While recent flooding and subsequent road and rail damage has wreaked havoc on supply chains through central Australia, pastoralists across northern areas of SA are looking at recent downpours with an air of optimism.
Many areas which experienced flooding events in the past fortnight continued to be inundated early this week as rain kept falling.
To 9am Wednesday morning, 169 millimetres had fallen on Todmorden in the preceding seven days, while Ernabella received 129mm in the same time period. A total of 116mm fell at Tieyon, while Oodnadatta received 81mm.
Far North pastoralist Gillian Fennell, Lambina Station, via Marla, received 74mm on Monday night, and said while there had been a few washed out roads on the 3800 square kilometre station, damage was minimal.
"The good has outweighed the bad for the Marla Oodnadatta region, for us it has been quite good," she said.
While Ms Fennell's family are largely isolated on their property until highway repairs are completed, she said she was happy to "stay put".
"A neighbour tried to get through to Alice Springs, NT, earlier in the week but couldn't get through near Mount Cavenagh, NT," she said.
"If the highway doesn't open at Glendambo, there isn't necessarily much point going to Coober Pedy to stock up."
Further south, Wirraminna Station manager Rob Davidson, has recorded about 110mm at the station homestead since January 22, but said rain had been patchy.
To have this amount of rain is really special.
- DEBBIE IRELAND
"Just 8kms from the homestead we've received 157mm all up and the feed has gone mad," he said.
The heaviest downpour at Wirraminna was on January 23, when 56mm fell.
Teetulpa Station's Warren Breeding, via Yunta, agreed feed had benefited from the rains, while three quarters of the 32 dams on that property were completely full.
"These types of rains fill dams, but don't normally grow much feed," he said.
"This one has been very beneficial though because the feed was there ready to go from late rains last year."
Mr Breeding said most of the property has received somewhere between 75-100mm in the past fortnight, while in the Flinders Ranges, Narinna Station's Debbie Ireland, via Blinman, has received 160mm in the same time period, including 15mm on Tuesday afternoon.
"Some of the falls have been in slower showers, some has been stormy and patchy and causing a bit of damage to gutters and roads, but on the whole it's been a really good and soaking rain," she said.
"I'm fourth generation here on Narrina and the drought was the worst and longest in living memory, so to have this amount of rain is really special."
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Claire Harris
Journalist at Stock Journal. Hailing from South East Queensland, Claire moved to SA at the start of 2019. She is passionate about agriculture, cooking, sport, and line dancing, and loves a good long road trip.
Journalist at Stock Journal. Hailing from South East Queensland, Claire moved to SA at the start of 2019. She is passionate about agriculture, cooking, sport, and line dancing, and loves a good long road trip.
