'This is really scary': farmers battle historic drought
Farmer Paul Manwaring has been living in the shadow of rain.
The cattle breeder has watched for months as promising forecasts disappear, while the occasional shower creates patches of growth on the parched plains around Cootamundra, in southwestern NSW.
"It's all green where a storm went through, but 200 metres down the road it's desolate," Mr Manwaring told AAP.
The region is in the grips of disaster, according to the NSW drought indicator, part of a large area lit up in orange on the map.
Surrounding regions are also drying out, expected to slip into drought by mid-winter.
"(The rain) keeps either going north or south of us and we just keep being in that shadow," Mr Manwaring said.
After a hot summer, the mild and wet autumn break that farmers typically expect did not come.
Scattered rain across parts of the district in recent days arrived too late as producers had already made tough decisions.
Mr Manwaring, who runs a small livestock operation, sold his sheep in spring in anticipation of the dry, figuring that a run of good seasons would turn.
Others have had to pull up their crops, change their planting regimes or sell stock in a busy market, necessary moves that will affect farm incomes for years.
"Even when it does rain, it's going to take a while to grow feed for all the livestock," Mr Manwaring said.
Much of southern Australia is in drought at the same time as the NSW Hunter and mid-north coast regions face a major flood emergency, with five months' rain falling there in two days.
April rainfall has been well below average across much of Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW, eastern SA, and the west coast and interior of WA, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's drought statement.
Tasmania recorded its driest April in a decade, with falls 50 per cent below the 40-year average.
South Australia has also been hit particularly hard, with $2 billion wiped from the state's economy after the worst harvest in 15 years.
Cassie Oster, whose family runs a grazing and cropping operation at Jabuk, about 150km southeast of Adelaide, says producers on the marginal country are always prepared for dry conditions.
But this drought is particularly brutal.
"We are at a point where we're like ... this is really scary," Ms Oster said.
"The decisions we're having to make are things that we've never been faced with before."
The family has sold off more than 1000 sheep and abandoned several crops.
Those kinds of decisions make it harder for farmers to buy back into the market after the drought breaks, when they are also likely to face higher costs of inputs, machinery and fuel.
Drought conditions have been slowly creeping in since early 2023, mostly in regions with western-facing coastlines.
Dry periods have been historically linked to the El Nino climate pattern, but Australian scientists have identified more nuance in what triggers low rainfall.
Droughts develop when weather systems that lift and carry moisture from the ocean disappear, a recent scientific review found.
That has been the case for months across the south, with slow-moving high pressure systems dominating and bringing warm and dry conditions with them.
There has been a long-term shift towards drier conditions in southern Australia, according to the weather bureau's 2024 climate change report.
As the dry takes hold and forecasts fail to offer any certainty, farming groups have been calling for greater drought awareness and support.
Ms Oster is one of many farmers backing a petition for a formal drought declaration to unlock emergency funds, something the SA government says it cannot do under a federal agreement.
She said the national drought plan, which aims to make farmers financially self-reliant, is all very well in a typical scenario.
Most farmers spend the good years preparing for the bad, but the last few seasons have made that nearly impossible.
"It's like no other drought we've ever seen," Ms Oster said.
The Victorian Farmers Federation has urged politicians to spend more time in the regions.
"Mental health is a huge concern: when farmers feel isolated, unsupported and forgotten, the consequences can be devastating for individuals and entire communities," president Brett Hosking said.
Eileen Jorgensen, who has spent a lifetime farming in Victoria, has noticed growers becoming more open about the mental toll of drought.
But distressed farmers talking to each other could only help for so long, she said.
"That is probably the darker side of the drought," Ms Jorgensen told AAP while looking out the window at her drying paddocks in the Wimmera region, in the state's west.
The Jorgensens, who grow grain and raise sheep and Clydesdale horses, are able to keep their stock watered by the Wimmera Mallee pipeline that was built after successive droughts in the early 2000s.
But others further south are having to cart water and source increasingly expensive stock feed.
Ms Jorgensen remains pragmatic, having grown up working in her father's market garden watching bad seasons come and go.
"You just know it's going to rain eventually," she said.
"It may not be tomorrow, it may not be next month, but it will rain."
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Farmer Paul Manwaring has been living in the shadow of rain.
The cattle breeder has watched for months as promising forecasts disappear, while the occasional shower creates patches of growth on the parched plains around Cootamundra, in southwestern NSW.
