All is not Green

It started early in November, (we were told as we were away on holiday). A howling southerly that was here to stay. Here at Northwood we sit between Seymour and Puckapunyal, the name Puckapunyal was taken from the Aboriginal name for a large hill within the training area. The name has been variously translated as “death to the eagle”, “the outer barbarians”, “the middle hill”, “place of exile” and “valley of the winds”. It felt like all of those descriptions and more.

Relentless in its nature we braced, the cracks in the ground grew wider and plentiful water stores diminished. Soon back up arrived in the form of an ongoing hot dry heat. Records were broken this summer. Since October our area had recorded 2 inches of rain and February was closing in. The rain did arrive, sneaking in on the last day of Summer and it seemed as though every living entity was exhaling a slow and thank full breath, (the smell of the eucalypt was just SO beautiful). I felt like a school child who had been saved by the bell at the very last minute. In the last two days of February 35.6mm of rain was recorded, on paper the stats look ok, it is just the time it took to arrive.

We are fortunate as from the furthest reaches of our farm we have access to the calm respite and gentle breeze of the banks of the Goulburn River. Trees are ancient and many and a calm haven from the work of turning bare paddocks into something more. We ate our dinners by the river accompanied by fishing rods and kayacks and a hammock in the trees. The banks of the Goulburn have been running high as water is released with increasing speed. Storage capacities are high, that is certain. What appears less certain is what the future may or may not bring us.