Rains rejuvenate battling pastoralists

Many stations drastically cut stock numbers, or de-stocked completely, in the past several years as a devastating dry spell took hold.

But with widespread rain, many have turned their attention to building sheep numbers back up.

One of those is Tikalina Station's Andy Treloar, who said drought had forced he and wife Helen to reduce their Merino flock from 5000 to just 600.

"If it hadn't have rained by Christmas time we would have got rid of them as well and would've been totally de-stocked," he said.

"We were down to 600 sheep on the place and we've had no lambs for three years. We've had no wool cut, no lambs so our income was completely shot."

But with 65 millimetres of rain falling at their station 100 kilometres west of Broken Hill, Mr Treloar said plans were underway to slowly build up their breeding flock.

"We've got the 600 and we'll buy some sheep in that we think are suitable, and start a self-replacing flock again," he said.

Mr Treloar said the drought had been the worst he'd experienced in his lifetime so he was over the moon when the heavens opened on Saturday, in what turned out to be their best rainfall event since floods in 1997.

"It was amazing," he said.

"You don't realise how much pressure you are under. You just deal with it but when you get the relief of a good rain and you can start planning normally again, it feels like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders."

"All our dams are full and this was a good feed rain because it was an all-day rain."

"It's the right time of the year because you get the end of your winter pick and beginning of your summer pick so both lots of feed will come along and we should do well out of it."

Mr Treloar said it was not only pastoralists who stood to benefit from the recent rains, with local townships to feel the flow-on effects.

"It was really heartening to see that it was a widespread rain across the area and a lot of people got a drink," he said.

"It's going to make a good Christmas for everyone locally."

According to Bureau of Meteorolgy rain tallies, Marree had the heaviest deluge on the weekend with 93mm.

Across the outback and pastoral areas, Woomera received 41mm, Broken Hill had 36mm and Yunta 38mm.

Port Augusta - 23mm - and Leigh Creek - 15mm - also had handy totals.

There wasn't quite the same falls experienced on the upper Eyre Peninsula, with Ceduna receiving 11mm, 5.4mm falling at Wudinna and 13mm measured at Kimba.

After three years of drought at Orroroo, mixed farmer Rod Catford is cautiously optimistic his wheat crops will achieve average to above average yields thanks to the 36mm he received on Saturday.

"It'll certainly help the crops," he said.

"They were starting to suffer a bit so this rain will see them through now.

"They are just flowering at the moment and starting to fill so it should be a good sample."

WITH feed slowly wilting after receiving a handy 40 millimetres of rain in August, the weekend's rain came just in time to rejuvenate the green pick on Mern Merna Station, north of Hawker.

Adam Gill and his family rejoiced in the 33mm they received on the weekend, with Mr Gill saying the August rains had sparked some germination but subsequent dust storms had feed hanging on for dear life.

"This rain came just in time (for the feed)," he said.

"It'd be good if we could get another rain in about a fortnight coming into shearing. It's still a bit dusty and blowy up here but hopefully a bit of clover and stuff will start growing."

Mr Gill said they had been lucky in the past few years, having a property at Mundoora which had allowed them to truck their own feed up to keep their sheep going during the drought.

"We've been bringing hay and grain up from down south so we haven't had that big cost," he said.

Mr Gill said there was 2700 sheep on Mern Merna currently, with 500 of those in containment feeding.

Bureau of Meteorlogy senior meteorlogist Mark Anolak has good news for those hoping for follow-up rains, saying that major climate drivers suggest a La Nina weather pattern is imminent and in the next few months "we are likely to see above average rainfall across the eastern parts of the state and certainly the pastoral districts as well".

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