Just a few months ago, Max and Sue Brenton's property was being threatened by fire — now they are preparing for a fortnight of isolation, as rising creeks and causeways cut off their connections to the outside world.
They made the 16-kilometre trip from their beef cattle property at Collombatti to Kempsey this morning to stock up on food staples to ensure they will cope back at the farm as waters rise.
Past downfalls of similar amounts have led the couple to be prepared for up to a month of being unable to forge the two causeways that have to be crossed on the narrow track which goes through state forest to their home perched on a ridge overlooking the farm.
"We'd survive," Mr Brenton said.
"We got some bread and milk and petrol for the generator, we have everything you would want," the 82-year-old farmer noted calmly.
"We got some powdered milk, it'll keep for a long time.
"A lot of vegies, and meat hopping round the paddock — I've eaten kangaroo before and they're not bad tucker as long as you cook them right."
The good rain over the past fortnight also means the vegetable garden is thriving.
"We grew a crop of potatoes and have plenty of spuds in the shed, pumpkins and free-range chooks, a milking cow, we've got the works," he said.
And the rain means his bees will soon have plenty of flowers to feed on to make honey.
Rain brings relief from drought
Despite the impending isolation, they're not complaining.
They've had 75mm from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, and about 200mm in the past fortnight.
"The grass is greener: I've got acres of mowing to do," Mr Brenton said.
"Two weeks ago, I was feeding cattle every day, now they are not interested in it, they are eating the fresh grass.
"It will put the value of the cattle up at least, already you can see their coats are better but they have to get some weight on for them to worth selling.
"This rain is saving me thousands of dollars, thousands of dollars in feed costs.
"This has given us hope — before we were thinking of walking off."
From fire to rain
It's not that long ago that instead of having to cope with downpours that will likely cut them off, they were dealing with the threat of fire.
The blackened trees either side of the dirt road that leads to their property is a stark reminder.
With the rain coming down, he was looking forward to spending time sitting on the verandah taking in a view that he will "never get sick of."
And it wasn't just food he stocked up on when he went into town.
"I got plenty of books this morning from the library."
