Eastern Australia is currently in the grip of a crippling drought. All of New South Wales has been declared as drought stricken and much of Queensland. This year as we trekked northwards the roadkill on the highways was the worst we’ve ever encountered. Native kangaroos and emus and feral goats feed on the wild grasses of the roadsides when the paddocks have been stripped of vegetation. And stripped is not an exaggeration as paddocks are little but red dust. The only ones getting fat out here are the eagles and hawks and kites, cleaning up the carnage.
As we returned south we passed truck after truck laden with hay and heading north to aid those in need. Hay from the presently greener southern states, Victoria and Tasmania.
Dorothea Mackellar summed this country up beautifully in her poem My Country, where in verse after verse she penned the heartbreak and the joy of this country’s dramatic climate:
Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us
We see the cattle die
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady soaking rain.
itchingforhitching 
The paradoxes of this country….. Today we have snow on the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, and hail in our back yard – and eastern NSW is on fire!
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Yes hail here on the Peninsula. About 4 years ago we scampered down the Newell ahead of floods. Gosh it was soggy.
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I love that poem it has captured the feeling of Australia. So sad for the farmers at the moment
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My favourite poem. They do it tough here.
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Yes badly need rain
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Didn’t know there was a drought although some parts of Australia must be in permanent drought surely? Good to know so many people are helping the animals make it through.
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I used to work for an equipment company and yes there was always a region suffering drought. This one has affected such a large area.
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We were just discussing this the other day L. It’s a terrible time for our Aussie farmers. Wish we could send some Melbourne rain up to NSW.
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I wish someone would build a network of pipes to divert water from the Kimberley.
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May there be gentle rain and soothing as well
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I’m with you – pipe water from the Kimberley. Excuse the expression – but we need a politician with balls enough to do it. We came through outback Qld during a drought during 2014 – the roadkill was horrendous. We started out early in the morning so saw the carnage before the shire had a chance to clear it, which they did each day. The camber of the road causes dew which runs off and supports a small amount of green growth at the roads edge, which attracts the Roos overnight. , which is when the trucks are hurtling along. Heartbreaking to see. One little town, Morven, puts water baths and feed out nightly on the oval for the wildlife. They have a lovey donation only camping spot there too. It’s a town worth supporting,
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We came thru Morven in 2014 and a lady in yellow called Dulcie flagged us down to join their longest morning tea for cancer. She had to be in her 80’s and she was running up & down the highway stopping caravans. My girlfriend is Sri Lankan and she swears it was the best tea she’s tasted. Oh it was good and we drove off munching on cakes. We’ll never forget Morven and Dulcie.
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May much rain fall where it is needed
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Thanks Derrick. It’s sad to hear of farmers losing breeding stock they’ve built up over generations and then their properties.
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Yes. We see the tragedy on our news
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