Chopping onions I glanced out of the kitchen window and was surprised at how dark it was, in reality it was 5.30pm but my body clock was chiming midnight!
I remember landing in Australia almost three years ago. It was the back-end of winter and I assumed the nights would be drawing out ready to greet the impending springtime. How wrong was I? I was shocked to discover Queensland’s evenings were short throughout the year. I really did imagine sitting on the decking with a chilled vino at 10 o’clock at night watching the sun go down. Nobody had warned me about these short evenings and as the weeks went by I really struggled to come to terms with them.
I was assured the evenings would soon be lighter for longer, which they were, but not as you would notice. It was painful watching the sun slip from the sky as soon as we were all home for the evening. I found myself ready for bed at 6.30pm and asleep by 8pm most evenings, including the weekends!
On the rare occasion that I ventured out in the evening, I couldn’t believe how deserted the streets were, an air of Christmas day hung about them. It seemed that Australia had grown accustomed to the early dark nights and the residents live their lives accordingly; or maybe it’s just Queenslanders that have made this adjustment? Queensland clocks are not reset to allow for daylight savings in winter or should that be summer?!! Whatever, they seemed to have it sussed so I had to follow suit!
The eternal optimist that I am means that from every negative I have to take a positive, and the little gem in this scenario is that bright early morning that greets me throughout the year. I still go to bed early and am asleep by 10pm most evenings but who’d have thought a sleepy head like me would wake up with the lark (or should I say the crazy kookaburras) anytime between 4 and 5am most mornings……including the weekends! 
mummi g x
mummigrants 