October Update

Water. It's all about water really. Every discussion about the weather, a farm, a business, or anything else really, always comes back to water.

The largest ever area of Queensland has been declared drought affected - some 80% of the state. And yet, when we arrived and were doing the paperwork for the government house we are in, the principal muttered when it came to the water clause that 'you won't need to worry about that one'. Oh, that's nice, we thought. The Education Department must pay for our water. Nope. When Greg pulled up the cover on the water pit, there is a tap, but no meter. Nobody gets charged for water! So what do you think happens. Yep. Sprinklers go pretty much 24x7 in everybody's garden. We passed one on the way to school yesterday that had six hoses from six taps feeding six sprinklers going simultaneously on his very green lawn. They water the footpaths and driveways, and kids play under continuously running hoses. They water lawns the morning after thunderstorms. Bore water is even used to generate electricity in some towns. And yet the shire is a declared drought area.

Australia fortuitously sits over one of the world's largest underground reservoirs - the Great Artesian Basin. The basin is under about 25% of Australia's land mass, and most of Queensland, and over the last 100 years or so we've tapped into it with great abandon. Unfortunately, though it's the only reason most of Australia has any farming or cattle industry, we haven't treated it very well. Lots and lots of the bores sunk have been uncapped, which means that plumes of water just shoot into the air, and the water forms an artificial lake draining the Basin. As properties and towns come and go, many of these uncapped bores have just been abandoned. It's estimated that around 95% of all water obtained through these bores is lost to evaporation. Because of the number of bores being sunk, the pressure of the water coming up has now reduced significantly, so we sink even more to get the same water. And yet we are in drought.

Whilst there are a few theories, the most widely held one is that the rains on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in northern Queensland run off into underground catchments that take between 10 and 20 million years to gradually filter through the rock into the underground Basin, and are eventually tapped into by towns like Charleville, Birdsville, and every outback town really. Think of that - when the water I'm drinking today disappeared underground, dinosaurs roamed the district. The government has come up with a great program to cap as many of the old bores as they can, and provide water to properties by means of kilometers of poly piping running into closed tanks, instead of into the traditional open air channels. It's made a dramatic difference to the amount of water lost by evaporation, and what's more was largely paid for by the government. But the program isn't completed, governments are becoming more and more reluctant to fully fund it, and because farmers can't afford it the rollout is slowing.

But back to Charleville. We have tanks, but they aren't used much. Why bother. The people next door have theirs turned off. They don't mind the taste of the bore water. The concept of conservation is met with strange stares (as is the concept of recycling. "We recycle - we bury it all in separate pits"). They look at you like you're an alien, and suggest you go back to drinking your latte. Make us pay for water! Introduce restrictions! Use water smart plumbing fixtures! "Where did you come down from?" When you ask them what's going to happen to the industry, and to Australia in general when it runs out, the general opinion is that they won't be around to have to worry about it, so why should you.

And just a random note, as we didn't have any idea. Water coming from the Basin varies in temperature, but is roughly 80 degrees in this area, so it has to be cooled before use. When we had a plumber in to fix the toilet (the hot bore water made the washer perish) he wanted to check our cold water tank. Greg said we didn't have one. Yes, you do. No, we don't. Eventually he found it - buried in the backyard. We thought it was the septic, but no, it's where our bore water is stored and cooled before running into our cold water line in the bathroom, so you can shower and brush your teeth without scalding yourself. Unfortunately it's not plumbed into the laundry, so you almost scald yourself when putting your clothes into a 'cold' wash, and you almost burn yourself on the outside taps when your spinkler has been running for a while.

Well, other than a rant about water, what can we tell you. Mandy is enjoying her teaching role. With only 5 weeks left of the year, the final gatherings of the children into what are known as 'mini schools' for a full week are now happening, and we are heading off 3 hours down the highway tomorrow to Roma to the one that our special girls are coming in to. A few weeks later they will all be back in Charleville for graduation and it will all be over. Mandy spends one day a week in the neighbouring town of Augathella 80kms away teaching warm bodies in person rather than over the airwaves, and enjoys that bit most of all.

Mandy has also joined the local choir, more for the fun of singing than anything else, as we will probably be gone before their Christmas concerts happen.

After attending one church and being asked on our fifth Sunday if we were visitors and, finally, what our names were, we tried another one. Whilst the congregation is small, and there are no musicians, at least they know our name and are welcoming, though the odds of actually being invited to anybody's place before we leave are lengthening considerably as each week goes by. What a stark contrast to St George. I guess that's why the couple of churches that are left are struggling.

During the school holidays we took a road trip of around 2500 kms visiting iconic Birdsville, Innamincka and the edge of the Simpson Desert. We didn't take the caravan, as it would have fallen to pieces on the corrugated, dirt roads, but instead took our tent and camped in towns and along river beds. A part of Australia that not many people get to see, and we figured that this was about as close as we would every get. On the way back, we called into St George to watch the AFL Grand Final with a family of Fremantle supporters who were looking for somebody to gloat over, even though we'd eliminated them the week before. Somehow the taunts suggesting Greg change teams got quieter and less frequent as the match went on. Three in a row!

The weather is hotting up quite quickly. It's now mid 30s every day, and everybody is getting up earlier and earlier to get things done before it gets hot. Lawn mowers start at 6am. Tradies are hammering not long after. Shops are opening early. Yeah, I know, we're from the south, so what do we know, but just don't dare suggest daylight saving. Wouldn't work here, mate. So, instead, schools start at 8am, which is 9am daylight saving time, and so it goes down the line. Nothing is proclaimed formally, but everything informally starts an hour early. Nope, daylight saving sure wouldn't work. So, instead the clock says 5:30 when the sun wakes us, and we make the most of the only time of the day when it's pleasant to get some exercise.

The bird life here is amazing, and we have flocks of parrots, rosellas and galahs having their breakfast in our backyard. Thank goodness the magpies have finished their nesting though. They took an extreme dislike to Greg's bike, and after being hit 3 times in the head one morning, the bike was put away for a month till the babies left the nests.

Being Queensland, the biggest thing happening in the town between now and Christmas is the Melbourne Cup. Yes, it's a public holiday here (go figure), and the town gathers at the local racecourse to listen to the race (oh, and drink). And just to get a head start they host a town celebration of Halloween a couple of days before, where the children can party (and the adults drink).

Well I guess, we'd better stop ranting on. Congratulations if you've lasted this far. We'll see most of you over the Christmas break as we come south to join Brendan and Rachel who are flying in for a short visit. Till then take care.

If you'd like to see some pictures, look at the following links in a browser:
WWII came to Charleville (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gregd999/16/1441773522/tpod.html)
Save the Bilby (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gregd999/16/1442035285/tpod.html)
The Birdsville Hotel (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gregd999/16/1443002658/tpod.html)
The Simpson Desert (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gregd999/16/1443004658/tpod.html)
Innamincka (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gregd999/16/1443227600/tpod.html)