rain coming

[Howard]

Originally Posted by hrpearce

Finally no more water carting the pipe is in the ground from the cattle yards to my old pump house. I rebuilt an old tein diaphram pump that fits on the PTO of the tractor. It took 10 hours and 15 leters of diesel to pump 6000 galons of water across and fill both tanks. That shore beats carting 600 leters an hour on the ute.

I feel your pain, Robert. Until we bought our house 8 years ago we lived in a friend's farm house. When the rain water ran out we carted water from the nearest stand pipe 15 km away, two ton at a time...
I miss the farm, but not the summer weekend job of carting water!!!

[hrpearce]

We had 30mm of welcome rain the last two days but while we were in Wagga yesterday the wind had some fun with the machinery shed on Mum's side of the farm

[aj.lec]

We have had 16mm over the last fews days

Looks like a bit of a shed repair job for you

About 15 years ago one of the farms steel frame sheds got caught in a high wind and bent the frame to the east about 20 degrees
Much to our suprise it straightened up quite well when we pulled it back with the old International 1086
Followed by a bit of cross bracing so it didnt happen again

[hrpearce]

Unfortunately most of the wall frame is cyprus pine from snowy scheme barriks so it is quite brittle. Some of the concrete footings are smashed where the bottom plate was bolted down so it is going to be a challange.

[Rod Diery]

doesn't look good......

[Howard]

This year is shaping up to be a good season. We have had several falls since Christmas, good soaking rains that have not only filled dams but also returned sub-soil moisture, which has not been present for the last eight or nine years.
The crops around here are looking bloody fantastic despite the locusts that chewed off some of the emerging crops. The cerial crops bounced back OK but the Canola is suffering in the few areas that it was attacked.
All in all we have had the best start to the cropping season we have had in in at least 12 years!

[hrpearce]

I have measured rain 15 mornings in the last 18 days. The ground is the wetest it's been in years and 4WD is a must at the moment. My latest chalange is to teach the boys how to drive in mud something they haven't had to do in the past.
The photo shows a one inch diameter flow of water in the paddock just outside the house yard so the water table is finally recovering.

[Keith Webb]

Just as long as it doesn't flow through the house.

I've just driven to Adelaide and the country all through has been very wet indeed. Adelaide has had it's wettest Augusts for 18 years, or in other words they have had what used to be a normal winter.

[Rod Diery]

Dry as a dead donkey's donger here in the west

Rod

[hrpearce]

The rain came down hard here today but there was much more to the east of us. The first picture is of the bridge into Mum's house just after lunch and the second one was just before dark. When the creek goes down I've got a lot of work to do plus all the balks are washed out. The last time the creek was over the bridge was in 1988.

[aj.lec]

Looks like quite a bit of work ahead for you Robert

It is amazing the amount of rain the state has had this year
No matter where I go the water is either sitting around ,running or seeping out of the hills
Good to see
Will be interesting to see what the rest of the year will bring
We have had 26mm in the last 24 hours here
Got the car bogged in the back yard this arvo and could only get it out with the tractor .

[Howard]

Talk about 12 months of contrasts!
One year ago local (and most eastern-state farmers) were staring down the barrel of a 7th, 8th and in some cases 9th crop failure. Now you should see the place; It's like a different planet.
The cereal crops are the best I have seen them for a very, very long time. The dams are full to the brim & those that had the forsight (and cash) to enlarge their water storage while they were empty are now reaping the benefits.
Now we face a couple problems:
Those in low-lying & flat country are watching portions of their crops drown... (however I am yet to hear any complaints)
The crops need spraying in many cases, however the ground is too wet to get on it! Some are able to use aerial spraying contractors, but some can't find somewhere for them to safely land!
Another problem just around the corner is the grasshoppers. All & sundry are predicting a locust plague this spring. Hopefully all the crops are off & into storage before these little bastards turn up.
But, all in all, it is shaping up to be a bumper year. I'll post some photos this afternoon

[cliff]

Originally Posted by Howard

All & sundry are predicting a locust plague this spring. Hopefully all the crops are off & into storage before these little bastards turn up.

