It may be cold in Canberra, but at least you’re not in Melbourne. Photo: ACT Policing.
One of my biggest bugbears with Melbournites is when they complain about how cold it is in winter.
I remember when I was moving to Melbourne years ago, everyone warned me about the cold. When I got there and headed straight into winter, I kept waiting for the freezing temperatures to hit, expecting it to be far worse than Canberra … but they never came. It was just damp and miserable.
As a Canberran through and through, I kept pointing out to people that their idea of ‘cold’ was nothing compared to my hometown.
In Canberra, we expect the grass to crunch with frost and our car windscreens to be iced over from May. The cold is so biting that your fingers are numb even through gloves, and it’s impossible to avoid getting dry skin and lips from the blistering air. The heaters have to go on post-Anzac day, even if you want them on from the last days of March.
When I lived in Scotland, winter wasn’t that hard to bear because I knew what it was like to live with the cold. I just had to grow accustomed to snow being part of the occasion and get on with life.
But while Canberra winters are not for the faint-hearted, any Canberran will tell you that this time of year is also one of the most beautiful in our city. It might be cold, but winter here is special.
The mountain air is crisp and refreshing, we have bright blue skies even on our coldest days, and where the winter sun reaches can still get a glimpse of warmth. We’re close to the snow and the beach (I highly recommend a winter beach trip!), and here in town, we have a million indoor activities to occupy us.
Rugging up and walking around the lake, heading into museums or galleries, or even just spending a few hours in a cafe with a warm drink and friends are all some of my favourite winter activities.
And wherever you are, our city has beautiful vistas that shine in autumn and winter – you can’t deny how picturesque Canberra is when the leaves change colour and when you can see snow on the mountains on the horizon. I find myself feeling grateful every time I catch a view and realise this is where I get to live.
Granted, everything I’m suggesting here is only fun if it’s accessible. The flipside of winter for those without the same resources as me can be rough. Heating bills and freezing-cold Canberra rentals are hard to bear, and I always feel for our city’s homeless when the cold really kicks in.
If we could address the social and economic inequality, and increase access to support to ensure every Canberran can stay warm, healthy and safe in winter, well, then I think our city would be unbeatable for the season.
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