Dan welcome mate .
I lived in Palmerston for 8 years and found the 2 seasons (wet and dry ) to be a pain and a God send , the dry is awesome , months of great skies but the wet ,,,,
Well , months of clouds and monsoons and you guys are heading into the buildup . Great for storm chasing bad for astronomy.
Enjoy your time there as even though it is hot and humid it's a beautiful place.
Brian.