The water level keeps rising, but slower than expected & less than predicted. It has just reached the level designated as a major flood, but it seems that there are major major floods & minor major floods, & this is in the latter category.
The South Side river bank has become a promenade — oh that it could always be this way — drawing people into the city center in a way that I haven’t seen in the five years we’ve been here. In another place, in another time, this stretch would have great potential. It is the longest Heritage-listed street in Australia, of late Colonial / Victorian buildings. Small brass plaques on each give their history, but the downturn in the city's importance has severed all other ties with the past. Now the Rockhampton Club is offices, the ornate Customs House with its glorious cupola is only permanently utilized on the ground floor. The Harbour Master’s office is that in name only. There are no coffee bars, no street stands, no shops. The only restaurants are in hotels.
Though the rate predictions are wrong, the milestones are accurate when they’re met. Look across the river & the water is now up & into the racecourse; from the hill we drive over on the way to the city, we can see in the distance great silvery lakes of water that have developed overnight; to the south of the city areas of water are starting to edge the main highway; the flow is only meters away from joining up with the Yeppen lagoon; I can’t get to see what’s happening to the previously dried up Woolwash – the road is closed because part of it is now under water.
& now that the threat of major property damage no longer seems likely to eventuate, up from out of the murky depths comes the latest potential danger.
"A mass of displaced saltwater crocodiles are headed for flood-hit Rockhampton — and experts are warning they could stay as long as three months.
Rising floodwaters from the Fitzroy River are expected to peak at eight metres on Thursday morning, bringing with them as many as 60 crocodiles from upstream.
“Communities need to be aware that the Fitzroy waters do have crocodiles in them — this flood may flush them out."
“What will be interesting is in a few months when the water recedes and it leaves all these little waterholes and billabongs.
"As these areas start to dry up, the crocodiles will have to start crawling out.""
1 comment:
You fund a restaurant we run it! we always thought it would be a great idea to have a restaurant in one of those buildings (in fact, just a hot dog stand in the river bank would be a great way of funding the restaurant with the affluence of public that it is having at the moment!). The river bank buildings are an untapped goldmine that could
easily be transformed to yuppy paradise. But it would take millions and those with the $$$ invest in property not business for short term gain.
Cheers!
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