Changing Seasons: Towards an Outback Winter

The seasons must change, and we are on the cusp of winter. Still air, slanting sunshine, freshness in the dawn. The heat is cooling slightly, and we are approaching the time of year when we slip into jumpers and the firepit becomes a fixture of life in Alice. We are not quite there; not yet, but soon. In the face of summer's burn, we hold on to the promise of its end.

The last few weeks have been dry. Even though the earlier part of the year was marked by several downpours, and even though winter carries a chill, it does not necessarily mean rain. However, it does mean frost and icy wind, and night skies full of crystals of stars as hard as diamonds. Underneath it all, the fires burn, and people connect around their flames.

Campfires in Central Australia: one of winter's pleasures

Moving around outdoors becomes easier. Energy sapped by the relentless heat of summer returns. Sitting in outdoor cafes once again feels pleasant, and beverages ordered revert to hot to ward off winter’s touch. The landscape begins to open up. Walking becomes possible, along old trails and new. The MacDonnell Ranges yield their curves and crests to adventurers, and the tourist season launches. The last couple of years has been relatively quiet regarding tourists, due to closed borders and the effects of Covid. But this year, the message is: come!

Daylight hours become shorter, and the nights lengthen. Warm blankets and heaters take the edge off the cold while sleeping. Getting up in the morning becomes harder: no one wants to leave the comfort of bed for the cold air of the emerging day. Hands and feet must be covered, and scarves and thermals ward off the bitterness of the extreme temperature when it hits the minuses.

Winter, like summer, will end. The season will cycle by, and the cold will become the fierce scorch of the last months of the year. Until that time, snuggle into your jacket, pull on gloves, and enjoy the unbroken sunshine lighting up the landscape.

It is now April - not quite winter.

Not yet, but soon.