MEMORIES of 11 years ago came flooding back to Appin South farmers Cat and Greg Whinfield last week.
As the torrent of water made its menacing way down the meandering Loddon River, peaceful life on the Loddon for the past decade wasn’t to last too long.
As the river quickly rose higher and the damage inflicted wider, Ms Whinfield was literally dragging her neighbour’s sheep onto boats through floodwater to higher ground.
The Loddon River at Appin South peaked at 3.47 metres on Friday morning and was at at 3.3m and falling slowly, with major flooding at the time of print.
When Mr Whinfield spoke to the Gannawarra Times last week, he was confident the farmhouse wouldn’t be inundated like 2011.
Asked about the situation at the weekend, they said levels had dropped about an inch.
“Our flood bank has held (except for a few bits seeping) and done its job, so no water near sheds or houses this time,” Ms Whinfield said.
“Thank goodness. Still a lot of water around us though.”
The Whinfields had been running on “pure adrenalin” building levee banks around hay sheds and moving sheep.
But, all the “good crops” during the wetter-than-average spring have made a barrier for water to move through, slowing it down but causing more damage as it disperses across flood country.
“There is more time to prepare, so that’s something,” Mr Whinfield said.
Ms Whinfield had to decline an interview on Tuesday night as she helped neighbours move sheep by boat at nearby Yando.
Mr Whinfield said crops had been inundated, but sheep were removed from flood country, left stranded on smaller paddocks.
“The crops have plenty of water on them – canola and wheat – they are all affected. We won’t know how they go at the other end.”
In 2011, the Whinfield home went under, but with modifications made following that devastation, the house has so far been saved.
“It doesn’t seem to be that long ago … it was supposed to be a one-in-100 year event, now it’s one-in-12.
“It was terrible and we won’t ever forget it.
“We are just pleased it hasn’t got in the house and sheds.”
Mr Whinfield said the change in the landscape had played a role in the changing behaviour of the water.
“A lot of the channels have been covered over and gone, some of the flood banks are gone and some are bigger – we just don’t know what it will do,” he said.
The community spirit, Mr Whinfield said, was “pretty amazing”.
“Everyone puts in for their neighbours,” he said.
Mr Whinfield, born and bred in the district, said he hadn’t seen a flow until 2011 with the level of flood volume.
“It surprised us all, and now we have had two.”
He said there would be enough hay to feed the sheep, but wasn’t concerned about them being in a confined area too long.
“They are eating a lot of hay. They are in condition this time of the year, but instead it’s stress for them.”