"It's all green where a storm went through, but 200 metres down the road it's desolate," Mr Manwaring told AAP.
The region is in the grips of disaster, according to the NSW drought indicator, part of a large area lit up in orange on the map.
Surrounding regions are also drying out, expected to slip into drought by mid-winter.
"(The rain) keeps either going north or south of us and we just keep being in that shadow," Mr Manwaring said.
After a hot summer, the mild and wet autumn break that farmers typically expect did not come.
Scattered rain across parts of the district in recent days arrived too late as producers had already made tough decisions.
Mr Manwaring, who runs a small livestock operation, sold his sheep in spring in anticipation of the dry, figuring that a run of good seasons would turn.
Others have had to pull up their crops, change their planting regimes or sell stock in a busy market, necessary moves that will affect farm incomes for years.
"Even when it does rain, it's going to take a while to grow feed for all the livestock," Mr Manwaring said.
Much of southern Australia is in drought at the same time as the NSW Hunter and mid-north coast regions face a major flood emergency, with five months' rain falling there in two days.
April rainfall has been well below average across much of Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW, eastern SA, and the west coast and interior of WA, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's drought statement.
Tasmania recorded its driest April in a decade, with falls 50 per cent below the 40-year average.
South Australia has also been hit particularly hard, with $2 billion wiped from the state's economy after the worst harvest in 15 years.
Cassie Oster, whose family runs a grazing and cropping operation at Jabuk, about 150km southeast of Adelaide, says producers on the marginal country are always prepared for dry conditions.
But this drought is particularly brutal.
"We are at a point where we're like ... this is really scary," Ms Oster said.
"The decisions we're having to make are things that we've never been faced with before."
The family has sold off more than 1000 sheep and abandoned several crops.
Those kinds of decisions make it harder for farmers to buy back into the market after the drought breaks, when they are also likely to face higher costs of inputs, machinery and fuel.
Drought conditions have been slowly creeping in since early 2023, mostly in regions with western-facing coastlines.
Dry periods have been historically linked to the El Nino climate pattern, but Australian scientists have identified more nuance in what triggers low rainfall.
Droughts develop when weather systems that lift and carry moisture from the ocean disappear, a recent scientific review found.
That has been the case for months across the south, with slow-moving high pressure systems dominating and bringing warm and dry conditions with them.
There has been a long-term shift towards drier conditions in southern Australia, according to the weather bureau's 2024 climate change report.
As the dry takes hold and forecasts fail to offer any certainty, farming groups have been calling for greater drought awareness and support.
Ms Oster is one of many farmers backing a petition for a formal drought declaration to unlock emergency funds, something the SA government says it cannot do under a federal agreement.
She said the national drought plan, which aims to make farmers financially self-reliant, is all very well in a typical scenario.
Most farmers spend the good years preparing for the bad, but the last few seasons have made that nearly impossible.
"It's like no other drought we've ever seen," Ms Oster said.
The Victorian Farmers Federation has urged politicians to spend more time in the regions.
"Mental health is a huge concern: when farmers feel isolated, unsupported and forgotten, the consequences can be devastating for individuals and entire communities," president Brett Hosking said.
Eileen Jorgensen, who has spent a lifetime farming in Victoria, has noticed growers becoming more open about the mental toll of drought.
But distressed farmers talking to each other could only help for so long, she said.
"That is probably the darker side of the drought," Ms Jorgensen told AAP while looking out the window at her drying paddocks in the Wimmera region, in the state's west.
The Jorgensens, who grow grain and raise sheep and Clydesdale horses, are able to keep their stock watered by the Wimmera Mallee pipeline that was built after successive droughts in the early 2000s.
But others further south are having to cart water and source increasingly expensive stock feed.
Ms Jorgensen remains pragmatic, having grown up working in her father's market garden watching bad seasons come and go.
"You just know it's going to rain eventually," she said.
"It may not be tomorrow, it may not be next month, but it will rain."
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Farmer Paul Manwaring has been living in the shadow of rain.
The cattle breeder has watched for months as promising forecasts disappear, while the occasional shower creates patches of growth on the parched plains around Cootamundra, in southwestern NSW.
"It's all green where a storm went through, but 200 metres down the road it's desolate," Mr Manwaring told AAP.
The region is in the grips of disaster, according to the NSW drought indicator, part of a large area lit up in orange on the map.
