Friday, January 18, 2013

Sydney Melts in heat, too hot to ride

Sydney has sweltered through its hottest day in history(well since records have been kept at least), causing scores of heat-related illnesses, transport chaos, melting roads and bet a whole heap of air conditioning units crapped themselves today.
The temperature hit 45.8°C(114°F) at Sydney's Observatory Hill at 2.55pm today, exceeding the previous record of 45.3°C(113°F) set on January 14, 1939 making it our hottest day in 74 years.
That was topped by temperatures in Penrith, in western Sydney not to far from where I live, which reached 46.5°C(117°F).
Far to hot to be riding motorcycles in although I did see a guy commuting home this afternoon on his bike, he was wearing shorts and Tee shirt, helmet and no gloves. He must have been roasting in the heat poor guy.


My new camera arrived in the mail last week so I'll have to get out for a ride soon when its not so bloody hot and test it out. I ended up choosing another cannon IXUS camera for a number of reasons which were

1)  I wanted a small camera I could fit in my pocket, so no DSLR cameras. Can't carry much on an R1 and I'd probably not stop to use it if I had to unpack it.

2)  I was happy with the previous camera and not wanting to learn everything from scratch again on how the whole bloody camera operated if I got the same brand it would most likely work the same. And after playing with the new camera for 5 minutes it has confirmed that opinion with all the same icons and settings etc that the previous camera had albeit in slightly different spots. Still not to much to learn. I already know how to use it.

3)  I had accumulated enough points on our credit card rewards to order the camera for nothing - so in effect it was a free camera. Win Win.

Here's the little bad boy here.16 b'jillion pixels, HD video blah blah blah..... all in snazzy blue.



20 comments:

  1. I got hot just reading this. We have seen regular reports about the weather over there on the TV in the UK and it all looks pretty miserable. The fires must be frightening for the people in the path of and downwind of the flames. On a better note, that is a snazzy blue!

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    1. Hi Gary
      Yep we sure have some hot days here. I wouldn't like to be facing those bush fires either. I'm amazed that you have heard about them, I wouldn't of thought it of any importance over in the UK what was happening down under. Guess I was wrong.

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  2. Your temps are really scary, and time seems to better be spent in the pool or in front of an A/C indoors.

    Like your detailed camera spec review ;-) It's blue that's for sure.

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    1. Did you like how I put in all that technical jargon about the new camera? But how's it go really. Time will tell.

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  3. Steve:

    I like to have a small camera too but lately I had been stuffing my larger camera into my tank bag for easy access. When taking one handed photos I find that manual zoom is easier to set. With the small P&S you have to press the zoom button to get a closer perspective as every time you turn it on, it is in wide angle mode.

    Your bike is Red, so why Blue ?

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast

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    1. Bob
      I like the wide angle photos, I think they are better than the normal photo size. I can crop if I need to.

      Red/blue whats the difference really?

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  4. Wow temps there amazing.
    Woke this morning here in Wellington NZ to a very high haze in the sky reported to be smoke from bushfires. My thoughts to all your people affected by the fires

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    1. Hi Biggo
      Sorry to smoke you guys out, we didn't mean it. Funny though a couple of years ago when we visited Fox Glacier on the South Island there was heaps of red on the ice and the sherpa told us it was from the dust storms from central Australia that had settled on the ice. Simply amazing. It was in 2007 from memory.

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  5. Steve,

    NSW and Tassie have been on TV here every night and I really feel for you guys. Hope there isn't too much bush near you.

    Good thinking about the Ixus - might have to do the same with mine rather than learning all over again. Must investigate whether our card rewards system does the same - much better than yet more Le Creuset cookware :-)

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    1. Hi Geoff
      There no bush near our house as we are in suburban Sydney.

      I thought the idea of getting the same brand camera in the same model range was a stroke of genius, cause I really couldn't be assed learning how another camera worked.

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  6. Heat, I love heat but then again I was born in Mozambique, Africa. In 2010 when I rode through Nevada we hit 111, that's 43.8 C and we were riding for hours. I used a cooling vest, it worked great under my mesh jacket, the air going through it cools it down.
    I have a small camera as well as my Canon T3i but my next camera to take everywhere on the bike will be a waterproof camera so I don't have to worry about the rain. I usally carry the small camera hanging around my neck with a long strap so it's easy to get to.

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    1. Thats some hot weather to be riding in George. Go pros have a water proof case when you buy them, which is good cause you don't have to worry about it on a trip when it rains. I usually put my little camera in one of those zip lock sandwich bags, that keep the water out and its easy access and water tight(from rain inside a bag anyway)

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  7. Milking sympathay again ah!..Yo aussies, it is either to hot or to cold blah blah blah..........

    Mind uou, fuck going for a ride in that heat, hanging around the pool drinking is a better idea.

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    1. Sitting around under the A/C and drinking a beer is about all you can do in that heat.

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  8. Damn, that is hot. I'd feel bad for you but it is hard when we can't seem to get out of the freezing fog.

    Plus 1 on the Canon. Love the color. We really like our Canon point and shoots.

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    1. The little canon cameras are just so good arn't they. Especially when you don't know anything about photography. Like troubadour say, it's got to be simple. I point, I shoot, I get photos. It shouldn't be any harder than that.

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  9. Great beer drinking weather! Especially with Australia Day approaching! It hasn't been quite that hot here, but I've been absolutely amazed at the number of people I've seen riding in the last week wearing shorts and T-shirt (AKA "Queensland leathers"). I won't get preachy about gear, but I think they are nuts!

    I've gone off the Canons a bit and have had great success with a Panasonic P & S. Nearly as good as an entry SLR in image quality.

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    1. mmmmm beer. I didn't want to have to learn a new camera and all it setting and ins and out etc so I thought i'd get another canon. I was quite happy with the last one.

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  10. Wow that's warm Steve! I think you guys beat us even, we were in Parkes and I think the hottest it got was 44 or so.

    Love the camera, Terry and I both have Canon and all the symbols and stuff are the same, makes it easy when he asks me how he does something, I can actually tell him. Your review is awsome, made me wanna rush out and buy one!

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    1. Yep sure was Brenda. To hot to be riding. As Jules says its beer drinking weather, which sounds good to me.

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