I know some people read this blog, or stumble across it, looking for information about Porepunkah. So here’s an update about what’s happening in January 2005.

The weather is predictably hot and dry. We’ve only had 10mm of rain in about the past 30 days. Everything has dried off and the river level has dropped dramatically.
At least the nights are cool. Last night we dropped down to eight degrees, for example, before rising to nearly 35 today.

The kids, who are experts in water matters, say the current isn’t as strong as the same time last year. I’m surprised that I can walk across the river at the park. I can’t recall ever doing that before.

It’s interesting that Porepunkah people don’t water their lawns. I can only think of two households that are watering at the moment, and they’ve both planted new grass. Everyone else lets the lawns dry out.

I think this is very sensible, but I suppose we have the luxury of knowing it will rain in April and everything will soon be green again.

I recall travelling to dry places along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers, Balranald and Renmark, and even in midsummer the lawns were verdant. And these people are always complaining about the lack of water!

Porepunkah has been very busy with holiday makers, which is good for the shops and accommodation places. Around New Year was the busiest.

The sewerage scheme must be sadly behind schedule. There was a burst of activity, which seems to have since stopped, or moved beyond my notice.

Construction crews ripped up lawns and the rail trail along the Great Alpine Road near Francis Street. I guess we can look forward to more of the same.

The council’s master plan for Porepunkah is due to be released in a couple of months. It will be interesting to see if the consultants have done what council told them to do, or what residents want them to do.

Basically we’d like Porepunkah to be recognised as a distinct community, and not a suburb of Bright.