Surrounding regions are also drying out, expected to slip into drought by mid-winter.
"(The rain) keeps either going north or south of us and we just keep being in that shadow," Mr Manwaring said.
After a hot summer, the mild and wet autumn break that farmers typically expect did not come.
Scattered rain across parts of the district in recent days arrived too late as producers had already made tough decisions.
Mr Manwaring, who runs a small livestock operation, sold his sheep in spring in anticipation of the dry, figuring that a run of good seasons would turn.
Others have had to pull up their crops, change their planting regimes or sell stock in a busy market, necessary moves that will affect farm incomes for years.
"Even when it does rain, it's going to take a while to grow feed for all the livestock," Mr Manwaring said.
Much of southern Australia is in drought at the same time as the NSW Hunter and mid-north coast regions face a major flood emergency, with five months' rain falling there in two days.
April rainfall has been well below average across much of Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW, eastern SA, and the west coast and interior of WA, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's drought statement.
Tasmania recorded its driest April in a decade, with falls 50 per cent below the 40-year average.
South Australia has also been hit particularly hard, with $2 billion wiped from the state's economy after the worst harvest in 15 years.
Cassie Oster, whose family runs a grazing and cropping operation at Jabuk, about 150km southeast of Adelaide, says producers on the marginal country are always prepared for dry conditions.
But this drought is particularly brutal.
"We are at a point where we're like ... this is really scary," Ms Oster said.
"The decisions we're having to make are things that we've never been faced with before."
The family has sold off more than 1000 sheep and abandoned several crops.
Those kinds of decisions make it harder for farmers to buy back into the market after the drought breaks, when they are also likely to face higher costs of inputs, machinery and fuel.
Drought conditions have been slowly creeping in since early 2023, mostly in regions with western-facing coastlines.
Dry periods have been historically linked to the El Nino climate pattern, but Australian scientists have identified more nuance in what triggers low rainfall.
Droughts develop when weather systems that lift and carry moisture from the ocean disappear, a recent scientific review found.
That has been the case for months across the south, with slow-moving high pressure systems dominating and bringing warm and dry conditions with them.
There has been a long-term shift towards drier conditions in southern Australia, according to the weather bureau's 2024 climate change report.
As the dry takes hold and forecasts fail to offer any certainty, farming groups have been calling for greater drought awareness and support.
Ms Oster is one of many farmers backing a petition for a formal drought declaration to unlock emergency funds, something the SA government says it cannot do under a federal agreement.
She said the national drought plan, which aims to make farmers financially self-reliant, is all very well in a typical scenario.
Most farmers spend the good years preparing for the bad, but the last few seasons have made that nearly impossible.
"It's like no other drought we've ever seen," Ms Oster said.
The Victorian Farmers Federation has urged politicians to spend more time in the regions.
"Mental health is a huge concern: when farmers feel isolated, unsupported and forgotten, the consequences can be devastating for individuals and entire communities," president Brett Hosking said.
Eileen Jorgensen, who has spent a lifetime farming in Victoria, has noticed growers becoming more open about the mental toll of drought.
But distressed farmers talking to each other could only help for so long, she said.
"That is probably the darker side of the drought," Ms Jorgensen told AAP while looking out the window at her drying paddocks in the Wimmera region, in the state's west.
The Jorgensens, who grow grain and raise sheep and Clydesdale horses, are able to keep their stock watered by the Wimmera Mallee pipeline that was built after successive droughts in the early 2000s.
But others further south are having to cart water and source increasingly expensive stock feed.
Ms Jorgensen remains pragmatic, having grown up working in her father's market garden watching bad seasons come and go.
"You just know it's going to rain eventually," she said.
"It may not be tomorrow, it may not be next month, but it will rain."
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Farmer Paul Manwaring has been living in the shadow of rain.
The cattle breeder has watched for months as promising forecasts disappear, while the occasional shower creates patches of growth on the parched plains around Cootamundra, in southwestern NSW.
"It's all green where a storm went through, but 200 metres down the road it's desolate," Mr Manwaring told AAP.
The region is in the grips of disaster, according to the NSW drought indicator, part of a large area lit up in orange on the map.
Surrounding regions are also drying out, expected to slip into drought by mid-winter.
"(The rain) keeps either going north or south of us and we just keep being in that shadow," Mr Manwaring said.
