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THE WEATHER A
natural advantage for the beautiful Lakes & Wilderness region is the temperate
climate experienced year-round. The region is known as "Victoria’s Riviera";
there are four distinct seasons but no extremes of temperature. The average rainfall
of 700mm (28 inches) is spread evenly throughout the year, as is the moderate
relative humidity of 50-55%. Spring
Spring comes
early to East Gippsland, particularly on the Lakes, and we enjoy all the traditional
spring-flowering trees and shrubs from early August onwards. Overnight temperatures
are in the range of 10-15°C (50-60°F), and daytime temperatures are around
17-24°C (65-75°F). Summer
The summer
season is mid-November to the end of February. Easterly breezes cool the Lakes
foreshore, where Merindah Cottages is located. A very hot February day in inland
Bairnsdale might be 35° C (95° F), but the temperatures at Merindah will
be 10 degrees cooler with the sea breezes. And, of course, we don’t have
the summer humidity problems of the NSW East Coast (north & south of Sydney)
and Queensland (north from the Gold Coast and Brisbane up through the Barrier
Reef and Cairns). Overnight
temperatures average about 15°C (60°F), with days quickly warming up to
about 20°C (70°F) by 8 am. The average summer day at Merindah is between
24-26°C (75-80°F), with inland areas around Bairnsdale in the high twenties/low
thirties. The cottages have remote control split system air conditioning.
Autumn
Autumn is
a long, beautiful, mild season - the favourite of most East Gippslanders - and
lasts from March through June. Overnight temperatures average in the range of
10-15°C (50-60°F), and the average daytime temperature is 23-25°C
(75-78°F) in the early autumn, around 18-22°C (68-74°F) in May. There
are many deciduous trees and lots of autumn colour by mid-May. Winter
Winter days
are mild and clear, and not windy (unlike Melbourne). True winter is a 4 week
period in July with overnight temperatures in the 5-10°C range (40-50°F)
on average. There are 4-5 light frosts in an average year. The days warm up very
quickly to 14-15-16°C (58-62°F). As the cottages are oriented north to
take full advantage of the winter sun, the interior is so warm you probably won’t
even need the split system heating in the daytime. |
