Everyone has heard of the four seasons Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring, but did you know that the South-West of Western Australia actually has six seasons?

These six seasons are described by the Nyoongar seasonal calendar and are linked to changes in local weather, plants and animals. Nyoongar (or Noongar) is the name of the Indigenous Australians who lived in the area from Geraldton to Esperance (including Perth) long before European colonisation of Western Australia. Indigenous (also known as Aboriginal) Australians have a very strong connection with the land and have a wonderfully rich culture that is something I definitely want, and need, to learn more about.

In this post I have tried to provide an overview as I understand it however if I have described something wrong please feel free to correct me.

The six seasons might be something very interesting to hear about from a cultural perspective but it is also quite useful for someone planning a trip to Perth or the South-West as it more accurately describes the weather patterns you might want to plan your activities around.

Nyoongar Seasons:

December and January “Birak” or First Summer – The weather is quite dry and hot, although the afternoons are almost always cooled by a sea breeze.

February and March “Bunuru” or Second Summer – This is the hottest part of the year, particularly February and is where you are likely to see a streak of days over 35 degrees. There is almost no rain aside from an occasional storm front.

April and May “Djeran” or Autumn – The cooler weather begins and this is when you start needing your winter pjs and a warm jumper in the mornings. The daytime is still quite nice and warm in the sun.

June to July “Makuru” or Winter – This is the coldest and wettest part of the year, and there are a lot of storms. You still can get some nice sunny (almost warm) days sprinkled throughout.

August and September “Djilba” or First Spring – I personally consider this a second winter, but it is when there starts to be more clear days and less rainfall. It is when the wildflower season starts and there are beautiful blooms across the landscape.

October and November “Kambarang” or Second Spring – During these months there are much longer dry periods and you start to get warmer and warmer days that make you realise summer is on the way. Wild flowers continue to bloom.

And then we start back again with Birak/First Summer! Right now we are entering the start of Markuru and it is definitely starting to get very cold although we haven’t seen a lot of rain just yet!

What are the seasons like where you live?