Blooming jacarandas inspire dangerous selfie trend

Joburgers and Pretorians know the drill: as the gloomy winter bows out, the first rains of summer bring the jacaranda blooms.

In some parts of the cities, the skies fill with purple and we all feel a little bit smug about our home towns - never mind the rest. Spare a thought, though, for the Sydney suburb of Kirribilli, which is home to a celebrated jacaranda avenue.

Local press are reporting that the purple haze is having a dire consequence: an influx of tourists, who are doing dangerous things in the name of the perfect purple selfie.

Brides and grooms and lots of solo snappers are turning up for daily photoshoots - many of them standing in the middle of the street or even lying in the road, posing for photos.

"It's difficult to drive there without hitting a tourist," one resident complained.

Locals are now calling for safety measures, even for the road to be closed, in the name of springtime safety.