Indigenous Weather Knowledge

Yirrganydji Season

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Minor seasons

• Jawarranyji (storm and rainy time)
• Jimburralji (cyclone time)

About Kurrabana

Kurrabana (also spelt Gurabana) runs from around November to May each year when it's hot and humid and when nights can be very muggy. During this time, there are two minor seasonal periods: Jawarranyji (storm time) and Jimburralji (cyclone time).

Kurrabana has periods of monsoonal rains, which can be torrential at times and lead to flooding. The heavy rain brings cooling relief but just before and straight after the rain, it can be uncomfortable. Kurrabana is when we are on alert for cyclones brewing in the Coral Sea and the skies are often overcast and look heavy with rain.

Plants and Animals

• Ngawuyu (green sea turtle) and kanyarra (crocodile) are nesting at the end of Kurraminya (dry season) and during the start of Kurrabana (wet season).
• Kurrngam (Brachychiton acerifolius - Red Flame tree) starts flowering red, indicating the start of the wet season and when fish are spawning in the river.
• Kudakay (Nauclea orientalis - Leichhardt tree) starts flowering yellow, indicating that mussels are at their best for harvesting. The fruits of Kudakay will fall towards the end of Kurrabana and are harvested too.
• Kiray makaying – high spring tides (and king tides) at this time.
• Harvesting of fruits such as Jilara (Buchanania arborescens - Satinwood), Karriny (Syzygium tierneyanum – River Cherry), and Bukul (Calamus Caryotoides - Fishtail lawyer cane).
• The fruiting of Dankaja (Avicennia marina - Grey mangrove), which is sometimes eaten by Ngawuyu (green sea turtle) at this time.