IT RAINED ANZAC DAY (25 APRIL 2006)

My earlier entry didn't include these photos so you will need to read down to know why I didn't take any during the flooding. I am only now feeling less stressed and beginning to feel as though I can cope. I suppose when my neighbour flooding our property last November after forgetting to turn off an irrigation gate was my preparation for this. But nothing prepares you for the stress, the anxiety, the panic, the feeling of inadequacy to deal with the situation but somewhere you find the strength to get through it because there is nothing else to do.

The worst was to lose some of our livestock at the very beginning of it all and Ken was amazing battling through all the by then deep fast flowing water to move the sheep to a safe little island of shelter. The cattle were a little easier to deal with.

This is a small drainage cut that had water over the lower wire - it was flowing quite fast and took about the equivalent of two days firewood with it. Too deep and fast to wade through. I was only prepared to go to the top of my gumboots and I knew most of the high spots to wade through to get around the property (we are only 16 acres)



The front gate - areas were up to the top of my gumboots. There is a concrete footing along this part around the house (thank goodness) and we blocked and sand bagged (well fertiliser actually) the gate - this held well until the water started to come over the top of the concrete all along this side. Thankfully there was quite a current that pulled a lot of the water sideways and through around the back of the house (where we weren't quite so lucky and a lot of water drained through that way a lot more easily). But we were lucky enough.


On the other side of the gate - just some of the leaf litter and dirt left behind as the water drained. There is a very pale line on the house where the water rose to. If it had got to the bottom of the top boards of the deck we would have been in trouble. It just got to the bottom and no more - our house is very low to the ground, there was water flowing through under the house and would have soaked into the floor framing but thankfully never came up through the floor and there were no damp patches inside. We were prepared for it on Wednesday night as the water had been rising slowly all day but thankfully it never happened - phew. I was too exhausted by then - books, photos, cameras and perishible foods were the only things that were lifted at this point. The rest of it all at ground level were only possessions, easily cleaned or replaced, depending on how bad any flooding might have been.

Our drains were all blocked, our underground water tank was unusable at this point (but thankfully it doesn't seem to have been contaminated this time). It was heaven to finally have a proper wash and shower on Friday, oh and to use a flush toilet.

The drains didn't settle and start to clear until Saturday and that night I started to be able to flush the toilet again and start to do the dishes. I think I had used nearly every plate, pot, pan and nearly all the cutlery. Today (Sunday) I have started on the washing and well into the second load - thank goodness for having a very large washing machine.

I think the sun is trying to come out but there is a very fine misty rain at the moment which makes it hard to dry out the car - oh yes, one of the cars had water go through it and I am trying to dry that out too.

So now I just have to go forward from this - the clean up has started and things will get better for me. Ken will be back from Auckland tonight (he had a Conference he had to go to and left on Thursday night once he knew that the water had started to recede). A long visit with Shirley helped me to escape for a while and gave me a bit more strength to go home and face it all. The comfort of my three cats has been keeping me sane - they too needed a lot of reassurance that all would be well.

Now I want some quiet time to find my balance and get back on track. 

MORE PICTURES

I was too devastated to want to take photos of the water as it was flowing through the property, that and too busy trying to save the house and livestock. We did save the house only just and lose about 8 sheep (that is more than 10% of our small flock) and I think that we will lose one or two more that have not done well from the trauma.

The first photo here is of our fenceline where the water was running through - we managed to clear a small space here and you can see the debris on the side of the channel - the paddock that it was running through to was covered with all the water draining from us.

This is a glamour shot of Michael . Where he is standing has had all the leaf litter etc washed away in the torrent and there are tree roots exposed here. I am hoping that the trees do not get too much of a shock.



Another view of the fenceline wher the water was draining from the property - it's a bit dark but again has debris along the fenceline.


Third view of the fenceline and the now drained neighbours paddock. There are no photos of where the water came onto our property save to say it was the same neighbours property on the other side of us that t came from. There was a lot of water that drained into a ditch that ran along the front of our poperty as well.
 

Esterita Austin - Stone Portals class
There are some pieces to be changed. I misread the value of a piece of the floor and that has to be changed (white paper pinned on to remind me).
There is still painting that is supposed to be done as well.
The photo is great as I find it shows me a few places where I need to change the value slightly.
I didn't anticipate that I would bother finishing it but I think I will definitely do more just for the exercise in colour and creating the 3D effect.