Well it just wasn't there. You see, New Zealand has just weathered its coldest December since records of temperatures began. And much more shockingly, across the ditch, ... ]]> In the middle of December, to the disgust of my colleagues, I crammed a suitcase with Christmas presents and cute summer outfits, and I dashed off for my holiday in my hometown of Auckland. I endured 26 hours of cattle class crick, spurred on by the knowledge I’d soon be basking like a shark on one of our many, beautiful beaches. I closed my eyes and dreamed of eating melting ice creams while creating deep tan lines, of inhaling the sweet sweet smell of freshly cut grass, and of listening to the sounds of cicadas wafting in on waves of warm, clean air.

Now this may not seem out of the ordinary. I mean, people leave bone-chilling winters for the lazy, hazy days of summer – nothing new there. But here is the interesting (and depressing) twist. While standing in the city, watching the fireworks snap, crackle and pop in the New Year, I was grateful to be wearing my long winter coat. Yes, my winter coat. In the middle of summer. What’s wrong with this picture? Where’s the heat I so desperately longed for?

Well it just wasn’t there. You see, New Zealand has just weathered its coldest December since records of temperatures began. And much more shockingly, across the ditch, it actually snowed in Australia. Although much to the cheer of the firefighters battling raging flames in three of their states. And the children in Tasmania who threw snowballs around, where the previous week, smoke plumed from the forest on fire.

As everyone knows, December through February are the hot summer months in the South Pacific, which makes this drop in calidity a shivering thought. Is this the start of a trend? The contradiction of global warming? What should we call this? Global cooling?

This week’s headlines claimed the UK’s January nights have been warmer than those of last July. The experts are blaming this on climate change, and this is in turn blamed on global warming. Well it seems to me it’s not global at all. It seems that like Peter and Paul, the northern hemisphere is ruthlessly robbing the southern hemisphere of all its welcoming warmth.

Global warming is the hottest debate blazing around the world. Everyone has a tenacious opinion. Yes it exists, no it doesn’t. Who is right? Who is wrong? Is the earth really roasting like Sunday’s lunch? Or should everyone just chill out?