By December, she was in Cairns for (December to February). Her first thought was that she had accidentally walked into a sauna. The air was a thick, wet blanket. The heat wasn't a dry crackle like she'd expected; it was a moist, breathing presence. And then, every afternoon at 3 PM sharp, the sky would turn the colour of a bruise. The rain didn't fall—it announced itself. Monsoonal downpours that turned gutters into rivers and sent giant tree frogs onto her balcony. She learned to love the 3 PM siesta, napping through the thunder, then emerging to a world washed clean and steaming.
It was a Tuesday morning in late November when Priya stepped off the plane in Sydney, her thick wool coat dripping with the last of a northern hemisphere autumn. She had packed scarves, boots, and a vague sense of dread about the "Australian winter." australia weather seasons
As her plane took off from Melbourne one last time (in September—which felt like spring, winter, and summer all at once), she smiled at the woman next to her, who was nervously clutching a parka. By December, she was in Cairns for (December to February)
She escaped the humidity by flying down to Perth in (March to May). This, she decided, was the reward. The blistering summer heat had finally broken. The evenings had a crispness to them, a hint of cool that made campfires taste better. She walked along Cottesloe Beach as the sun set, painting the Indian Ocean in shades of gold and orange. The sea was still warm from the summer, but the air was gentle. It felt like the whole country was letting out a long, slow, satisfied breath. The heat wasn't a dry crackle like she'd
Finally, she drove down to the Snowy Mountains in June for (June to August). After months of sweating, she finally unpacked those boots. She had expected a mild, grey drizzle—but instead found a sharp, dazzling cold. Frost sparkled on the grass. The air was so clear and still it felt like crystal. She learned that "Australian winter" meant snow in the alpine regions, but also meant "sunny and 18 degrees" in Brisbane. It meant whale migrations up the east coast. It meant bonfires on the beach in Byron Bay while wearing a beanie.