Three months into 2025 and Paluma has now passed the previous ANNUAL rainfall record set in 1981. Breaking news from Dean at the rain gauge this morning has our 2025 total at 4718mm eclipsing the 1981 total of 4691mm by 27.9mm. And no sign it’s over for this event.
Currently we are now completely shut out of road access to Townsville and Ingham. A number of flooded bridges and landslides. The road workers pulled back from working on the Mt Spec Range road on Tuesday because of danger of more slips in the heavy rain. They’ve been dealing with 60 landslips over the 20km from the base of the range to Paluma at about 3000ft.
Not many folk left in the village as most who have a principal dwelling in the lowlands have departed.
But mostly we currently still have power, water and food in the pantry and fridge. The birds have been doing it tough in the constant deluge and a pair of crimson rosellas (Platycercus elegans nigrescens) have taken up sheltering on the struts bracing up our spare room. This race is smaller and darker than southern races of this bird.
It wasn’t just the rain that came down heavily earlier this month, several local records were also knocked off their pedestals. Thanks to the heroic efforts of Peter Cooke, who braved the downpour several times during some nights in order to empty the rapidly filling rain gauge before it overflowed, we have a very good record of how much actually came down during the worst of the rains. Here’s the raw data for the month of February up til the 19th.
Here’s how many records we set …
On February 2nd we toppled the record for highest daily rainfall since records began in 1969, only to beat it again the next day with a total of 745mm.
By February 4th we exceeded the highest rainfall ever recorded in February
By February 7th we exceeded the highest recorded rainfall for any month in Paluma
While I haven’t checked if this is a new record, during the first 12 days of February we got more rain than we get during an average year in Paluma.
The heaviest period of rain lasted 4 days (Feb 1-4). Our total for this period 2004.7 mm) exceeded those in Cardwell and Ingham by a good margin.
If we are thinking that this event broke any national records then we would probably be wrong. During the rain from ex-cyclone Jasper in December 2023, Cape Tribulation recorded a maximum daily rainfall of 861.2mm and it did not receive the heaviest falls – this happened around Helensvale/Mungumby south of Cooktown, but there are no official BOM records for this location and time. Unofficial records suggest that 12-hour falls of more than 1m occurred and that 24-hour falls probably reached or exceeded 1.5m. These falls, had they been officially recorded may well have challenged global records for short-term rain events. Still, it is safe to say that we have burnished Paluma’s reputation as one of the wettest places in Australia. But don’t forget that compared to the top of Bellenden Ker, with a highest monthly and annual rain of 5.37 m and 12.46m respectively, we are barely even wet! And this is dwarfed by Mawsynram in India whose average is 11.87 m and highest annual rainfall, in 1985, was 26 meters !!
The sun has been shining in Paluma for 3 days now, and while the ground is still soggy and access to and from the village is for higher clearance vehicles, the Village is beginning to recover from the trials and tribulations of the last two weeks. We will provide further updates on the recovery process and efforts to identify how things might be handled even better during future events, but for now Paluma is no longer in the rain. In fact I had to go out and water the Impatiens at the Community Hall on Sunday that were wilting after over two days of full sun.
Probably the best news since the last update is the power was restored to Paluma on February 11th, and with it came Telstra mobile phone access, water treatment, cold and frozen food storage capacity and relief from anxiety about dwindling fuel for generators. That can do a lot to raise spirits.
While most residents report that food is not a major issue, the quality and variety has definitely not yet returned to normal. Food runs by Sam Stedman and other residents returning to the village on soggy roads via Mt Fox or Hervey’s Range Road has helped alleviate this and to maintain a table of various food items at the Community Hall for residents who were running short.
Currently the key factor preventing a return to near-normalcy is access to Townsville and Ingham via the range road. The alternate route via Herveys range has only just opened up officially and it is quite rough in spots. Annoyingly, the bridge over the Star River still has a road closed sign at either end, even though it is now officially open with some restrictions for heavy trucks. A moderate clearance 2wd drive made it back today (Monday) without any problems but small cars with small wheels and low clearance would probably bottom out on the rougher sections. Our trip back to Townsville today took a little over 3 hours, which is twice the normal trip time when using the Paluma range road. The state of the road to Inghan via Mt Fox is reported to be “very rough”.
The Road to Ewan has some areas of severe erosion, but they are clearly marked with witches hats.
The bridge over the Star River is high and dry but heavy trucks are subject to restrictions and there is a warning regarding possible flooding.
