Weather

It rains a lot in Springbrook.

On average, around 2,000 - 3,000mls a year. Yes 2-3 metres! On days it is not raining you can be surrounded by thick fog. Particularly on the higher parts of the mountain. Summer however is usually 5-7 degrees cooler than the Coast and can be lovely (even when its raining!)

The mountain has three distinct plateaus that can experience three different types of weather... all at the same time. Generally its rains a lot more and is cooler towards the top of the mountain. The lower you go, the less it seems to rain and the warmer it is! 

Springbrook Rain Fall

 

From the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website.

Its also cold here nine months of the year and about 5-7 degrees colder up here in Winter than on the coast which means we have four distinct seasons!

Due to the high rainfall we often have more mould than you see on the coast. Pretty much everything you own will at one point grow mould so lots of fresh and moving air and even a dehumidifier will help a lot! Open windows when you can and keep the air moving. You will soon come to know what real leather items you own as they are particularly susceptible to growing mould. 

You will need much larger gutters and down pipes to cope with the intensity of the rain than you had down the hill. Get the biggest water tanks you can afford - you'll fill them in Summer and then you wont have to buy water during the usual Winter drought.

You will have to do a lot of maintenance as the weather takes quite a toll on our homes, long term, with such damp conditions, leaf drop, shade, algae & moss growth, and time. Its hard to get out in the rain to do maintenance.

We do get frequent summer storms that close Springbrook Roads due to landslides and tree falls. These same storms can also cut the electricity supply regularly. We are at the end of line serviced by old wires. No electricity can mean no water, no heating, no telephone (the mobile phone tower can run  out of battery) for a lot of us. Cuts can last hours to days, so you need to be prepared.

The storms can have a high number of lightening strikes that manage to fry all your electronics. As soon as you know there's a big storm on the way - unplug anything you can't afford to replace!! Plugged in items often survive the storm and a few days, or weeks later, they die. Insurance wont always pay out due to the discrepancy in timing. 

In order to live here happily and contentedly you need to be prepared for these things and plan in advance what you will do when there is no power for an unpredictable period of time. You may decide to get a generator to run pumps for water and showers. Chainsaws for getting out of your driveway and a BBQ or gas stove to cook dinner on. Solar power is a popular option for those with a gap in the trees. And a decent supply of pantry food at all times! (You'll get used to UHT milk after a while!)

When there is a northerly blowing then the temperature can be as hot and sticky as the back of Mudgeeraba in Summer. Summer days, when it is not raining, can be quite glorious. In winter though, those few degrees make a huge difference to how cold you will feel. Frosts happen regularly in Winter and midday highs often are often not much over 12 degrees. Brrrrrr!

So, be prepared to be cold more often than too hot. You will need to prepare to have high heating costs, or off set them by insulating your ceiling, getting thick curtains or double glazing for the windows and maybe install a fire place. If you install a fire place, it  will work when the power doesn't but you will need a firewood supply and a place to stack and store firewood and kindling.

Electric Blankets are low cost efficient way of getting through our cold winter nights!

We live in an area of unpredictable and variable weather in that when its cold, its really cold. When its wet, its really wet and when its glorious, its really like living in Paradise!