Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter — western seasons that seem a little innocuous in Tasmania.
A radically different delineation of Tasmania’s seasons was developed by her original inhabitants, the Pallawa people. They identified three main ‘seasons’: Pawenya Peena, Wengytellanyta and Tunna.
They are based on the appearance and disappearance of important foods.
Pawenya Peena commences with the blooming of the wattles. It is the time when the air is thick with their scents and honey is plentiful. This is usually late in July or in August and continues into September.
Wengytellanyta begins with the return of the Yolla (the shearwater or muttonbirds) to rookeries all around Tasmania in the third week of September. When the Yolla leave, Tunna begins.
This is the commencement of the coldest time of the year, from April until the wattle bloom again, sometime in August. Such a seasonal conception, based on actual events, rather than fixed calendar days, keeps people in touch with nature.