LITTLE BASTARDS!!!! Howard don't you mean BIG BASTARDS? as the one's up here are 4 to 5 inches long and crunch nicely underfoot

only need 6 for a good feed though

[hrpearce]

The bridge up the paddock held so I was able to get Mum's car out by loadeing it onto a trailer and towing it behind a tractor across two properties and back up the main road, ten Km trip to get the car five hundred meters from the house
I carted twenty five meters of clay into the aproach today, it hasn't filled much of the gap

[hrpearce]

Mum got a shot of me tipping a load of clay for the core of the aproach, the gap is now full enough to get a 4x4 through

[gjamo]

Hi Robert,
Looks like a few big pipes would have been good under that fill.
Graeme

[hrpearce]

Yes Graeme pipes were considered but the drawback is that debree in big floods like this one block pipes and the road still ends up floded, also it is expensive to put pipes in properly so a flood won't move them.

[hrpearce]

The rain returned and the results are in the pictures.
Before lunch when I took Mum's mail into her.
After lunch

[lynx42]

Bugger!!

I know how much work it took you after the last rains. Were you on the right side or stranded on the wrong one?

Regards Rick.

[hrpearce]

Fortunately both tractors and Myself are on my side of the creek. I hope I can find a way to get Mum out tomorrow. The four gurders are within 400 meters of the bridge site but in lousy positions for recovery. So far I have only found one piece of decking.

[hrpearce]

Mum got VIP treatment today, our Mayor was traveling in the SES helecopter looking at the damage to the shire and helping stranded people. So instead of me having to travel around 20K's through paddocks to get her out tomorrow they flew her across the creek this afternoon.

[hrpearce]

I've found a brodge. I bought the remains of a 45' panteck that was rolled between Tumut and Gundagai, I can have it picked up after the company removes all parts that will be useful as spares.

[lynx42]

Hey Robert, what's a BRODGE?? I thought your were looking for a bridge to get across that creek. lol.

[hrpearce]

Rick in my defence I was typing with my metal finger and miscalculated it's weight and it fell short on the keyboard or I just wasn't concentrating and needed more take your pick.
don't tell anyone I faild english

[aj.lec]

Rain is here well and truely at the moment
196mm since it started last week and is raining again today
Quite a lot of roads cut or under water and widespread flooding
Attached is a couple of pictures I took yesterday near Geurie
Dosent look that impressive but considering the river usually sits easily between the centre pilons about 7 metres below it current height it is a lot of water

[cliff]

central west Queensland has been hit hard as well with major rain fall flooding that region. We have had about 3 inches in the past week and still have ongoing heavy showers but the worse seems to have gone for now at least.

[aj.lec]

Certainly is a land of contrasts at the moment . Rain and floods on the east coast and drought and bushfires on the west
Was out near Bourke on Thursday and Friday and the Castlereagh was in flood and all the rivers that feed in to it barr the Macquarie were running backwards with the volumes coming down
So anyone downstream will be going to get wet feet shortly
At Dubbo the low level bridge went under about 12 on Thursday
Burrendong Dam is over 140% capacity so they have had to double the release to 44 Meg to try and relieve pressure thus maintaining high levels down the Macquarie

[Rod Diery]

Originally Posted by aj.lec

Certainly is a land of contrasts at the moment . Rain and floods on the east coast and drought and bushfires on the west
Was out near Bourke on Thursday and Friday and the Castlereagh was in flood and all the rivers that feed in to it barr the Macquarie were running backwards with the volumes coming down
So anyone downstream will be going to get wet feet shortly
At Dubbo the low level bridge went under about 12 on Thursday
Burrendong Dam is over 140% capacity so they have had to double the release to 44 Meg to try and relieve pressure thus maintaining high levels down the Macquarie

Kulin has had 41 mm for the entire year!

[aj.lec]

Todays photos
Dubbo's Main Street
coming up
and up

[aj.lec]

dam is now 148% +
Release increased to 58 Meg
Wonder how strong that wall is ???
That would have it holding 4.5>5 times the capacity of Sydney Harbour
Approx 1782000 Megalitres usually 1188000ML
Took from 1946 to 1967 to build so it should be ok .....

A few more pics