What IS Happening With The Weather? 22/2022.
I admit I know little about the details of climate change, weather patterns and things not exactly being seasonal this year in Australia…and I write from New South Wales east coast of Australia. An area about 2 hours north of Sydney, called the Central Coast.
We moved to the northern end of the Central Coast in late 2015 and there have been some noticeable changes in waterways, beaches and the like over this time.
However, much much more in this recent Summer, (December, January & February) and I write this at the end of March. Autumn’s first month.
Using some of my images to track the weather conditions and effects that are relatively close to home.
January 2022.
I drove to the southern end of the coast, and also was around our local area, by the Wyong River, the lake at Gorokan/Toukley and the beach called Soldiers Beach at Norah Head where the Lighthouse is located.

Brisbane Water at Tascott

Brisbane Waters.
Over to Soldiers Beach on a summer’s day. Sadly there were not many of these.

Taking note of sand levels….for later photos

Some rocks are exposed but beach still has plenty of sand
Picture perfect water and lighthouse shot too.
Later on in January, some of the waterways looked like this. I visit them regularly and this is good for me to check how things are going….
- Tacoma: Wyong R. Peaceful.
- Clouds of threat..over lake
- A Fave place of mine: Lake
- Gentle Wyong River at Porter’s Ck Bridge
- Water and jetty late Jan
- Such a great morning!
February 2022.
I had begun some little drives to find more of the parts of the Wyong River as I love that it starts in the Mangrove Mountains/Wollombi area of N.S.W. and comes down in its many ways of staying with the land, to eventually places such as Wyong where I take a lot of photos, and it empties into the lakes systems at Tacoma where i also take a lot of photos…and the lake, when it becomes over filled is supposed to go out to sea at the Entrance. In theory.
- A creek at Yarramalong. Part of Wyong R.
- Wyong R at Porter’s Creek Bridge
- Wyong River at Yarramalong.
The Entrance.

The ocean at The Entrance

Left: is where the waters of the lake enter the ocean.
I was determined, whilst the weather remained clear, warm and summer like to go back to the beach. Soldiers of course. But previous tides, and weather had changed the beach and the surf was rough, so I chose a quiet spot to get a bit wet and enjoy the sun.
- About to walk down to water
- Chose this quiet inlet
- Very pretty
- Gentle waves
The good weather held out for a while longer.
I drove to Dee Why in Sydney on the Northern Beaches to see Dad. It was a fine day. Things would not be so for some time after this, weather and health wise for Dad.
And kept up my routines of visiting nature locally to check on the waterways and more. I love doing this.
- Beautiful at Budgie Bridge
- Some of Long Jetty area
- Budgewoi
- Lake at Budgewoi
- Grey Saturday at the lake
- A walk in between showers
- Big rains, and more to come
- Some pleasing drying out.
- Seagulls know about the changes
- Usual jetty almost under
- Big crow at Soldiers’ Beach
- Grateful to be out for walk.
Marching…into March 2022. With gumboots needed!
March just was such a strange mix. Sunshine. Floods. Water, water everywhere. High tides. Sand erosion. Nature’s fury. And then, as if it was not yet done, the places such as Lismore in Northern NSW and other towns and areas were RE-visited by heavy, heavy rain and went through floods again. Honestly, it was even too much to bear watching it on media.
Sometimes we cannot work out what is fair when nature is in charge.
Sadly, for many of us onlookers, it was frustrating too, to have government INaction and it was each community and some help from the armed services and volunteers from State Emergency Services and more just getting in and helping people. Some were rescued from their rooftops, others from their houses at ceiling height before the water overtook them.
Just awful.
My Dad had a stint in hospital and then to come home, my brother drove through horrendous conditions on the Northern Beaches when the rains were so intense, local flooding occurred on main highways and road. Unprecedented….the word we are sick of hearing. Anyway, Dad was safely back at his unit, and my brother got home just before the roads were closed. Flooding and damaged roads. We are told over and over, not to venture into roads when water is pouring across it as conditions are no known underneath.
Here we were OK but stayed put most of the time. I ventured out on a couple of occasions to see the damage without being a nuisance to anyone…and the rain had stopped.
- High tides and ocean swell
- Lakes Beach basically gone.
- View south from Lakes Beach
- Couldn’t really access the beach safely
- Sad to see rockledges exposed and stairs to Soldiers Beach
- FULL parts of the Wyong River
- High levels and running pretty fast at Porter’s Creek
- One full/fallen tree in the river.
- So much water passing by in Wyong.
It really was a case of only leaving the house for urgent supplies. We postponed appointments which would have meant driving in hazardous conditions. This was the case for most of March, with some brief exceptions. I became used to carrying an umbrella everywhere and wearing a rain jacket and closed in shoes. We heard from my brother in law who lives in the affected (but safe) areas of the Northern Rivers and their rain gauge filled overnight (at 250mm) and flowed over. Unheard of weather.
- Brief visit to Manly Beach. Sand erosion
- Harbour area looked OK.
- Norah Head: storm’s a-coming
- The birds know!
- Seagulls….and clouds.
- Looks peaceful
- Huge seas
- Perspective…
- Dry enough for a walk.
STOP! I mean, this is the end of this post!
It’s 3rd April as I press publish and link up with Natalie.
Yesterday I drove to Newcastle a major regional city an hour north. The weather stayed DRY but the effects of the rain and wind patterns affected the ocean very much. In fact so much so, the a major surfing competition was delayed.
Daylight Saving ended in Australia today. We “fall” back one hour.
What’s the weather doing where you are?
More about my visit to Newcastle next Monday for Life’s Stories. Monday 11 April 2o22.
Denyse.
Joining in with Natalie for Weekend Coffee Share today
Thank you Natalie.
https://natalietheexplorer.home.blog/
Your comments are appreciated & read by Denyse who always replies.