From chasing lightning to discovering waterfalls: why the wet season is the best time to be in the North West

Can you feel it? The humidity is rising, the screech of corellas and bats is growing and the mango trees are lined with hundreds of tiny green orbs. That sweat you can smell on yourself and everyone else, that is another clear sign and soon the clearest sign yet — the big cloud formations — will be seen in the late afternoon skies. Yes, the build-up is imminent. It is a time which awakens every sense and a time which usually coincides with a conga-line of caravans packing up and heading south. Half of the people in the north hate it. When the build-up reaches its zenith — the wet — they will be sitting inside for up to five months in air-conditioned comfort. The other half love it. We will be outside chasing lightning, drinking a beer in the middle of the street while it rains and staring in wonder at the incredible skies while drenched in equal parts sweat and moisture-laden air. It is a truly beautiful time of year and one only fully appreciated if you are willing to step outside your comfort zone. Yes it is muggy, yes it is hot and yes you might get caught out in a monsoonal dump — but they are only negatives if you make them out to be. Go in with a different mindset and all of a sudden wet season means exploring the East Kimberley and West Pilbara hills and gorges for hidden waterfalls and refreshing waterholes. It means staying up late watching massive cloud structures cook up the most epic lightning storms from the beaches of Broome and Port Hedland, or from the lookouts of Karratha, Newman, Kununurra and our many other towns dotted around the North West. And the insects? Well, just coat yourself in every repellent possible or bring a bug-attracting friend along with you for the ride. The build-up heralds the start of the best time of year to be in the north, and we can’t wait.