For those of us weirdos who love a bit of humidity (yes, I know, I live in the wrong place) some long-awaited, more summery temperatures steamed the place up properly too.

But with the declaration of La Nina last month, we should probably resign ourselves to a bit of a grey summer with plenty of rain.

While that could put a (literal) dampener on the picnics and trips to the beach we've been dreaming of through a long, locked-down winter, we shouldn't necessarily sulk inside in despair.

I managed to squeeze a walk into every day of our very wet November - not for fun really, but due to the fact that I was doing one of those sponsored fundraisers.

I'm sure the eternal drizzle and fogs would have put me off stepping out if I hadn't felt the pressure on behalf of my good cause, but I learnt something in the process.

As long as it's not actually freezing cold or blowing a gale, it's not unpleasant to be out in the wet. In fact, it has its charms.

Due to our generally more sunny climate, Australians are a bit allergic to wet weather, preferring to postpone outdoor actvities until the sun smiles down on us again.

But we could take a lesson from some of my Scottish friends, who live by the motto: there's no bad weather, only the wrong clothes.

Given the outlook for this summer, it might be time to invest in some solid waterproof outerwear and plan some activities - no raincheck needed.

Michelle Thomas

Deputy Editor