Australian Weather:

You may be scared of climate of Australia in my recent post. But don’t worry, you will find 4 weathers in a day in cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide etc., you are not going to study in deserts so take it easy.

Melbourne Climate:

Melbourne enjoys a temperate climate with warm-hot summers; spring and autumn are balmy and mild, the winters cool. Melbourne is seldom unbearably cold or unbearably hot, temperature extremes when they do occur. There is a reputation for rain in the city, which is statistically unfounded as Melbourne receives only 50 percent of the average rainfall of either Brisbane or Sydney. Perhaps it can sometimes be a little unpredictable; however, it is a comfortable environment to be in whatever the season.

Sydney Climate:

Sydney’s coastal suburbs are surrounded by seawater, temperature conditions are buffered, and sea breezes keep the hot days cool. Head out west, even a few kilometers, and the extremes are greater. There isn’t any snow in Sydney, and even frosts are rare near the coast. There is no rainy season, and the rain usually goes quickly, but sudden storms can be common, and “showers” means downpours in some places and nothing a few hundred meters away. Learn to live with it.

Climate Of Australia:

The climate of Australia varies widely, but by far the largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid – 40% of the landmass is covered by sand dunes. Only the south-east and south-west corners have a temperate climate and moderately fertile soil. The northern part of the country has a tropical climate: part is tropical rainforests, part grasslands, and part desert.

Rainfall is highly variable, with frequent droughts lasting several seasons thought to be caused in part by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Occasionally a dust storm will blanket a region or even several states and there are reports of the occasional large tornado. Rising levels of salinity and desertification in some areas is ravaging the landscape.

Australia’s tropical/subtropical location and cold waters off the western coast make most of Western Australia a hot desert with aridity, a marked feature of greater part of the continent. These cold waters produce precious little moisture needed on the mainland. A 2005 study by Australian and American researchers investigated the desertification of the interior, and suggested that one explanation was related to human settlers who arrived about 50,000 years ago. Regular burning by these settlers could have prevented monsoons from reaching interior Australia.

Drought:

The rainfall patterns across Australia are highly seasonal. Compared to the Earth’s other continental landmasses Australia is very dry. More than 80 percent of the continent has an annual rainfall of less than 600 millimeters, only Antarctica receives less rainfall than Australia. There are four main factors that contribute to the dryness of the Australian landmass.

Cyclones:

Australia is affected by tropical cyclones which primarily occur between December and April. A few cyclones are known to impact the coast in November and May as well. The region between Broome and Exmouth are most prone to cyclones. Tropical cyclones are known to bring destructive winds, heavy rain with flooding creating storm surges along the coast, causing inundation in low, lying areas. The strongest cyclones can have wind gusts reaching 280 km/h. Cyclones can also move inland, decaying to a rain depression, dumping heavy rain in these areas and causing flooding

Australian Culture:

The demographics of Australia show it to be one of the most urbanized populations in the world; the majority of Australians live on the coast. Australia’s cities are melting pots of different cultures. The influence of the longer-established southern European communities in particular has been pervasive. The great post-World War II influx of both English and non English-speaking migrants from England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Germany, Former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Malta, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and South-East Asia has had a significant impact. Lesser numbers of immigrants have come from the African and American continents.

1. Arts In Australia:
   • Architecture
   • Cinema
   • Cuisine
2. Headline Text:
   • Beverages
   • Music
   • Television and Media
3. Australian Sports:
   • Football
   • Rugby League
   • Rugby Union
   • Footy
   • Cricket
   • Other Sports
4. Attitudes, Beliefs and Stereotype:
   • Mateship
   • Australian Dream
   • ‘Underdog’ Attitude
   • A ‘Fair Go’
   • Cultural Cringe
   • Tall poppy Syndrome
   • Stories and Legends

If you want to learn in detail about Culture of Australia then i recommend you to visit this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Australia

Thanks

Aussie slang / Oz Slang:

Australian slang, known as ‘Strine’, is a way of using certain words and phrases that have become iconic to Australians. You may find that Australians tend to speak quickly and have an unusual way of pronouncing words. Here is a list of commonly used words and phrases, that may help you in learning common slang - try them out with your Australian friends!