The outback Queensland community of Bedourie become an inland island on Monday the third of April 2023 and residents were cut off for weeks by floodwater. Locals have started referring to the floodwater as "the Bedourie Sea".
The outcome for graziers was amazing once the water drained away with herbage flourishing.
The Georgina River and Eyre Creek in the Channel Country reached major flood levels as water travelled downstream from Lake Nash and North West Queensland.
On that Monday, the river reached 5.35 metres – almost a metre higher than the only bridge into town.
Mayor Robbie Dare had said that flooding had started on the seventh of January, and that he had expected it to be a further two weeks before the town could be accessed via road - "...it's a fair while!"
Bedourie Roadhouse, the town's only grocery store, had placed an order in preparation for being cut off by floodwaters encroaching from the north.
But an unexpected deluge halted the delivery 220 kilometres away from its destination.
The CEO of Boulia Shire to the north said some quick thinking and a call to the Rex Airlines CEO resulted in a team of 10 volunteers recruited to load 850 kilograms of chilled goods including milk and bread and eight bags of mail. Although dry goods did not fit on the plane, the community was grateful to have the fresh produce.
This small cache is a magnetic and may need to be replaced if levels flood this high again!
*Congratulations savvynavs on your FTF! 