With chirpy songbirds, emerging orchids and lizards waking, Djilba whispers the promise sunny days to come.
Feature by Carolyn Beasley
For Wadjuk Noongar man Justin Martin of tour and art company Djurandi Dreaming, the Noongar season of Djilba is heard before it is seen.
“You don't really visually see it, but we say ‘Djilba mai walkanginy,’ which means the sound of Djilba’s here,” Justin says.
The season of Djilba typically coincides with August and September in the Perth (Boorloo) region, and according to Justin, the specific sounds that communicate the arrival of Djilba belong to the birds. The telltale avian sounds include the screeching of cockatoos, the mournful cry of crows and the melodic warbling of magpies.
“They're quite territorial, so they're very loud,” Justin says. “That’s why you're going to hear Djilba first before you see it, because the animal species, especially the bird species, are very active and loud.”
Some of this additional chatter is the birds responding to changes in Country.
Wildflowers at Kings Park (Kaarta Koomba)
“You're getting a lot of flowers blossoming,” Justin says. “The landscape is actually changing, and the range of different flowers attracts the insects. And once they attract the insects, you're going to get a lot of bird species coming in.”
As for the flowers themselves, the Perth region is endowed with astounding diversity. Some of the first to erupt into showy colour will be the wattles or Acacia, with their tiny baubles of vibrant yellow.
“If you go further inland, you're going to get all those different wildflowers including orchids, especially spider orchids,” Justin says.
Aside from birds and flowers, Justin notes that Djilba sees other animals on the move.
Djurdandi Dreaming, Rockingham
“It's warming up, so you're going to get some reptiles coming out,” Justin says. “We have snakes and yoorns, which are bob tail lizards. Kaarda, which are very large monitor lizards, they're also coming out for the sun.”
The weather is another obvious sign of Djilba season, as Perth’s prevailing warmth hints at returning.
“The rain is clearing up a bit more, and the sun's starting to shine,” Justin says. “The overcast weather is sort of clearing up in Djilba.”
Regardless of the season, Djurandi Dreaming operates four tours in the Perth region. In Rockingham, just 40 minutes south of Perth city, Justin’s Rockingham Cultural Tour guides visitors around Point Peron (Boya Kaarla) to explore the nature-rich coastline, limestone cliffs and culturally significant caves. It’s an area that sparkles during Djilba.
“You're probably getting close to 200 bird species which come and go from the Rockingham area,” Justin says. “During Djilba, there’s a lot of marine life activity. We get some of the large eagles, sea birds and wetland species like ducks. Swans will be around, doing what they always do, trying to look for a feed! A few will be nesting.”
For those looking for a tour with a difference, Justin recommends his Torchlight Tours at Lake Walyungup or Lake Richmond, both near Rockingham. These tours explore traditional dreamtime stories and take in the thrombolites, ancient microbial communities that are thousands of years old. Visiting in darkness also reveals different residents compared to the daytime.
Djurdandi Dreaming, Rockingham
“Different types of reptiles are coming out, and kangaroos,” Justin says. “Plus, your spiders and a whole range of different insects. So it's kind of different at night time, mainly insects are coming out of the woodwork along the lakes.”
These night tours present the perfect setting for stargazing, with Djilba often seeing clearer skies than the preceding months. Justin likes to relate the story of the emu (or waitj) in the sky.
For Justin’s ancestors, bush tucker was never far away. Boomerangs and spears were used to catch kangaroos, and with reptiles waking up from their cold-weather inactivity, Djilba offered a great chance to trap lizards.
“They’d just put large flat rocks on top of round rocks,” Justin says. “When the lizards look for shade and shelter, they run under a little rock, and if there's a whole scatter of lizard traps, you know that you can look under a few and you're going to get one!”
But for Justin himself, his favourite Djilba activity is something more peaceful.
“Oh, I like orchid hunting,” Justin explains. His favourite spots include Baldivis, the Rockingham lakes or the Perth Hills, particularly John Forest National Park. The delicate blooms are an emblem of the beauty and transience of the season.
Published July 2025.