And The Todd River Flows Again in 2012

We've had some rain off and on for the past week, and then today it poured from above, both here and north of us, which makes perfect conditions for the normally bone dry Todd River to flow again. I had been sitting at home and happened to check on Facebook and saw a post by the NT Police Facebook page saying the causeways were starting to flood a bit and might be closed, so off I dashed with my camera, forgetting to take my big one, but came back for it later. As I arrived at the first causeway and drove across it, I could see that the Todd River was indeed flowing once again. It last flowed in March of this year. Within moments it became a raging river and the excitement began. There were tons of people out having a look as the river swelled to the banks. I phoned everyone I thought might be interested, particularly those who were new to town and hadn't seen it before.
     And as if the river flowing was not excitement enough, someone lost their car in the flooding at Charles Creek, which is a tributary that flows into the Todd River. They were caught off guard and swept off the road, and luckily escaped, but within an hour the car was off down the river. I went home to get my better camera and when I arrived at another causeway next to the Todd Tavern, which is the one I drive on every day to get to my place, an Aboriginal woman came screaming and hollering up the bank to me, and I knew then something was up. I couldn't quite understand her, but then it was clear, two people were stranded on an island in the raging river. Initially she said there was a child with them, but that later proved not to be true. The woman and the two people stranded were very, very, intoxicated...very. So I called the police and let them know they needed to get someone to rescue those folks before the river swelled and took over the island. What bothered me most is how many people had walked by the screaming woman without batting an eyelash. I know that there are a lot of Aboriginal people that wander about town and the riverbed, camping down there, and drinking day and night, and their usual method of communication is often yelling out, but to me it sounded different. Within a few minutes the police rocked up and the situation was under control, except that the stranded man was trying to cross and kept falling back on his butt because he was so piss drunk. It probably saved him. The police then made their way across and rescued the man and woman to safety. I was up on the riverbank with the first woman, who was very distraught, but once she saw them come to shore settled down, and then began to thank me, and want to hold my hand, then to hug me, then she wanted me to sing to her....yeah, sing. By that point one of my new coworkers had joined me so there we sat on the riverbank singing Tie Me Kangaroo Down...I kid you not. Then the woman asked me for a blanket, and then to come home with me. I didn't have a blanket and she was not coming home with me. Minutes later my coworker advised me that this woman was well known in town and can be violent, and had assaulted one of my other coworkers a few months ago...so I swiftly made my way back to my car, and moved on to the next causeway for more photo ops.

     An exciting way to spend my Saturday night...and the real bonus is that the storm broke the heat wave we've been under day and night, and the temps dropped to the high twenties...it had been about 40C all week.




     Earlier in the day I had been driving across the same causeway when a police car spun around and did a u-turn parking on the side of the road...I soon saw why - there was a large group of Aboriginal people walking along the causeway with cold beers in their hands...they didn't get to keep them...awww. Then I went for groceries and as I entered the Yeperenye Mall, I walked past 3 cops walking a guy out in handcuffs...oh Alice Springs, you do entertain me...