This was published 1 year ago
Australian floods: The regional towns you didn’t know you could visit again
By Katherine Scott
Mitchelton Hotel in Nagambie.Credit: Mitchelton
It's been a damp year for Australians, with a La Nina, a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and a Southern Annular Mode (SAM) combining to fuel wet and hazardous conditions across the country.
For some of the worst-affected, flood-ravaged communities in regional Victoria and New South Wales, the water levels are subsiding and it's finally back to business as usual – though you wouldn't know it from the drop in visitors.
"It's certainly been very different [this summer]," said Brett Millington, chief executive for Mildura tourism.
For some flood-ravaged communities like Echuca (pictured), it's finally back to business as usual – though you wouldn't know it from the drop in visitors.
Like many townships bordering the Murray River, a lingering misconception that the region is completely closed is having devastating effects on summer trade. The Visitor Centre has been fielding a number of calls around whether the town is open and if roads are accessible.
"Business has been significantly impacted [by the floods] with houseboats being unavailable, people not being able to access the river, and a number of caravan parks impacted," said Millington.
However, although the deluge has muddied the usually pristine waterfront and submerged the Nowingi Place grounds that would typically host summer festivals, Millington says the outback region is safe and eager to welcome visitors.
"There's still lakes for water skiing, Ouyen Lake is about to host the wakeboard championships, and there are a number of places where you can still visit and access the waterways," he said.
The CEO further noted how the recent floods have created some beautiful temporary wetlands in parts that haven't been watered in years.
"Being able to see that is a unique experience in itself," he said.
Credit: Aaron Hawkins for Visit Mildura
Credit: Aaron Hawkins for Visit Mildura
Elsewhere, just 20 minutes across the state border, sunflower walking trail Sunraysed, featuring a million blooms, is the newest attraction in the NSW town of Monak.
Further down the Murray, Echuca's famous paddle steamers are running again, the pubs, cafes, wineries and museums are open, and tourism operators who lost bookings during nearly seven weeks of river closures are as keen as ever to make up for lost time.
Rohan Burgess, managing director of Australian Paddlesteamers and owner of the iconic Emmylou vessel, said reports on the floods caused a wave of cancellations across tourism parks during what is usually their peak season, and the effect has been felt profoundly in the region.
Credit: Aaron Hawkins for Visit Mildura
"We were just getting back on our feet after COVID and things were great... so the hit [from the floods] has been hard," said Burgess.
But he says now is a great time to visit.
"The rings on the trees and the landscapes that show where the river height got to, and to marvel at the sheer volume of water that represents, it's incredible," he said. "Like you can be standing at a place where the river water would have been a metre above your head... it's nuts."
In northern Victoria, Nagambie and surrounds are almost completely reopened following months of rigorous community clean-up efforts.
Martin Garrett, head of hospitality at Mitchelton, said the vineyards are looking good and the hotel is buzzing again, although day trade throughout the estate has been noticeably quieter.
Credit: Mitchelton
"With the Discovery Park Nagambie Lakes caravan park closed for summer [due to the floods], it does make a dent in the number of visitors coming to the winery and dining with us," said Garrett.
In NSW, the Northern Rivers region is still reeling from the impacts of last year's floods.
Peter Gash, owner and managing director of Gold Coast-based scenic flight company Seair Pacific, described the flood event as "almost a mortal blow" to the towns.
"Any support in the form of visitation, tourism and people coming along and spending a bit of time and money enjoying the region has got to be good for them," he said.
Although the wet weather throughout the Sunshine State remains "a bit of a moving feast", it's setting the stage for some extraordinary sights to come, according to the pilot.
"By the end of March to early April, we'll be operating scenic flights to the outback of Queensland. I suspect we're going to get a lot of water into Lake Eyre [in South Australia] by then, which will make it stunning, but even the countryside around it is so beautiful and green because of the rain that's been happening," said Gash.
The Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Sam Farraway, has warned those travelling by car to be wary of damaged roads and current flooding.
"While we've already repaired 190,000 potholes since February, injected an extra $50 million into emergency pothole repair and deployed extra crews to the worst areas, there is still widespread damage, so people need to be wary and drive to the conditions," said Farraway.
Motorists are advised to check the latest forecasts for their destination, including checking for any severe weather, thunderstorms and flood warnings prior to travelling.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said numerous flood watches and warnings are in place across northern Australia, most notably in the Kimberley amid one of the worst flood events in the region's history.
See also: Only 90 mins from CBD, a visit to one of Victoria's oldest wineries is a must-do
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