There has been much speculation on the severity of damage to the range road and the timetable for Transport and Main Roads (TMR) to effect repairs. On Sunday we were contacted by the TMR engagement group who committed to provide bi-weekly updates (Tuesday and Friday) via their email list on repairs and timetables starting tomorrow. All updates will also be posted on Paluma.org. We were informed that the main concern was an area of undercut road and downhill landslip near Wolfram Creek that will require a considerable volume of fill to be brought in. More details should be available tomorrow.
As a precautionary measure, Paluma received a major delivery of bottled drinking water which is available at the Hall. Our local treatment plant is currently working however any future events that increase turbidity at the source weir might reduce its capacity and result in a need for supplemental water.
On Sunday we had visits from support workers who provided assistance to any residents who were in need of financial assistance as a result of the rains. Representatives from Qld Housing also came up in case there were any residents who required re-housing.
We also had a visit from the acting Mayor (Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney) and Zac Daws, Local Disaster Coordinator who met with a group of residents from Paluma and Hidden Valley community at the hall. A separate post will provide a report and insights arising from that community meeting.
Earlier this afternoon we spoke with Ross Hyne who was able to give us an overview of the current status up at Paluma.
The worst of the rains seems to be over for now but the forecasts for early next week are not encouraging. The biggest risk from further rain is that it might cut off the tenuous road link back to Townsville via Ewan that has been used to bring up fuel and supplies to date.
Yesterday (Saturday February 8th), the Townsville Ciy Council sent up 1000l of petrol for household generators and about 300 litres of diesel for the water treatment plant as well as some medical prescriptions. Sam Stedman and Colin Meads also came up the back way to Hidden Valley to drop off fuel, requested prescriptions and some food which Ross Hyne picked up and took to Paluma. They headed back down immediately and just made it across the Star River bridge before it flooded. The Council workers left later and were unable to cross, spending the night at Zig Zag station.
Power is still out, and further investigations have revealed additional powerline damage on the line to Paluma which could take some time to repair. Plans are being made to bring up a small generator as soon as possible to power key facilities including the Telstra tower.
Major Landslip over powerlines feeding Paluma village. (photo: Ergon)
Food supplies are adequate for the moment and many residents with generators are able to keep some food refrigerated. Fuel will continue to be an issue, especially with the news that further significant work needs to be done to restore power to the village. There has been some discussion on the feasibility of bringing up larger generators via the back road to provide power more widely through the village. Provided the rains do not keep the back road closed for too long, it should be possible to deliver essential supplies to the village (including medical prescriptions for some residents) until the range road is passable.
Hidden Valley remains the worst affected with some homes still flooded or uninhabitable.
Community spirits in Paluma remain good. Daily meetings at the Community Hall are providing an opportunity to check in with everyone, and coordinate the distribution of supplies and requests for further assistance. Initial organisers Tracy Cooper and Sonya Hyne have now passed the baton to Charlie Allen and Ross Hyne who continue to coordinate communications to outside agencies and distributing any incoming resources to all.
The Townsville Disaster Management Group has been in daily contact and the World Central Kitchen organisation has made contact with Paluma. The WCK offered to fly in food supplies and even hot meals if and when required. They have already provided this to other isolated small communities down on the coast who are affected by this rain event.
The residents of Paluma village and neighbouring areas are very grateful to Josh (Macca) from Taravale who provided a starlink device which has allowed people to maintain contact with loved ones, keep track of what’s going on elsewhere as well as receive and send any communications to support agencies as needed.
We wish everyone on the mountain well. Take care and enjoy those snags!
Jamie Oliver and Juanita Poletto
PS Michael Drew would like to remind all about the dangers of Melioidosis when working in and around flood waters and silt.
According to reports in the news and our local readings, Paluma received the lion’s share of the rains that have wreaked havoc on nearby coastal communities. So how has the Village and its inhabitants fared? I have been in Townsville during the event so this report is compiled from various conversations I have had with some residents with phone reception and one intrepid visitor who recently braved the inland route.
Rainfall
During the 4 days of major rain (February 1-4th) Peter Cooke has recorded just over 2m of rain at the official Bureau of Meteorology rain gauge. This must be getting fairly close to a record fall, but I will need to check the records for 2019 first.
Offical Paluma rainfall recoded by Peter Cooke
Power and phones
Near the start of the rains (Saturday at 2 am) power was lost to the Village and in short order this led to the loss of mobile phone service. Some communication lines with Paluma have remained open for those with generators and satellite internet connections, and also for those willing to go out to Witts Lookout or Star Valley Lookout in hopes of a 1 bar signal.
Quite a few people have generators and have been able to ration out their petrol in order to keep fridges and freezers cool, but dwindling petrol supplies is now a concern.
