path closed due to flooding...

Back in August, we had some fairly heavy rain in the north-east of the state. Usually, this means we end up with a lot of water draining through the Esk Rivers, and ultimately the Tamar. Richie's Mill, which sits a few metres above the high tide level of the Tamar & South Esk confluence, looks fine. This time, it was probably a tad close for comfort, as the sign & debris indicate the water came up over this section of boardwalk.

We have things in place in Launceston to avoid widespread damage from flooding, however eagle-eyed locals will have noted there are a few buildings that exist on the other side of the flood levees...

silt

One of the mild ironies of Launceston is that the Old Launceston Seaport development is actually a fair way inland. In fact, the Tamar River is Australia's longest estuary, clocking in at 70km before terminating with the two Esk Rivers.

One of the defining features of estuaries is that they are tidal. So every now and then, the water runs back out to Bass Strait and we're left with the exposed river bed, which is pretty much just mud. This mud causes a lot of angst in Launceston, and millions of dollars have been spent over the years raking, dredging, blowing up, and generally just trying to shift it.

The ducks don't seem to mind the mud, though.

As an aside, I have started a new photography project titled Hong Kong In The 80s. It's worth popping in once a week to have a look, and should appeal to people who like old photos, Hong Kong, and the 80s.