It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced Spring in Tasmania. 1995 was the last time, nine years ago. Yes, it is different from Spring in Minnesota. There is not that sheer relief that the winter which would never end is finally over. It is quite amazing when you see the last of the snow melt and know that it won’t be back for another year. And of course, nothing can match the amazing sight of seeing the first tiny and soft leaves return, and those magical first few days when the hillsides are an amazing light green.
Spring in Tasmania is a more subtle display. I notice it in two main ways – the flowers and the birds. September is when the native wattles bloom, there are bursts of gold in some of the hillsides. The bush is also illuminated by humble and common broom plant, which produces impressive bright yellow, which remind me of sparks from a fire preserved in a stasis. There was also the introduced daffodils and freesia flowers. The freesia’s have such a beautiful scent. It can be quite intoxicating outside and the fragrance even seems to permeate inside. There are also the birds. You notice so much more birdsong in the mornings and even in the middle of the day – unlike in the summer when they are quieter in the middle of the day. For me there is no one bird, like the Robin in North America, which is the harbinger of Spring. The signs of Spring are more diffuse and subtle here.
Before I wrote about how there might be different seasons in different places. I think there is an intriguing time after the solstice when the wattle flowers first start blooming, but the weather can still be very cold and wintery. I think a good name for that would be Iceflower, and it happens from July until the vernal equinox winds that happen later on in September.
Comments