Spring Time: In Australia

The first sign wasn’t a date on the calendar. For Maggie, who had lived through fifty Australian springs on her farm in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, it was a scent. One morning in late August, she stepped onto her veranda with a cup of black tea, and the air had changed. The sharp, eucalyptus bite of winter was softening, replaced by something sweet and hopeful—the first tiny blossoms of the wattle.

“It smells like flowers and dirt and rain,” Lila said quietly, hugging her knees. spring time in australia

“That’s the smell of new things,” Maggie said. “In Australia, we don’t get a gentle spring. We get a sprint. Everything has to happen fast—the flowers, the storms, the baby animals. Because summer is just around the corner, and it’s a beast. So we enjoy this while we can.” The first sign wasn’t a date on the calendar

“Right then,” she said to her old kelpie, Blue. “Time to wake up.” The sharp, eucalyptus bite of winter was softening,