My work takes me out to some fairly remote places. Recently I spent some time down on the floodzone of the Darling River around Tandou Farm. The area was desolate and barren just two years ago and the transformation is incredible. Two good seasons of rain in the Darling River catchment, particularly in Queensland and North Western NSW has bought about an awesome revitalization on the land.
The back country is all underwater and flooded and teeming with fish, shrimps and yabbies. Sadly the carp population has exploded.
The carp are getting obscenely large too, this one went 74cm. The good news is because of the profusion of food in the river and lakes the native fish are growing well too and specimens caught over Easter were large and fat in prime condition.
There are birds everywhere, Magpies, Cockatoos and Kookaburras, lots of water birds and many species I don't even recognize.
Creeks that have been dry for a decade are being filled by floodwaters from the river all over the catchment and in some areas vast tracts of land have become completely inaccessible either by being flooded or cut off by floodwaters.
Countless roads and tracks throughout the catchment have become impassable and many dusty roads and corrugated tracks I've used in the past to get around are completely underwater.
The bush is alive with Kangaroos, Emus, Rabbits, Foxes, Feral Goats, Snakes, Lizards, and Insects. It's an amazing time to see the Darling River and the Menindee Lakes right now and no doubt soon enough nature will cycle again as she does and we'll see another drought. Until then I'll be making the most of the incredible miracle that water brings to the outback!
