​Six seasons of Kakadu

This region like so many tropical locations simply don't fit the Northern European 4 season pattern. Of course much of the rest of Australia doesn't either but ....
Throughout the course of the year, Kakadu undergoes spectacular changes in weather and as a consequence the life of the animals and plants. The traditional people recognise up to six different seasons as well as transitional periods between. Here's a summary. I find it fascinating! When did we southerns understand the cycle of weather and its knock on effects so dramatically. Or perhaps I have lived with my head in the sand.

This beautiful bronze 'mandela' (with apologies to the Bininj and Mungguy people for probably inappropriate description) of the cycle of seasons of Kakadu. This featured at the entrance to the Warradjan Aboriginal cultural centre - an amazing centre packed with information. I simply couldn't absorb it all.

Now we're in Yegge up here - cool weather time (relatively speaking!) May to June. Drying winds and flowering woolly butt trees (gorgeous bursts of sunset in a little cluster of petals) signal the time to start patchwork burning to encourage new growth.

Flowers from the Woolly Butt tree signal the time for burning. Gorgeous colour aren't they? Yegge season.

Yegge - spot burning we witnessed on Injalak Hill. Our guide burned patches as we passed areas thick with spear grass. Awesome experience.

Wurrgeng - early dry season June to August. Flood plains dry out and birds crowd to the shrinking waterholes and billabongs.

The iconic Jabiru wading through the water lilies. Wurrgeng, a time of plenty

Gurrung - hot dry season August to October. File snakes and long neck turtles are hunted. White breasted wood swallows return with the gathering storm clouds signalling the return of Gunumeleng.

Here's an rock painting of a file snake. The women collect the file snakes to cook. This would be in Gurrung.

Gunumeleng - pre monsoon October to December. New growth and water spread out over the plains and forests and barramundi move downstream to the estuaries to breed. And that's an entirely other interesting story. However .....

Gunumeleng and the barramundi head downstream to breed. This style of rock art is X-ray. I was gob-smacked at the detail in these stunning works of art.

Gudjewg - monsoons December to March.
The heat and humidity means there's an explosion of growth and the spear grass can grow 2-3 metres. It's mighty impressive!

Water barrels through knocking down so much in its path. This is close to the Roper River and the floor litter is the fronds of cabbage palms swept along in the raging floods. It's an annual thing but awesome nevertheless.

Lindsay, my yardstick, showing how high the flood waters rise during the monsoonal period. Shoulder high! But we've seen markets up to 3 metres or more. Whoa!!

Banggerreng - harvest time April. Storms have cleared and plants start fruiting and it's a time for 'fat lambs' except there are very few sheep, insert other baby things - birds, animals, etc etc.
And so the cycle continues on and on and ........