ONE Brisbane resident was praying for a fine day last weekend so she could help a grazier praying for rain.
Deborah Hunter of the Redland bayside suburb of Thornlands instigated a garage sale as her way of helping a drought-stricken bush family.
Deborah heard of the plight of Longreach farmers Wendy Buntine and Steve Parker through her brother Garry Symonds and his wife Linda, two grey nomads who spent some time on the couple's property, helping Wendy with fence mending and checking dams and bores while Steve was out mustering.
Deborah said her "heart went out to the family".
"Her cooker is broken. She has had to hold the button down to keep her twin tub working and she's using a bar fridge because hers is broken," Deborah said.
"I decided I could do something, so I made some relish and some lemon butter and took it around to the neighbours. What's $5 to us?"
The result was the donation of a washing machine by neighbour (and now friend) Karyn Owen, and later a donation of a fridge by the Drought Angels.
For Deborah, the plight of this family was a revelation, but for Wendy and Steve, it is simply part of living on the land, and typical of so many farmers experiencing their third season of drought.
"I feel overwhelmed and quite embarrassed by the generosity, especially when there are so many people like us. I don't feel right being singled out," Wendy said.
While a broken fridge and cooker might be seen as a major crisis in the suburbs, for Wendy her priority is keeping up feed for the remaining 1300 sheep, few hundred goats and six horses.
"Our biggest problem is the kangaroos. They are hungry, too, and are decimating the land.
"The kangaroos are in plague proportions from Winton to Cunnamulla.
"They are that hungry they have reached the stage where they eat the carcasses of other kangaroos.
"A kangaroo doe would have three babies on the go - an embryo, one in the pouch and one on the outside.
"They are like a rat plague here.
"We move our own stock and keep some cotton feed up to them to build strength, but there is nothing for the kangaroos to eat."
Like many graziers managing the current conditions, Steve spends six months of the year mustering, sending home money to feed the stock.
"The city people just don't know this is happening. I knew a little, but to hear the stories from my sister-in-law has really opened up my eyes," Deborah said.
"I hope that what we are doing will spread the word and hopefully more people can be helped in these small ways."
Through the garage sale, Deborah hoped to raise funds for the gas cooker and a set of tyres, then see if she could extend this help to help other families. Her recent garage sale raised $2330.
"It seems that people just really want to help and often they struggle with the best way to do it.
"I had a young single mum with five kids ring from Lowood and asked if I could meet her as she had some items for our garage sale.
"She filled my entire car with items to sell.
"She had also beautifully done up five personal care packs to donate.
"She texted later to say thank you for giving her something that she could do to help.
"If Linda hadn't noticed this herself, these are people who would never have spoken out.
"They just don't complain.
"They plough on. I don't think people realise how hard farmers are struggling."
Wendy said the help had made a massive difference, more than she realised.
"It's pretty good having a working fridge," she said.
She encouraged graziers to continue to support the businesses in town, who had also been affected.
"Tourism keeps things going. But if a store closes, it most likely will close for good. So we want to buy things locally."
Wendy said she found companionship and help through the Farm Sitter's program.
Through this program, people are invited onto the property to do 'pensioner jobs' and to experience something different.
"I like having farm sitters here. It makes things safer and gives me a bit of company.
"I have had five couples return three or four times, and it is through this program that I met Deborah's brother.
"Steve and I keep in touch every so often, and it does get lonely.
"We aren't in dire straights but we have had to pull the purse strings in tight.
"It's what you do to get through the bad period.
"Steve reckons this is the worst drought he has ever encountered in his lifetime (age 55).
"We have a dam that hasn't been dry for 30 years and it is now.
"We have both lived on the land all of our lives. We could never give it up.
"It's part of who we are.
"The generosity we have received is overwhelming but what we really need is rain.
"That would solve a lot of problems."
