd, but I can understand it now, having lived with that frikkin hot, dry south-easter that blows all the way through summer. It drove me nuts!

We've been in Brissie for a total of 9 days, so I can't speak from experience. But I think we were lucky that we came through now, because moving into a new place, fetching, carrying, lifting and loading in the middle of a Brisbane summer doesn't sound like something I'd like to be doing! Does it get much colder than this? 22 is kinda balmy, I haven't worn a jersey since I got here...

I need to buy an umbrella tho

And I so badly missed the Jhb thunderstorms that I'll happily sit and watch a couple of the Brisbane ones before the novelty wears off. I'm looking forward to it, actually. And I've bought some surge protectors already

We saw our first cockroach the other night. Nothing special, we had them in CT. Just as ugly, and just as difficult to kill. Creepy, but no biggie. The ones that scare the cr@p out of me are the parktown prawns (king crickets). I have been known to scream like a girl when I see one of those things. Do they have anything like that here?

Lastly, why would you refrigerate a cane toad before you freeze it? Is it more humane (i.e. the cold makes it hibernate, so it's asleep when it freezes)? I hear those things get pretty big. How do you restrain it? Do you have to tie it up so it doesn't hop around in there? Reminds me about those old "how do you know when an elephant has been in your fridge? there's footprints in the butter" jokes...

[Duane W]

You put the toad into your wifes best tupperware. The RSPCA says u must do it like that so I assume its more humane than letting rip with a chainsaw.

They had a cane toad day last month I think it was. The idea was to kill as many as you could as they have absolutely no natural enemies here.

Its like the cats in the outback except you cant eat the toads unlike the cats.

(Hides from the toad and cat lovers)

[The Willmore's]

Brisbane summers is only really bad for about 3 months - but then you have to bare in mind that most homes, cars, public transport and work has Air Conditioning so you can live with it.

I'm originally form Cape Town - well Strand area and i don't miss the South Easter at all. Like the little breeze we get once in a long while. My first summer here in 2005 we had truly wonderful thunderstorms - and it amazed me the sudden down pore within 15 min we had clouds, thunder, wind, and lots and lots of rain.

Our garage got flooded outside drains could not handle all the water and within 15 min everything was over - it felt like a mini tornado.

We have not had many of them after that. Winters are very nice - cold in the evenings and during the day you can wear short sleeve shirts. We are having some very cold days this year that you do wear winter clothing during the day - a bit weird. No more humidity so its great.

For the Cane toads - spend my first New Years playing golf with them over the fence. It really depends where you live our first 2 years we lived next to a green strip (field) so we had more toads, huntsman spiders, and other creepy crawlies.

Now we're not close to a green strip and we have Green Tree frogs in our garden and they are very cute also lots of gecko's love them.

[Johnsons]

Hi there

We arrived in Feb and only experienced mild humity on our arrival.. since late March.. the weather has been awesome! There have been some thunderstorms, and flooding at various places, but that's mother nature..

As for everything else, I wouldn't trade for any other place right now. We live on the Gold Coast, and I travel to Brisbane everyday for work, it's a 84km trek each way each day for an hour each, in an air-con train and a 10 min walk from the station, and safe to walk everywhere, I love it..

As for the can toad, I had an encounter one day spotting one when hanging up washing, and didn't go indoors for almost an hour just staring at it.. My husband thought it hillarious, as I didn't want to walk past it.. Well they harmless, and I may have been frightened of it as it of me..

As for the mossies, just keep you screen doors closed, the windows all have the screens so no need to still worry to much.. Every night there are mossies at our front door, just close the door quickly.. and wear insect repellant if you're prone to the favourite meal of the mossies..

No drawbacks yet, except for the news which isn't very interesting..