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Laundry, sunburnt knees and green panoramas

Hello? Hello? This thing on? Ah, yes, I believe I was supposed to share some post-flood images from here.

Life has been holding me back – after a week without power and five days without a phone – I have been playing catch-up like a woman possessed.  I have no working washing machine yet and am making friends with this place (a mere 100km round trip to visit).

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I also have a mountain of office work to catch up on.  I am however, constantly counting my blessings to have everyone safe and our home high and dry after so much destruction nearby.
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This is an instagram pic taken as I travelled home from town after seven industrial-size loads of washing…where I was driving had clearly been a massive lake just days ago.

Here is a quick glance around Granite Glen, to share some of the post-flood views …

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The River – which had been dropping signficantly prior to the flood – reached it’s previous record height.  Actually, according to local reports, it passed the heights reached back in 2011.

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Debris from grass and sticks and logs from upstream marks the high water points alongside the watercourse…

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And within it. (See tree in background – debris a good 2-3 metres higher than current level).

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So much rubbish stacked on the upstream side of the Big Bridge.

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And drying silt – fine particles of soil lifted from who-knows-where – lining the bridge and it’s approaches.

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Our ‘little’ bridge has come up for air too… a sturdy little construction that has been ‘christened’ a lot in the past couple of years.

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My uncle had already been busy with the tractor clearing dirt and debris to allow vehicle access.

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Water had gouged out this approach to the bridge and swept away the Give Way sign!
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A bit more concrete next time to hold this in place!

Dozens of fences have already been found, straightened, pulled up and repaired.  Much mud and sand have been negotiated. New muscles discovered and hands pierced by recalcitrant barbed wire… And the backs of a number of knees sunburnt to add insult to injury!

Roads also needed some attention -especially those crossing waterways.

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(My main camera lens died this week, and I discovered my iphone panorama setting – click on pic for bigger, better version.)

Of course our damage is nothing compared to some – we recieved 13 inches (old scale, around 325mm) but some places got A METRE of rain in two days (1000mm or 40 inches).
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It’s ten days since it rained here, and still water is trickling from the hills, topping up slowly subsiding waterways.

As creeks go down, as everything calms and settles, some beautiful spots are being discovered…

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This is a new find – massive granite rocks with pools and little waterfalls.

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I adore this pic, taken on my iphone.  I might make a wallpaper out of it to share with you all.

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Green grass is starting to burst forth – a sharp contrast to the parched outlook less than two weeks ago.

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And as our damage gets taken care of, we will take a deep breath and look to reach out to those who suffered so much worse.

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And I will probably get addicted to green panoramas…

🙂

BB

8 Comments

  • Colin (HB)

    Hmmmmmm! BB and Co. Certainly a bit of a mess, but not as bad as I expected.
    Except for the electricity being out, the roads in a mess, looks like your property did pretty well, all things considered.
    Should be ample fodder for the stock for the winter now?
    Great to see quick work on repairs by the local authorities.
    Now lets see if the Federal and State government will “chip” in?? Seems the bickering as already started.
    We know governments, Federal and State, have no control over the weather, but they do have a responsibility to assist. After all we do pay taxes!
    Fingers crossed that sense will prevail???
    I think February must have been blown away with the monsoonal cyclonic winds and rain. It is strangely cool here in Brisbane???
    Cheers and chin up.
    Colin

  • Debby

    Holy cats! How did I miss this post?!!! I’ve been following the facebook site for the flooding updates. I always amazes me how resilient our world is…and the people in it. I’d like to hear about Lachy and Colum’s adventures while you were gone. That must have been terrifying for two young boys to have such a big responsibility, even though you have scads of relatives nearby.
    Debby´s last blog post ..Mr. Reier

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