After a hot summer, the mild and wet autumn break that farmers typically expect did not come.
Scattered rain across parts of the district in recent days arrived too late as producers had already made tough decisions.
Mr Manwaring, who runs a small livestock operation, sold his sheep in spring in anticipation of the dry, figuring that a run of good seasons would turn.
Others have had to pull up their crops, change their planting regimes or sell stock in a busy market, necessary moves that will affect farm incomes for years.
"Even when it does rain, it's going to take a while to grow feed for all the livestock," Mr Manwaring said.
Much of southern Australia is in drought at the same time as the NSW Hunter and mid-north coast regions face a major flood emergency, with five months' rain falling there in two days.
April rainfall has been well below average across much of Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW, eastern SA, and the west coast and interior of WA, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's drought statement.
Tasmania recorded its driest April in a decade, with falls 50 per cent below the 40-year average.
South Australia has also been hit particularly hard, with $2 billion wiped from the state's economy after the worst harvest in 15 years.
Cassie Oster, whose family runs a grazing and cropping operation at Jabuk, about 150km southeast of Adelaide, says producers on the marginal country are always prepared for dry conditions.
But this drought is particularly brutal.
"We are at a point where we're like ... this is really scary," Ms Oster said.
"The decisions we're having to make are things that we've never been faced with before."
The family has sold off more than 1000 sheep and abandoned several crops.
Those kinds of decisions make it harder for farmers to buy back into the market after the drought breaks, when they are also likely to face higher costs of inputs, machinery and fuel.
Drought conditions have been slowly creeping in since early 2023, mostly in regions with western-facing coastlines.
Dry periods have been historically linked to the El Nino climate pattern, but Australian scientists have identified more nuance in what triggers low rainfall.
Droughts develop when weather systems that lift and carry moisture from the ocean disappear, a recent scientific review found.
That has been the case for months across the south, with slow-moving high pressure systems dominating and bringing warm and dry conditions with them.
There has been a long-term shift towards drier conditions in southern Australia, according to the weather bureau's 2024 climate change report.
As the dry takes hold and forecasts fail to offer any certainty, farming groups have been calling for greater drought awareness and support.
Ms Oster is one of many farmers backing a petition for a formal drought declaration to unlock emergency funds, something the SA government says it cannot do under a federal agreement.
She said the national drought plan, which aims to make farmers financially self-reliant, is all very well in a typical scenario.
Most farmers spend the good years preparing for the bad, but the last few seasons have made that nearly impossible.
"It's like no other drought we've ever seen," Ms Oster said.
The Victorian Farmers Federation has urged politicians to spend more time in the regions.
"Mental health is a huge concern: when farmers feel isolated, unsupported and forgotten, the consequences can be devastating for individuals and entire communities," president Brett Hosking said.
Eileen Jorgensen, who has spent a lifetime farming in Victoria, has noticed growers becoming more open about the mental toll of drought.
But distressed farmers talking to each other could only help for so long, she said.
"That is probably the darker side of the drought," Ms Jorgensen told AAP while looking out the window at her drying paddocks in the Wimmera region, in the state's west.
The Jorgensens, who grow grain and raise sheep and Clydesdale horses, are able to keep their stock watered by the Wimmera Mallee pipeline that was built after successive droughts in the early 2000s.
But others further south are having to cart water and source increasingly expensive stock feed.
Ms Jorgensen remains pragmatic, having grown up working in her father's market garden watching bad seasons come and go.
"You just know it's going to rain eventually," she said.
"It may not be tomorrow, it may not be next month, but it will rain."
