UPDATE FROM THE ROCKY FLOOD

Hey lads, thought people would like to really know what it is like around the Rockhampton region as it does flood. Especially important for the sporting precincts in the area as well that some may or may not know.

We are still waiting for the peak, but it’s now at a level where the roads from the South and the West are cut, and any travel by rail or air is not possible (rail lines and runways flooded). We’re still dry northbound although some roads do have water on them.

In terms of sports facilities, the racecourse (Callaghan Park, home to over 30 Thursday TAB gallops meetings and the occasional greyhound meeting a year) is under, meaning the $16 Million earmarked for the facility will be used up in repairing the track rather than improving the off course facilities. Next door, the Rockhampton Cricket Ground (scene of our premiership not more than 4 months ago) is also flooded. Further down it is assumed that the touch football fields and the junior World Game pitches (that’s Soccer or Futbol to some) are also inundated.

Training facilities and grounds for local clubs are also now covered in water. The netball courts at Jardine Park (not far from our home ground, which in turn is adjacent to the airport) are under, as is the Capricorn County Club’s public golf course and driving range (a former home ground for the now defunct Parkana Demons AFC, and later the defunct Brewers Baseball Club). Half covered is Victoria Park’s Rugby League field, located near the river. Under threat would probably be the city’s BMX club as the adjoining streets are under water as well.

Inland, there are obviously other facilities that have felt the force of flooding in locations such as Emerald (about 4 hours drive West of Rocky) and Bundaberg (5 hours to the South, where the roads have recently re-opened). But I’m not in a position to tell you how those facilities are.

As for me, I’m still high and dry unlike many in the low lying suburbs like Depot Hill which like Theodore has been evacuated. Just whether we’ll be having the traditional Australia Day Cricket Bash at a residence in the area is debatable at this stage, but that I’m sure is the least of those residents concerns. I have enough supplies, and if I have to I’ll evacuate but we’ll see what happens. Wednesday is a key day, but I’ve figured out that based on the levels at Riverslea (divide the readings by 3, and wait 72 hours), the level will be 9.09m by this time on Tuesday night.

See you all on the other side, and hopefully back at the footy soon enough.

Mooks

About Mick Jeffrey

39 Year Old, 16 year Bulldogs. over 280 combined senior/reserves appearances for Brothers AFC in AFL Capricornia. 26 time Marathon finisher, three time Ultra Marathon finisher and three time Comrades Marathon competitor (though not finisher yet).

Comments

  1. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rocket says

    The river level got to 9.4 when I lived there in 1991 – but I was high and dry on the Range…
    hopefully it doesn’t go above that level.

  2. For what it was worth I was stranded in Gladstone trying to get back to Rock Vegas in 1991.
    It was a good town in 1991 I particularly enjoyed friday nights at the Allentown Hotel.
    I was on the lower part of the range and well away from the floods too.
    I think it was earlier that year that there was a fire on Mt Archer on a still dry day and it looked like a volcano erupting.
    I have very fond memories of Rocky.

  3. Pamela Sherpa says

    Good luck dealing with and surviving the drama up there.

Leave a Comment

*