NINDIGULLY publican Steve Burns, or just plain “Burnsie” as he is known to the patrons of the Nindigully Hotel, reckons he is a lucky man.
And it’s not because his “beautiful” home next to the Nindigully “Pub” survived the weekend’s record flood.
It’s not even that the Pub, a place he “loves”, survived.
It’s because he experienced something he’ll never forget.
“They’re a bit special out here,” he said.
“I’ve been talking to people who lost two houses on properties and who’ve lost crops.
“You say, “Are you insured?’ They go “No, but we’ll be all right, mate’.
“There’s no whingers here. They see the good a flood will bring. And we’re still here. There’s no deaths. We’d all certainly rather go though a flood then an earthquake or a tsunami,” he said.
The community’s thoughts have now turned to those in Thallon and Dirranbandi who are about to go through what they’ve endured.
He describes the tide of flood water as “knowing a freight train is about to hit you. You know it’s coming in slow motion but you don’t how much it is going to hurt,” he said.
“We’re thinking of them and if we can help afterwards we will,” he said.
Which is more than he can say for the Queensland Government.
“All we heard out here was that Anna Bligh was running around getting her picture taken.
“We received road reports but no information about the flood. No warnings. I’ve only been here seven years and I’d never been through anything like this.
“We just had to ride it out as best we could.”
And they did.
“Aussies are great at just getting together and helping each other out when things get tough,” he said.
Nindigully is cut off from St Geroge, but the highway to Goondiwindi is open.
“There’s no chance of getting to St George. The roads stuffed. It looks like someone’s thrown a jig-saw puzzle,” he said.
Was anyone looking after them?
Steve doesn’t know that, but he does know that he went to bed one night thinking that he was going to wake up to find the pub under water.
“I couldn’t believe it. The next day the water had stopped at the doors. If you’d thrown a stone in the water, the ripples would have gone over into the pub,” he said.
What he does know, is that there will be a party tonight (Tuesday).
“They’ve been ringing up for awhile saying they can’t get in. But I think that’s about to change,” he said.
Here’s how he described waiting for the flood waters to come:
“To all our friends of Nindigully Pub out there.
We’ve attached photos of the pub at the full height of the biggest flood on record and we believe in its 146 year proud history.
In real numbers (as we are an official weather recording station) a minor flood is reached at 2.2m, a moderate flood is 3m, a major flood is 4m and at 4.5m, officially, the town and houses are going under.
On February 14 1976 at 3pm our town recorded its highest official flood level of 4.15m. There is a local story that in the 1890s the river rose half way up the old bar which would of added another 500mm but we can not substantiate this.
To Page 33
n March 5 at 6am we officially hit 4.17m and by 6pm we officiaay hit 4.55m and had a very sleplesss night until waking the next morning to our peak height (and new record) of 4.65m at 6am..
At around11am the relief was obvious on all 13 of our faces as the water started to slowly retreat away from the pub and our homes.
We have just done the 9pm reading and we are at 4.55m down 100mm from our peak.
We hope and expect the outflow to pick up overnight and be down a further 200mm by daybreak
The pride we all have in the pub and each other after a very eventful three days is amazing.
Thirteen people bonded together with no way out of town, no boats, nowhere to land a chopper within many kilometers - although we never doubted the capabilities of the SES and RFDS if they were needed.
But getting back t the point, friends always stand up with and alongside you and they did, but we had strangers visiting us and a couple of fresh staff members when the crisis started and they are now considered friends forever.
We all stood alongside and with each other and showed that people really do bond in times of crisis.
We have all learnt a lot about nature and each other and we are thankful to each other and the pub that stood with us.
Not a drop entered the pub above floor level, under the floor, yes - the old cellars were filled and the pub had a big flush and clean underneath.
The beer garden has been top-dressed for free (it was knee- deep in water and Roxy our dog had to dog paddle to chase her ball across it.
The old general store did get a couple of inches in the back and front come in but the damage should not be too bad.
We had only just fully renovating the inside of the store with new carpets and furnishings so this was a little upsetting.
Overall we have been happy to have experienced this flood because the beauty of vast expanses of water through the bush is something you will never forget.
At the times we were feeling bad about what could and was happening, we simply took time to look around at how beautiful the picture was we were in. In a way we were lucky and priviledged to be here.
There are people around us, people involved in our small community that have suffered a lot more than us, this we know.
Our thoughts are with them.
We know they are strong and resilient and they too see beauty and good in this natural disaster.
They will recoup and prosper.
Thank you all for your thoughts and many well wishing messages..
It is with pride we present our photos of our wonderful pub's survival.
All the best to you all always and hope to see you soon.
For more photos and up to date info please track our facebook site under nindigully pub official site
BURNSIE www.nindigully.com
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