It’s early, but I don’t care, I’m calling it anyway: Spring has sprung. You can see me as the Illawarra Flame’s own groundhog if you like – I’ve popped my head up above ground, looked around and all signs are there that my favourite season is officially underway.

Everyone knows it has been warm recently with beautiful, balmy winter days. But after today’s wander through the Royal National Park, it’s clear that it’s not just me thinking it, nature is totally onboard as well. 

The bush was humming, literally and loudly, with thousands of bees, from teeny, chaotically flying Reed Bees through to Carpenters, their bodies fat, a deep metallic green colour. There were a handful of lizards, both Jacky and Mountain Dragons, sprawled in various positions amongst the leaf litter and perched on fallen logs, basking in the sun. But probably the biggest clue that the season has clicked over from Winter was the flora. 

Orchids such as the Small Waxlip and the Spotted Sun-Orchid, which only opens fully on warm, sunny days, were plentiful and at times it felt like there were purple-ish flowers as far as the eye could see. A lone Spotted Donkey Orchid grew up at the side of the track. But the flower that got me most excited was the Waratah. 

The floral emblem of New South Wales, the Waratah is one of those flowers many of us grew up learning about in school. And just as we sang Beatles songs for choir, all that book learning as an uninterested kid kind of spoiled them for me (both The Beatles and the Waratahs!). It wasn’t until I discovered the White Album and until I saw my first Waratah in the flesh that the wrongs of my childhood were righted.

These flowers are incredibly beautiful up close.

Standing at almost four metres tall in some cases, their thick, leathery leaves are a deep glossy green and, when in full flower, the bloom itself is a bright red. They punctuate the more subtle greys and greens of the bush in the most spectacular way. Today we saw shrubs just starting to develop the flower head, while others were in full bloom. As the sun beat down and we got a little lost, I had to pinch myself. 

Spring is an incredible time to be out in the bush, even if it is a little earlier than usual.