Hello, must be the Equinox

Our first equinox contribution....from Nick in Brisbane


I know we have equinoxes, but they sneak up on you. The sun came up at 5:45 and went down 5:45. Hello, must be the Equinox. Hey, it’s warmed up too. Must be Summer.

Brisbane is blooming. There is colour and perfume everywhere. The jacaranda trees are budding with pale purple flowers that will soon cover ground underneath, the jasmine white and heavy in the evening, the bougainvillea brilliantly faded. It’s hot in the middle of the day: dry, searing. The wet winter has made the bush crunch underfoot with fuel, there is bushfire in the air. The rosellas zoom around the valley chattering at 50mph in perfect formation. The magpies are up to their usual demented nesting antics: swooping on cars, cyclists and unfortunate pedestrians. Kids attach paper eyes to the back of their school hats. Cyclists attach electric stay-ties to their helmets. We all look quite mad to visitors.

It’s 10pm, shirtsleeve temperature, light breeze. The odd mosquito. A moth lands now and again on the screen. A thunderstorm came through earlier. The air is clear. This is a good time to be in Brisbane . The end of the brief spring, a time of anticipation. Here comes the summer: sun, surf, sand, rainforest walks, fires, molten roads and cold beers. People go troppo. Bring it on.