Paul Rosser 
September was very dry, recording 22.5mm, the third lowest falls in the last 12 years. The Year to Date (YTD) recording also was very low at 282.0mm, the second lowest falls in the last 12 years. I reckon we could be in for mid 350’s by years end. Not a good entry into summer.
Talking comparisons, here they are for the last 12 years:
2024 22.5mm 282.0mm (YTD second lowest)
2023 37.5mm 446.0mm
2022 50.5mm 385.0mm
2021 44.0mm 400.5mm
2020 46.5mm 400.5mm (Same 2021)
2019 41.0mm 304.5mm
2018 19.0mm 268.0mm (Lowest recorded)
2017 52.0mm 444.5mm
2016 112.5mm 543.0mm
2015 20.0mm 391.0mm
2014 31.0mm 345.0mm
2013 54.0mm 460.0mm
2012 27.0mm 462.0mm
From a Kuarna point of view, we are entering their Spring time, called Wirituti. Wirituti refers to the Eagles Foot or just the Eagle. The location of the Southern Cross in the heavens signifies their start of spring. The temperatures are starting to rise & the north west winds (Pukarra) are becoming active. It can be a time of wind (Warri), thunder (Piturru) & Lightning (Karntu). What’s to eat? Birds eggs, lizards, blue crabs, garfish, shellfish, leaf hearts from grass trees & yabbies. Tiger, brown & black snakes are emerging & lizards are coming out of hibernation. The people are heading back to live on the coast around the reed beds at the back of the sandhills. One wonders whether ‘Swampy Valley’ to the north of our Village was a living location. Work included skin curing. Their spring goes through until the end of December.
As we enter spring the Wallaby Grass & Kangaroo Grass start growing over the next few weeks. That is why we have encouraged the Ranger to our north to cut the annual weedy species now, so they don’t infest our native grass pastures. Over the past years we have seen much natural emergence of Wallaby & Kangaroo Grass down in ‘Swampy Valley’ complemented by the large strip of these grasses that were planted on the top of Bowering Hill. If you look up there you will see a grass strip between the salt bush, eucalypts & acacias & the farmer’s fence. That is predominantly Wallaby & Kangaroo grasses. The Ranger, Angus has offered Jenni & me their new seed harvester for a few days around Xmas to harvest some seed for the Village to direct seed in May 2025. This is great as this seed is $350.00 per kg to buy & we will be getting as much as we need as a thankyou for the ongoing work we are doing with them. The seed grows between the end of October up until it ripens in early December through to the end of February. The slashing that Jenni has arranged now is perfectly timed to allow this seed to emerge without a lot of competition. We just have to time our seed collection in the Valley before the Fire Reduction Cut thar will occur just before Xmas. It’s all about timing & working with nature.
The long-term forecast from October to Xmas will be affected by our three drivers, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean & the Southern Ocean. As these drivers now stand it will give us wetter than average conditions through to Xmas & slightly higher average temperatures. Fire risk is average given the damper conditions. Xmas forecasts will have to wait until your next report.
That’s it for now, enjoy spring.
Paul
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