Eleanor Lennard set up a water station for animals on her property at Mount View near Cessnock about a year ago.
"I fill up the containers every second day. I have a couple of trail cameras set up to see what wildlife are visiting," Eleanor said.
The cameras captured this swamp wallaby and her joey. Also spotted dropping in for a refreshing drink were a wombat, possums, kookaburras, lyrebirds, a goanna, echidna, brush turkey and currawongs.
Eleanor set up five bowls at the main water station in a quiet part of the property, along with small bowls scattered around paddocks and under water troughs for cattle.
"The small animals can't reach the water in the cattle troughs," she said.
Her property has no water in its creek or dams.
"The springs have stopped running," she said.
They've been buying in water for the farm, including for domestic purposes.
"We're having it delivered by tankers," she said.
Her property received only a couple of centimetres of rain this month.
"There is a green shoot of grass, but not enough rain for it to grow much at all.
"We have just had a bore drilled for water. We hope to have that set up by the weekend. Hopefully that will stop us from having to buy livestock water.
"Without more rain, we will still have to buy domestic water and feed for the cattle."
Hay is hard to find at the moment.
"I have never seen our property this dry. I've lived here for over 50 years and it's the worst I've ever seen. Our property has been in the family for four generations and it's never run out of water," she said.
She's been scattering carrots and sweet potatoes in the bush for the native animals.
"I'm only putting out a few now since the green shoots of grass. They are better off if they eat what they are meant to eat," she said.
She loves helping the wildlife, photographing them and watching them interact.
"I've always loved all animals. It's great to see them all happy and content in the photos," she said.
"I thought this way I could look after them until the creek and dams have water again."
The photography also allows her to "check that they were OK".
"Even if I'm not there in person. I still need to program the cameras to take the photos from the correct distance and height."
The cameras also need to face the right way, so they don't get moisture or direct sunlight on the lenses.
"I can still enjoy my hobby of photography, while helping the wildlife and waiting on some decent rain."
It's So Hot
Speaking of animals and the heat, Peter Newey spotted a sign outside a bookstore in Hamilton.
"It's so hot that chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs," it said.
Just how hot is it, Peter?
It's hotter than a shearer's armpit.
It's hotter than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie reuniting.
It's so hot ... I'm coughing up dirt.
It's so hot ... seatbelt buckles are giving third-degree burns.
It's so hot ... hot water is coming out of both taps.
It's so hot ... the airconditioning needs its own airconditioning.
It's so hot ...Jehovah's Witnesses have started telemarketing.
Wow, that's hot.
