Yeah, it's hot. It's stinking hot. I'm in northern South Australia on the APY lands and it is sweltering. My team and I are staying in a company house that reportedly has air conditioning but I'm not convinced it's working. It is equipped with a swampy, which doesn't seem to be making much difference. There is also a box air conditioner, the kind you put in the window except it's sitting on top of the freezer with it's back against the wall. You have to keep adding water to it too. It marginally cools the space around it, but with everyone cooking on the gas stove, it was less than effective. I could not possibly cook on the gas stove in this heat, and had wished the others passed up on it, but no, apparently 45C heat is not too hot to cook in.
The day was off to a rocky start. We had planned an early start so as to actually get some work done once we arrived. 8:30am turned into 11:00am. We managed to fuck around most of that time trying to get a fridge that worked. We packed two different trucks, only to swap out again in the end and sling the bloody travel fridge in the back. One would think these things would be maintained by the maintenance guys, but one would be wrong. We should have sorted it out yesterday ourselves, but that was another frustration in itself. We had the truck we planned on taking brought into the garage so it wouldn't be so hot to pack in the morning, but then we couldn't get the roller door down, and yours truly managed to pull the damn chain off the wheel, so had to wait for someone to come to fix it.
We also had to search for keys for part of the morning to the house here and the extra truck keys. We finally manage to get everything packed in the bloody truck which was now parked outside in the sweltering 40C heat of the morning, and then the gate on the truck wouldn't close because the fridge was too big. Rip out half the stuff in the back again, reposition the fridge,and repack the back for the 4th time. We finally get on the road 2.5 hours late, and blast the air con in the truck to cool us all down now that we're soaked in sweat.
We finally arrive in Ernabella and see one of our clients before heading to Umuwa where we are staying. Nice enough house. Hot as a sauna. It took a over an hour to sort out the air conditioning and then the gas stove didn't work. Checked the propane - it was leaking fiercely. Great. What else can go wrong???
So here I sit at 11:10pm in a sweltering house. The other three are in their swags out in the living room where the air conditioner is, but I cannot possibly sleep in a swag as the mattress is only about 3 inches thick, if that, on a hardtile floor. There is no sofa either, just a loveseat and two chairs that are fake leather, real nice to stick to in this heat. I've put water, juice and cokes in the fridge hours ago and nothing has chilled past tepid...I am dying for a frosty glass of water, but alas, it shall not happen here. The others have all bedded down for the night but I sit here swatting an assortment of bugs and beetles that keep coming through the screened windows I have open to let in some of the cooler night air. My room is like a furnace room. There are ceiling fans, and I bought a fan to bring with me but they offer little to no comfort. I can't even take a cold shower because there is no cold water. Water in Australia does not get cold from the cold water taps, not here anyway. There is warm and hot. The only relief is that the truck has good air conditioning and becauseonly two of us have bush driving experience/training, I get to sit in the front and blast the air con in my face. We have a bit of driving to do over the next couple of days, so at least I can be comfortable for a few hours a day. I was so hot and frustrated tonight I had myself a little cry into my pillow away from the others. They were busy watching Bridget Jones stupidity - Renee Zellwegers voice is like nails on a chaulkboard so I couldn't bear to even be in the same room.
Get me out of this cauldron of fire...can't wait to get home on Thursday.
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