The Rock Farm was fortunate to receive a good soaking last weekend, with over 100mm of rain falling in just 48 hours. The magical beautiful rain soaked into the ground, and when the ground could take no more, it started to fill the creeks, and rivers. All across our valley roads were closed as the waters rose. The only problem was I was in town at work, and as the waters rose, I knew I wouldn’t be getting back home any time soon.
You may remember the dam looking like this back in February. The dam was barely 30cm deep when we received around 80mm of rain overnight. The difference the following day was remarkable… but we had no idea what the dam looked like full.
Well this weekend changed all that. The dam filled and then overflowed. It is hard to get some sense of scale from the photo, but the water has risen another 1.5-2 metres or so. With the dam over 200m long and 100m wide, it represents a huge body of water – a wonderful legacy from owners past.
This photo is taken on the same post as the photos above…. a massive transformation. The water from the dam overflows down a channel into a creek. Even that overflow drain couldn’t cope, and our flat was covered with standing water. Just stunning. Especially when you compare it to the scenes we were facing in summer a few short months ago: https://rockfarming.com/2020/02/03/weaning-and-a-rough-plan-for-the-cattle/
The photo on the right below was from a couple of weeks ago when I was sorting out problems with my water pump. You can see the pump house on the bank in the left of frame. The water has now risen to the pump!
After enjoying the hospitality of friends for a couple of nights, the water had receded enough by Monday morning for me the attempt to get home. The crossing had dropped below the base of my secondary marker (a strategically placed star picket on the bank).
It was an easy crossing – but the boy’s were disappointed. Their hopes of staying home for a school day were dashed when I turned around and ran them into town.
When I got home, I spent an hour on the tractor clearing all the silt and debris from the crossing.
The next job is to tidy up the flood gates – but that can wait until the water recedes a little further…. It is a minor inconvenience. Given a choice, I’ll take the water any day of the week! A huge thank you to Adrian and Mark & Mell for your kind hospitality whilst I was marooned on the wrong side of the moat!
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