Floodwaters covering the streets of their small town wasn't enough to stop some punters from wading to the local pub to watch the Melbourne Cup.
After sandbagging their homes, multiple residents at Beckom, about 100 kilometres north-west of Wagga Wagga in NSW's Riverina, made the trip through knee-high water to enjoy the race that stops the nation with a beer.
"Everyone is doing pretty good," Beckom Hotel publican Colin Thew said.
"They've done sandbagging and the ones that can walk through the water are in the bar ready to watch the Melbourne Cup."
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The nearby Mirrool Creek rose to about three metres on Tuesday morning following heavy rainfall on Monday and overnight.
Mr Thew said almost every street in Beckom was flooded and the town was cut off from the Newell Highway.
Beckom has a population of about 125 people.
At least two homes in the low-lying parts of the town had flooded, while another two were running pumps to keep the water out.
"We're hoping the flood peak goes through and water starts to drop away but it will depend on how much rain we get over the next 24 hours," Mr Thew said.
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