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“The river level hasn’t peaked as high as last year, but it’s still impacting people,” Mr Turner said.
Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club bistro worker Emma Wills, 18, usually lives on the other side of the river with her father and hadn’t been home in about a week. She was staying with friends so she could still commute to the city for university classes.
Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club worker and uni student Emma Wills is cut off from her home.Credit:Louise Kennerley
“My Dad’s still at home but he has no power, no phone, no internet, nothing. He’s isolated at the moment.”
Ms Wills watched the water’s inch towards the club’s fence and said the major floods last March had covered the bowling green at the club. About one year earlier, she’d watched from the same spot as bushland went up in flames on the rocky cliffs opposite the club during the Black Summer bushfires.
“I’m feeling a little bit anxious. It’s really hard to watch everyone lose everything again after last year’s floods. It’s heart-breaking.“
David Rodgers, 73, had been living between his Hino bus and a friend’s house on St Albans Road, beside the river, when the threat posed by the flood prompted him to move the bus to the bowling club car park on Tuesday.
Wisemans Ferry resident David Rodgers is currently living in his busCredit:Louise Kennerley
“My mate’s place is flooded now. If I’d stayed there I would’ve had water a couple of metres up the side of the bus,” he said.
Mr Rodgers, who is living in the bus with his dog Mosca and ginger cat Magoo, watched the flood creep steadily through the car park and towards the bus shortly before midday.
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He wasn’t too worried. He’s lived at Wisemans Ferry for 23 years and said last year’s flooding was the most severe he’d seen.
“This is nowhere near as dramatic as last year. It had the potential to be a lot worse.
“Hopefully this is as high as it’s going to go.”
Mr Rodgers said he was driving a minibus to transport evacuees, and helping to distribute groceries to them. He plans to move to Western Australia, but said he would “stay here as long as I’m needed, then I’ll head off. It’s a great community. If someone’s aware someone needs help, they’ll get help.”
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