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Minimum temperatures across Queensland remain 'significantly' below average
Queenslanders are in for more cold weather as minimum temperatures across the state remain below average on Wednesday. Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) Daniel Hayes said the cooler weather would continue for the rest of the week because of a low-pressure system in the Tasman Sea and a high-pressure system pushing cool air into Queensland. It comes as Roma Airport recorded the coldest temperature in the country on Tuesday, alongside Mount Ginini — about 75km south-west of Canberra — with the minimum temperature reaching -3.6 degrees Celsius. Mr Hayes said while the Cairns region continued to record temperatures slightly above average, the rest of the state would experience "quite significantly below average" temperatures. He said frost would also be patchy on the Darling Downs and the Granite Belt. Wellcamp Airport, near Toowoomba, recorded -2.4 degrees at 6am on Wednesday, Dalby experienced -1.7 degrees while Charleville woke up to -0.3 degrees. Charleville's temperature will start at 0 degrees, Dalby is forecast to hit a minimum of 3 degrees, and Warwick and Stanthorpe can expect a low of 4 degrees on Wednesday. "We're still looking and seeing some of those minimum temperatures, particularly just that little bit further west through the inland parts, and the Darling Downs will be cool," Mr Hayes said. "It's largely going to be a fairly stable situation through to about the end of the week when things start to warm a little. "But even then, as it starts to warm, it's going to be a fairly gradual warming. "We're not looking at anything significant." Mr Hayes said the south-east would continue to endure cooler weather, with Brisbane set to hit a low of 9 degrees and a top of 19 degrees on Wednesday. Further north, temperatures remain in the mid to late 20s, with Townsville forecast to hit a top of 26 degrees and Cairns hitting a maximum of 27 degrees. Mount Isa is forecast to have a chilly start to the day with minimum temperatures set at 2 degrees, but a top of 21 degrees is expected.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Cold weather sweeps through major Australian cities with mercury set to plunge throughout the week
The mercury looks set to plunge throughout the week for most Australian cities with frosty mornings on the way as winter ramps up. Clear skies appear set to bring cold temperatures to much of the country on Wednesday, with frost likely in several regions. The odd, patchy shower could occur across New South Wales, although the coast is forecast to remain clear and dry. Elsewhere, light showers could sprinkle over parts of southern Victoria and eastern Tasmania. 'Extensive frosts looking possible across parts of central Queensland, northern Victoria, southern New South Wales, and parts of Tassie as well,' Sky News Australia Meteorologist Alison Osborne said. 'As for Queenslanders it's looking particularly nippy for you. Down to minus one in Roma tomorrow, four degrees in Toowoomba, one degree in Longreach to kick off your Wednesday, and just nine degrees in Brisbane.' Chilly temperatures are expected for most cities, with highs of 19 forecast for Brisbane, 18 for Sydney, 14 in Melbourne, and 13 for Canberra. Frosty mornings are forecast to stick around throughout the week, with clear skies set to deliver cold nights. 'Believe it or not, it's not the wettest weather or the cloudiest weather that brings the coldest conditions during winter in Australia, it is the clearest weather - clear, cold nights,' Ms Osborne said. 'The temperature is dropping very quickly with no blanket of cloud to prevent that heat escaping. 'Overall, most of the country is expecting clear winter nights this week. What this means is very cold winter nights, temperatures dropping quickly as soon as the sun goes down.' Parts of Western Australia and areas stretching from central Queensland to Tasmania should expect morning frost from Thursday through to the weekend, although some regions could see a brief reprieve on Friday due to an increase in cloud and windier conditions. Frost is normal for the start of winter in June, bringing the threat of damage to crops in rural areas. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Frost Warning for the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country, North Central, North East, Central, and East Gippsland forecast districts in Victoria and the Riverland, Upper South East and Lower South East forecast districts in South Australia. The Bureau warned 'temperatures at ground level can be many degrees lower than those recorded by standard weather stations, especially in calm conditions with clear skies'. In addition to frost, parts of the nation's south are forecast to see rainfall later in the week. A cold front and low are expected to push into SA on Thursday, which is likely to bring widespread rain before weakening over the following days. 'The mostly dry weather continues for most of the county on Thursday, but we are watching some showers, likely to develop over the New South Wales and the Victorian Gippsland coasts, of less than five milimetres. Widespread falls through South Australia are likely to be under five (milimitres) as well, so nothing too heavy there,' Ms Osborne said. Patchy showers are expected across the nation over the weekend, with a front likely to sweep across SA and Victoria bringing rain and cloudy conditions.
