After 14 years of drought, we're certainly hoping it has broken. We had non-stop rain last weekend and floods have been extensive in some parts of Victoria, forcing hundreds of families to evacuate. In some areas the water has yet to reach its peak and, with another week of rain expected, the inevitable is very worrying for some.
See that row of trees at the base of the mountain? They fringe the Goulburn River, which has temporarily been 'switched off'', so as not to exacerbate the plight of the flooded areas further up country. It is the main irrigator to the 'food bowl' in central Victoria and has been filled from the man-made lake, Lake Eildon, since the 1950s.
We are a couple of metres above the flood plain here so basically high and dry. Three little ponds appeared last Saturday so I took a few shots for the record.
The autumn leaves you see in this pic are left over from autumn. The tree is beginning to bud, so they'll soon drop off.
In two days we had 92ml in the rain gauge, which is just over 3½ inches.
Half an hour away is the little town of Bonnie Doon at the Northerly stretch of Lake Eildon. A time worn catch cry from people in the big smoke is, "Is there water under the bridge at Bonnie Doon?" We'd heard a whisper there was, so yesterday we drove up to see for ourselves.
A bit of a mess after the heavy rain. This area has been dry for years and the rubbish has been pushed to shore. Looks like a letter box lying there in the flotsam and jetsam! The lake is presently at 54% capacity and is 45 metres below full supply level; the fullest it's been since 1996.
The swollen Rubicon River down the road broke the bridge!
