The promise is to lengthen the Cooper car ferry

Forgot to mention that Jason does not the water to come down just yet. They are about to start the fishing out at Lake Hope. They can only do that when there is no inflow, so that may bugger things up. The size of the Yellow Belly are now ready for the markets.

Cheers

Stephen

Hi Stephen

Any thoughts on how long the ferry might run? Can't get any time off until March...

Hi Stephen,
Ian is sick of the rain up here - maybe he should go down and help Jason in the Lake - but would be difficult getting him to put the fish in the market fridge instead of his.
He's getting antsy as he can't get to Birdsville with a truck load of building materials yet so he can get started.
Happy New Year to you both.
Ruth

Hi Michael and Ruth

Firstly a very Happy New Year to you both. Surprise, surprise, they have actually had it dry up on the track recently. Jason said water levels have been dropping over the actual Birdsville Track to the point where they are able to drive across...but....

Having said that Jason said that there are a couple of boggy sections under water and only for their local knowledge that they can get through and Jason said that the average tourist would have no hope of getting through.. (Jason will kill me if he reads this but he told me he actually got bogged and had to get towed out much to his discuss..LOL)

There is no dispute that there is mega water coming down the Cooper, but Jason feels that the track will be drivable again before the next body of water comes down and here lies their next problem and perhaps Ian can help Jason Ruth.

They have been very busy grading a new track into Lakes Hope so they can start on the netting of the fish. Jason was telling me yesterday that they are around the 12" - 14" mark and are ready to collect. The problem is that they can only legally get the fish while there is no inflow into Lake Hope and the moment that next body of water start to enter the Lake, well it is all over until the water level drops, which could be quite some time.

Paul is up at Etadunna at the moment and was telling Jason the other day the water now was only a couple of inches over the windrow on the track, so you can see just how much the levels have dropped over the last month or so.

The way that things are drying up over the track, my next office report from DTEI next month will be very interesting, but one thing is for sure, if it does open up again, it will only be for a shot time, as there is a lot of water coming down again.


Cheers

Stephen

Happy New Year Ruth and Stephen,

I really look forward to reading your posts, please keep taking the time to keeping us up to date.

Cheers Marion

Hello Marian, thanks for your nice words. Hope it is a Good New Year for you - maybe see you 'on the track' somewhere this year.
Ruth

The ferry is suppose to come out next week for the 10m upgrade woo woo not, lol. sorry I am a local makes no difference to the locals at all.
Recent rain would have cut any tracks to Lake Hope.
Recent fly over though tells there is no new flood waters for the Cooper Creek that far down as yet but due to the lack of water indactors SA side of things you wouldn't know where that water was until it gets there.
Due the lack of water Lake Hope would be the only place it would get too.
Believe it or not all that QLD water has made little diffference to the Warburton and not much recent stuff for the Cooper.
We are suppose to get heaps but as yet dry as a bone maybe tommorow needs to be alot already 4 inchs and more to keep up with last years season.
Lake Erye is dry.