WE HAVE RAIN!!

Over here the temperature in the Top End is sub-tropical, meaning we don't have the usual 4 seasons, but rather we just have the 'wet' and the 'dry' seasons.  Right now we are heading into the Wet season and it lasts most of the NZ summer. The build up to the wet is quite awful, hot and sticky due to the increased humidity before the rain finally arrives. Once we have rain, then it's tropical storms with rain on and off, interspersed between the sunshine and hot sticky temperatures. Tropical storms actually look amazing when off in the distance and they make for beautiful photos.

Tonight in Katherine, we had our first rain storm for this beginning wet season and the first rain here since March. It's almost like you want to run outside and do a little dance like they often do on TV, but I managed to restraint myself.

As Katherine is not a Coastal town the heat is around 5 degrees hotter than in Darwin but the humidity is quite a bit less. We also aren't as vulnerable to cyclones in the same way Darwin is, but those cyclones can cause flash flooding in our rivers here and in turn flood the town.  Therefore, they actively have flood plans in place and practice disaster management here. Remember a flood here is not the same as in NZ as their rivers are full of crocs and snakes.

Currently, we still have sunshine every day but the temperature has begun rising each week. These last couple of weeks has seen Katherine having highs of between 37-40 degrees each day and even the night is warm at around 24-27 degrees.  So sleeping here now requires the air-con and a fan to be left on and me sleeping with only a sheet. Can't say I miss the cold damp winter of NZ however.



Tropical Storm taken from Katherine, NT.



Both of these photos are taken from Darwin.







Sunset from Katherine, NT.


Of course the 'dry' here occurs over the NZ winter and becomes the tourist season here as it's sunshine everyday, and no rain for months with temps in the low 30 degrees. Perfect holiday weather with the most beautiful sunsets I've seen.

It's the school holidays now in New Zealand and I am heading off to the Gold Coast for 7 nights where I will be meeting my husband and the kids who are flying over from NZ.  We are staying in a hotel directly overlooking the beach and plan to visit all the Theme Parks and attend a few shows. So as you can imagine we are all quite excited as this is the first family holiday to the Gold Coast. I am little worried, I might find it quite cold going from the climate here, where I don't own a jersey, to there. For my kids and husband it will be a welcomed surprise however.
Anyway, with daylight savings starting in NZ again tonight, I realise that we are now back to being 3 1/2 hours behind NZ again.  They don't do daylight savings here, so it's dark all year around at about 7pm and light around 6am. It's a shame really, as in the dry it would be nice to have some BBQ's in the evening or to go for walks while it's still light, without getting eaten alive or being pooed on by bats.

Coroner delivers scathing report

This death is the inquest I blogged about in June/July and it happened prior to the nurse working in the watch house at Alice Springs. Since the death there have been HEAPS of changes made and more will be made following this coroners report also. But the News clip shows you what the cells here look like for those interested.

The below link has the ABC TV News clip:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-17/coroner-delivers-scathing-report-on-death-in/4266572?section=nt


For the full inquest report you can read it here:

http://www.nt.gov.au/justice/courtsupp/coroner/documents/2012_findings/A00052012_Briscoe.pdf

Doctors' call to legalise cannabis and ecstasy in the NT

Well, when I first read this below News headline and story, all I could think of was cannabis shops and cafes like in Amsterdam. I also thought, ‘oh well, I guess it will be an interesting way to increase tourism to the NT”. 

I'm not sure what a state of Australia with Cannabis and Ecstasy decriminalised would look like, but it sure does make my mind boggle. 

Does it mean doctors start prescribing it, so it’s regulated and controlled?? That in turn could put a lot of pressure on doctors to prescribe it and some doctors will get the reputation amongst users pretty quickly, much like those who prescribe benzos like lollies now. Then the pharmacies have to agree to stock the the drugs as there are few who will currently do the Methadone Programme, let alone Ecstasy and Cannabis.

Will young people go to the doctor and ask for Ecstasy when planning a night out, or will they still go to their friends for them? If they are using it for a party drug rather than being addicted to the drug, where will they gain access to it from?   Do I want my kids having access to these drugs at 16 years old?

Does decriminalising also mean you can grow or manufacture your own at home (like with homebrew), as long as you don’t sell it? 

Who knows how it would actually look, or if it would really work!  There are already mixed opinions on whether the Methadone Programme has actually helped with opiate addiction or whether such people ever get clean when they have easy continual access to it. Plus isn't addiction, as much about what caused the dependence, learning new ways of coping, and changing behaviours, as the actual drug itself.? At least that's the angle AA & NA take.

What I don't really get, is why trial it in the NT when we haven't managed to control our huge alcohol issue yet and where ecstasy is not even an issue (other than with tourists). Why not trial it in Victoria or NSW instead?

Whatever happens, I can already see the drug companies rubbing their hands together. We'll be replacing one criminal for a different sort of one, I guess.

This is the news article from the NT News:

By: NICOLE MILLS   |  September 13th, 2012
 

THE Territory could become the first jurisdiction to legalise cannabis after a renewed push from a peak health body.
 

Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Peter Beaumont called for the decriminalisation of cannabis and ecstasy to be trialled in the NT.

"We definitely have to do something different to limit the damage caused to people because of these drugs," he said. "There's a lot of evidence that (decriminalisation) could help."
His comments came after thinktank Australia21 released a report recommending governments supplied drugs to users.

The report says Australia would be better placed to help people with drug problems if they got rid of the illegal trade.

It also recommended diverting money from law enforcement to social treatments and safe injecting rooms.

But Dr Beaumont said the plan relied on health resources that the Territory did not have.
"The model depends on decriminalising ecstasy and cannabis and having an alternative method of supply," he said.
"And having a system for people to come off these drugs. There just aren't the resources available in the Territory to do that."

He called on governments to do a "closed controlled trial".
"If it's proven to be beneficial, then roll it out," he said.

Dr Beaumont said cannabis had been linked to depression and suicide and those risks would also have to be considered.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2012/09/13/313546_lifestyle.html

And this is some of the reasoning behind it from the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association who back it also:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/legal-use-of-cannabis-ecstasy-for-over15s-backed-by-state-medical-body-20120909-25mhd.html