The Twelve Palawa Seasons at the Dove Lake Circuit Walk

The Cradle Mountain’s snowy heights glimmered under the gentle sunlight. The scene was absorbing, and we took our time.



The Palawa Aborigines had 12 seasons probably due to the fact that nature at the Cradle Mountain had an unusually unpredictable temperament. The weather could change in a matter of minutes. As we embarked on the most strenuous part of the trail, the climb became very difficult. We were under time pressure, just about an hour more to go before we must meet the group. It started snowing, and rather heavily too.

At every step upward I asked myself, “when is this going to end?” It seemed like we were climbing a never-ending set of steps up. We had no time to lose and both my aunt and I were completely silent for a good forty-five minutes. Both of us knew that we must only focus on climbing. I felt a strange sensation: the snow kept the surroundings very cold, but we were rushing in a pace that kept us too warm inside.

To my untrained eye it seemed as if there were only a few kinds of shrubs and bushes along the circuit. They formed a neutral color tone consisting of green, brown and chestnut. The green formation near the ground were called “button grass.” The chestnut littering amidst a pine, nutty green was very soothing to the eye. There did not seem to be a wide variety of growth and vegetation, but the consistency of that evergreen and brown made an impression that lasted way beyond the hike itself. It was winter time, and yet these colors breathed a gentle but firm spirit of life. One could only imagine what spring might look like in this mountainous region.

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#travel#naturalwonders#trip

Post by Helen Yu (Chestnut Journal) | Mar 7, 2025