The void

Springtime Daylight Savings Time
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I live in the void.

I am embarrassed to say, but up until a few months ago I didn’t know the name of the Premier of the state I live in. I knew his face, but not his name.

I have an excuse. Well, kinda. I live near the border of New South Wales and Queensland. My house thinks it in Queensland. I sit on one lounge in my lounge room, and my phone thinks it’s in one state. I sit on the other and it thinks it’s in another state. I live on NSW time. My husband works over the border and exists on QLD time. On one side of the street in town, you’re in NSW and then you take a few steps in the other direction and you’ve crossed a border, and you’re in another time zone.

I tell you, it’s fun. Until it’s not. And for the record, it’s not.

My TV only shows Queensland TV, at Queensland times. So, the news… all Queensland. I knew more about their recent election and their news stories than I do in my own state.

I know, no excuse. We have newspapers and the internet.

My sister lives close by, but she’s in Queensland. We have toddlers the exact same age, who have the same daytime sleeps… but because we’re in different time zones it’s near impossible to tee up a time to play because… TIME ZONES ARE CONSTANTLY MESSING WITH US.

This weekend I move out of the void. Daylight savings is over, and for 6 months of the year life is good. My favourite cafes open on my time {and not an hour later}. I can stop asking everyone, “Are you on NSW time? Or QLD time?” All of our clocks are on the same time. And I don’t have to watch TV shows an hour after everyone else has let the cats out of the bag on social media.

Life is going to be good.

Disclaimer: I know it’s a total first world problem, but we’re allowed those, right?

 

29 thoughts on “The void”

  1. Although mine isn’t a time issue, the problem we have had here is school issue. If you are in a particular school catchment area, your children go to that school, there is little room for movement or decision allowing you to choose a school elsewhere. So a friend of mine watched a school being built on the other side of her fence, in other words once built all she would have to do is open her side gate and her child would be on the school playing field, so obviously she thought ‘great I am in that school catchment area’. However door to door the school was a 5 minute walk away and not in her school catchment area at all, so her daughter went to school that was 15 minute walk away! It took her three years of arguing with the local education authority before her child got moved to the school she wanted – total madness! I know she is not alone, there are many others in that situation here!

  2. I used to love daylight savings… Until I lived in SE qld and then back in nsw, Im not a fan, probably more due to the fact I have children now too. On Sunday night they will be in bed before 6pm with the time change?!?!

    • I haven’t even started to think about the bedtime thing properly. My head might explode! All I know is that I won’t be getting good sleep for a while, I’m sure!

  3. Haha… that void sure is messing with you. You’re an hour ahead of us, you’re the one letting cats out of bags about TV shows (well, except you’re too lovely and you don’t!). Not that it bothers me, I haven’t watched anything except ABCKids or iView or SBSonDemand for at least a year, I think. Oh, I tell a lie… occasionally I am in the lounge room by myself at night and put on 7Mate to see what funny show they have. I’m loving Tattoo Nightmares… and I don’t have any tattoos. *lol*

    • My TV is on QLD so I get everything the same time as you. So I have to stay up an hour later to watch anything. I kinda gave up and stopped watching TV.

      Tattoo nightmares? That sounds awesome!

      • It’s hilarious! The reenactments are full of acting bad enough to match the original tattoos. Oh, and there’s a second version… I like the Tommy/Jasmine/Big Gus one. 🙂

  4. Oh the border living sucks big time! I live near the NSW/ACT border which isn’t quite as bad but I almost forgot about the election because no one in Canberra cares. The daylight savings at least is the same for both but the school holidays are different and it messes with my head with school zones! And I have to remember which shops have late night shopping on which nights because it’s different between NSW and the ACT.
    My cousin used to live in QLD and head over the border to her mum’s place in NSW – all kinds of confusion happening there! I’m glad I don’t have to deal with your level of daylight savings related chaos!
    Total first world problem, but it’s a problem nonetheless.

  5. Totally allowed! It must be so annoying. I complain about phone calls from family in Victoria at all the wrong times during daylight saving so I can’t imagine life on the border. I can feel your excitement!

  6. I live in Kingscliff and we had the same problem with the Qld channels. Thank god for the ladies in the post office as they told me we needed a booster to pick up NSW channels.. We bought one and we now get both Qld and NSW which means I can watch my favourite shows twice!! Woo hoo!!! Amanda x

  7. I Have always wondere what it would be like to live In the daylight savings void. It sounds like a pain in the bumski! Glad you are rid of it for a while!

  8. My loss is your gain. Let’s enjoy 6 months of being in the zone together! xx

  9. I live in Sydney … I’ve never liked Daylight Saving… most people do things by the clock… Tea at 6pm ….bed for the kids at 8pm….I find it frustrating when the time and daylight don’t match.. xxxx

    • Have you ever been to Melbourne or Tasmania? It’s so hard to comprehend when it’s night, but it’s super light still.

      Messes with the brains!

  10. Here here!! Agree with your first world problem too. My inlaws are over the NSW border and us in QLD it sucks big time!! I love daylight saving but QLD can’t ever get with the programme! I have lived In Adelaide and Sydney and it is great! So yes will enjoy the same time zone for almost 6 months of the year! Enjoy your well deserved strong coffee at the new time with your sister. Hope your kids sleep into routine quickly at change over. Love your posts.

  11. How confusing and frustrating for you!!! I’m looking forward to an extra hours sleep here in SA tonight. enjoy the next 6 months x

  12. I live in Albury on the NSW side of the border with Victoria. We don’t have the time zone difference thank goodness. I will admit though that in the lead up to the election (that I didn’t know was happening until 2 weeks before it happened) I didn’t know the name of the premier or the opposition leader! My son 6 year old son had to tell me. We only get Victorian news, nothing from NSW. I feel your pain. x

  13. Oh. My. Goodness. That would drive me batty! No wonder you’re happy to see the back of daylight savings. I am too – at least I don’t feel like I’m getting up in the middle of the night at 6.30am anymore. x

  14. I totally hear you. Although I don’t live in a mixed time zone area like you, I have lived in Sydney my whole life up until a year and a half ago when we had to move to Brisbane for hubby’s work. I hate being on a different time to ALL my family in NSW and not being able to go on Social Media for hours until I’ve watched my shows to avoid spoilers. But you’re right, first world problems really.

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