It was 43C yesterday though cooler today at 39. The spotted gums are starting to shed their bark in the heat. Many hours are spent moving the bark and leaves away from the house as it falls (to reduce the fire risk). We think it's worth the effort to be able to live in a spotted gum forest and watch the miriad of different colours appear on the trunks. No longer a eucalypt they are in a class of their own. The genus is now "Corymbia".