Baby, it’s HOT outside!

It’s hot.

It’s really hot. It’s incredibly hot right around Australia.

I’m four hours from Adelaide – and there it’s 44.  It’s hotter here. (and it’s hotter than Alice Springs which is supposed to be hot)

It’s not the type of heat I’ve ever experienced.  Where I’m from it’s a humid hot – a hot you wanna go out running – kinda like Bikram yoga hot.  The hot you crave…. that feels good to have a sweat. The hot you expect a storm to roll in at about 2pm…  This kind of “hot” – well, it feels like Hell.

Here’s my impersonation of what the Devil would look like in Hell/or in Australia:

I havent been to Hell and nor do I plan on going anytime soon – I’m in good with Karma – but for the sake of this blog and really trying to explain how super incredibly hot this place is… that’s the best I can think of… (and you still wont believe me until you actually experience it yourself)

But I got to thinking of some stuff I recently found around this hot place.  How the heck do they keep things from destructing  –  and this morning while walking around in 39 degree heat, I had an Eureka! moment!

 

 

This is Whyalla’s artistic express of what a boardwalk would be.  That looks fantastic!  Doesn’t it! It’s concrete!  It’s painted.. and it’s gonna stand up in this incredibly hot heat!

This on the other hand… is real wood.

And I started to think.. those persky kids… breaking stuff… Actually – no.. it’s just so stinkin’ hot and that wood becomes super brittle and beaks.

So, no blaming the kiddies for this… I think it’s just a bout of untreated wood vs the Aussie elements and the elements have won.

That, and there’s not many kids to do any sort of destroying anywhere – i mean – Cowell has a population of 10 – but still manages to have two amazing pubs – but I’ll get to that!

And, I LOVE Australian security.  Watch out – do not enter!  There’s a bunch of picnic flags up – and they’re not even really up!!

Okay, so we’re in Cowell – or as I love to call it.. MOO Cowell because there’s not a whole heck of a lot there.  🙂

But I rekon this town was popping during WWII – there’s two amazing pubs.. and I mean… like HUGE pubs… towering over myself… Here’s a picture of one across the road – the other is down the road toward the left.

The closest town is 120k away…. Kinda really no need for a kick arse pub – let alone two.. but there’s a bit of a ‘history’ between them.

In true Aussie fashion…

And it reads….

THE BLACK STUMP

As a new year prank in 1972, a large stump was placed between two hotels

on which signs read:

“BEST PUB THIS SIDE OF THE BLACK STUMP”

The original stump was stolen

this larger stump was erected in its place

also paying tribute to pioneer land clearing battles.

After several fires the weight is 2060kg.

Okay – this kinda makes me chuckle a bit. Firstly, a bunch of pranksters took a block of wood and just made an announcement out of pure boredom to get some sort of gang war happening in a town with a population of 10 (probably 8 back then) – then, it was stolen… (very Australian) and, they put in a larger one (also very Australian) – oh yeah, and by the way.. this pays tribute to those old guys with cattle who cleared this area and stuff… (yeah right)

So when we drove up to the water’s edge to do a bit more exploring – it was extremely FUNNY to see that… they have TWO toilet blocks… TWO!  Why do you need TWO NEXT TO EACH OTHER!  (why do you need two pubs next to each other!)

I couldn’t seem to find the black stump for the rival toilet blocks.. probably due to the heat of sun – it probably just disintegrated and blew away like dust…

Heading down to Lucky Bay – also known as “lucky your car didn’t get stranded like this one..”

 But don’t worry – there’s still four good tyres – minor rust.

And, everyone seems to have a tractor – haven’t really figured out the main purpose just yet other than peer pressure because every other person down in Lucky Bay’s got one.

It is almost Matrix in the feel – do I want the red tractor or the blue? But we didnt see any locals to ask what the deal with the tractors were.. Instead, we found more cool stuff…

Like, it ain’t an Aussie Xmas.. unless you drink yourself into oblivion so that your Xmas tree can have some cool beer can planes!  How creative!

Or… meet some of the locals…(the only people in town that can handle the heat)

 My personal favourite is the tennis ball boobs – now that I think of it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the pet dog sacrificed it’s favourite play toy to make mum’s fake breasts. (probably the same consistency) Not to mention – a mop for hair…

And saving the best for last…

While driving back north to Whyalla… it’s long – flat.. (not to mention hot – but i digress)

I found a ‘homage’ which first looked like a ‘warning to all bicyclists’ – cars own the road.. but in closer inspection… it was a dedication to all the workers who have spent time down in this area.  They have sacraficed their hard hats (and one his work boots, pants and top) for the tree (of good passage? mining?) It seems like a lovely tradition!