"A fighting chance" is how Dan Medill describes the position he's in following a late season break in the weather.
The Ilfracombe grazier was one of many still in the grip of drought at the end of March, when southern parts of Queensland were grappling with severe flooding, and a number of shires were taken off the state's drought declared list.
He had just faced a summer of early rain that failed to produce follow-up, heatwave conditions and grasshopper damage and was looking at another year of belt tightening.
In the next fortnight, his country received 100mm in four separate falls and now he says he has every winter herbage he could name trying to grow.
"There's not much Mitchell grass to speak of but if we have a wet winter and an early spring, it should start to regenerate," he said. "We're running quarter stocked and this will take us through - it will give us a lambing now."
In the meantime, neither his pasture nor his bank balance have recovered from the 10-year pounding they've received.
"We're not fully stocked but we're not feeding," Mr Medill said. "We're 10 years behind on improvements but we have stock and some grass."
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
