Because for six weeks a year, Australia is the best place on earth to be alive.
The most important room in the house? The outdoor undercover area (the "verandah" or "alfresco"). That’s where you actually live. Listen closely. The background hum isn't traffic; it's cicadas. A million tiny insects vibrating in the gums trees, creating a low, electric drone that becomes the white noise of the season. summers in australia
The other sound is the sizzle of the "barbie." Australian summers run on protein. Prawns (shrimp, if you must), lamb chops, and sausages (snags) cooked until they are charred on the outside. The rule is simple: You bring a six-pack of beer, you don’t touch the tongs unless invited, and you never, ever mention the word "vegan" until after the meat is served. Just when you think the dust and heat will never end, the sky turns an apocalyptic purple. The "dry lightning" cracks. A southerly buster arrives—a cold front that slams into the coast, dropping the temperature by 15 degrees in twenty minutes. Because for six weeks a year, Australia is