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Playing in the snow: a taste of winter wonderland for Aussie Ark animals
SNOW dusted across the Barrington Tops on Monday afternoon, turning the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary into a winter wonderland for its animals. Hand-raised rufous bettong, Buttercup, had a quick play in the alpine conditions before she and Parma Wallaby, Petey, were moved into indoor enclosures where they could stay warm and protected. Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said while the snow wasn't deep, the strong winds and steady flurries created dramatic, alpine-like conditions that lasted well into the evening. He said the Tasmanian devils took it all in stride, relishing the icy change - a climate not unlike their native Tasmania. Just last week the sanctuary welcomed 10 new, healthy Tassie devil joeys. "A dusting of snow like this is exactly what our Tasmanian devils love; they come alive in these conditions," he said. "Watching them explore and enjoy the snow is a special reminder of how well-adapted they are to this environment." Mr Reid said rangers prepared and fed animals for a comfortable night ahead and dry straw was added to provide warm bedding where needed. "Dry straw gives the animals extra insulation against the cold. It was a calm, coordinated response from a team experienced in managing wildlife through the extremes of the Australian bush," he said. The snowfall followed severe flooding that affected the sanctuary just weeks earlier. National parks, including the Barrington Tops, remain closed until further notice. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. Gale-force winds swept across the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. SNOW dusted across the Barrington Tops on Monday afternoon, turning the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary into a winter wonderland for its animals. Hand-raised rufous bettong, Buttercup, had a quick play in the alpine conditions before she and Parma Wallaby, Petey, were moved into indoor enclosures where they could stay warm and protected. Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said while the snow wasn't deep, the strong winds and steady flurries created dramatic, alpine-like conditions that lasted well into the evening. He said the Tasmanian devils took it all in stride, relishing the icy change - a climate not unlike their native Tasmania. Just last week the sanctuary welcomed 10 new, healthy Tassie devil joeys. "A dusting of snow like this is exactly what our Tasmanian devils love; they come alive in these conditions," he said. "Watching them explore and enjoy the snow is a special reminder of how well-adapted they are to this environment." Mr Reid said rangers prepared and fed animals for a comfortable night ahead and dry straw was added to provide warm bedding where needed. "Dry straw gives the animals extra insulation against the cold. It was a calm, coordinated response from a team experienced in managing wildlife through the extremes of the Australian bush," he said. The snowfall followed severe flooding that affected the sanctuary just weeks earlier. National parks, including the Barrington Tops, remain closed until further notice. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. Gale-force winds swept across the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. SNOW dusted across the Barrington Tops on Monday afternoon, turning the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary into a winter wonderland for its animals. Hand-raised rufous bettong, Buttercup, had a quick play in the alpine conditions before she and Parma Wallaby, Petey, were moved into indoor enclosures where they could stay warm and protected. Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said while the snow wasn't deep, the strong winds and steady flurries created dramatic, alpine-like conditions that lasted well into the evening. He said the Tasmanian devils took it all in stride, relishing the icy change - a climate not unlike their native Tasmania. Just last week the sanctuary welcomed 10 new, healthy Tassie devil joeys. "A dusting of snow like this is exactly what our Tasmanian devils love; they come alive in these conditions," he said. "Watching them explore and enjoy the snow is a special reminder of how well-adapted they are to this environment." Mr Reid said rangers prepared and fed animals for a comfortable night ahead and dry straw was added to provide warm bedding where needed. "Dry straw gives the animals extra insulation against the cold. It was a calm, coordinated response from a team experienced in managing wildlife through the extremes of the Australian bush," he said. The snowfall followed severe flooding that affected the sanctuary just weeks earlier. National parks, including the Barrington Tops, remain closed until further notice. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. Gale-force winds swept across the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. SNOW dusted across the Barrington Tops on Monday afternoon, turning the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary into a winter wonderland for its animals. Hand-raised rufous bettong, Buttercup, had a quick play in the alpine conditions before she and Parma Wallaby, Petey, were moved into indoor enclosures where they could stay warm and protected. Aussie Ark operations manager Dean Reid said while the snow wasn't deep, the strong winds and steady flurries created dramatic, alpine-like conditions that lasted well into the evening. He said the Tasmanian devils took it all in stride, relishing the icy change - a climate not unlike their native Tasmania. Just last week the sanctuary welcomed 10 new, healthy Tassie devil joeys. "A dusting of snow like this is exactly what our Tasmanian devils love; they come alive in these conditions," he said. "Watching them explore and enjoy the snow is a special reminder of how well-adapted they are to this environment." Mr Reid said rangers prepared and fed animals for a comfortable night ahead and dry straw was added to provide warm bedding where needed. "Dry straw gives the animals extra insulation against the cold. It was a calm, coordinated response from a team experienced in managing wildlife through the extremes of the Australian bush," he said. The snowfall followed severe flooding that affected the sanctuary just weeks earlier. National parks, including the Barrington Tops, remain closed until further notice. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. Gale-force winds swept across the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather.