Access to/from Paluma
For a while the village roads were cut both east and west, but once the rain abated a group of locals set about clearing trees between Chicks Road and the Village, and then explored the state of the range road down a ways until they encountered a major landslip with major boulders blocking the way. This slip (probably one of several further down) means that major equipment will need to come up from Townsville before the range road is cleared. With Ollera Creek bridge cut, access to and from Townsville via the Bruce highway, will be impossible for a while, although a temporary bridge has been constructed for emergency vehicles.
Earlier this week Sam Steadman undertook to go up the back way and managed to bring some food and fuel and good cheer to both Hidden Valley and Paluma. This access road is in poor condition and will get worse with use, so it is not recommended unless the need is urgent.
Also, whilst things have been uncomfortable in the village, some of our valley neighbours have fared much worse with up to 1.8 metres of water through their dwellings. The Hidden Valley fire truck has been completely submerged. There are residents in this area unable to return to their homes. They are a strong community and are supporting each other through this but will need the full support available from our local, state and federal bodies to get back on their feet.
Most Paluma residents keep a stock of non-perishable foods so despite a mass cleanout of fridges and freezers, the food situation is not dire at present and relief supplies have been trickling in. The Disaster Management Group is aware of Paluma’s status and is making plans for substantial supply runs in the next day or so. A small group of four wheel drive vehicles is planning to go up with fuel and food this weekend if the rains permit.
Overall I understand the community spirit is high in Paluma and everyone is looking out for one another. There has been a community meeting to discuss coordinating efforts and communications back to Townsville, and there is now a Starlink internet access and a generator in the Community Hall that can be used when the generator is operating. While everyone in the community has played their part, special mention should be made of the two Townsville Water officers, Tracey Cooper and Rick Roveda who have been working overtime to help coordinate and communicate with Townsville City Council during the event. Also, Don Battersby has unsurprisingly been spending most of his time helping out various villagers in innumerable ways.
If any Paluma homeowners who are not currently in the Village would like some assistance in checking out the state of their house, or would like to donate any food or fuel from personal stores already up there, please contact me and I will try to coordinate these requests or offers.
It will probably be some time before life in Paluma returns to normal and I am sure we share the hope that everyone up in Paluma stays safe and secure in the meantime. Our thoughts are with you all!
I came out into the garden here at Paluma this morning to see the largest dragonfly I’ve ever come across landing on a raised garden bed. Not only is it the biggest I’ve seen but wiki informs me it’s the largest I’m ever likely to see. By the time I got my camera it had moved on but I found this photo on wiki which ticked all the boxes. This beast is Petalura ingentissima aka the Giant Petaltail which wiki says has been described as the largest dragonfly in the world and found only here in the wet tropics of FNQ.
Its wingspan is around 160mm and body length about 125mm. The one I saw was at least this size. The larvae are unusual in that they live in burrows along river margins and hunt passing prey. Wiki asked for an author credit to “Summerdrought”. Only too happy to credit for such a good pic. Back in the carboniferous days dragonflies were VERY big …wingspan up to 75cm and weighing as much as a crow!
Text by Peter Cooke; Photo by “Summerdrought” courtesy of Wikipedia
Many punters enjoyed the offerings of the various stalls.
Two significant events occurred last Sunday, October 7th: our final markets for the year and the dedication of the Hylands’ Rainforest Walk. Our last markets for the year, the Paluma Spring Markets, drew many visitors who browsed, chatted, laughed, ate and most importantly, spent their coin at our PDCA stalls. A slow start to the morning but foot traffic increased and remained steady till the end. Reports from all stall holders was one of being very pleased with their sales.
The SES book stall was very pleased with their takings for the morning as was the PDCA baked good and preserves stall.
Wilfred has reported takings for the day to be over $1400! Much gratitude and thanks for the efforts of all involved who have supported raising these funds for the PDCA – for your community. This couldn’t be done without the generosity of those in our community donating goods, time, skills and energy to ensure a successful market. We look forward to catching up with everyone at the next TGIF Friday social evening where we will put on a free sausage sizzle for those who may have missed out on one at the markets. Pass the word round and keep the date, Friday November 1st. Be great to see y’all there.
Jamie spoke of Les and Lynn’s enormous commitment and contribution to the Paluma community which Paul Jacobs acknowledged earlier during the unveiling of the sign.
Immediately following the Markets at 1PM there was a dedication ceremony for the “Hylands’ Rainforest Walk’ which our councillor member and Deputy Mayor, Paul Jacobs opened. Those in attendance heard how grateful and lucky our community was to have Les and Lynn Hyland who have together contributed an enormous amount of time and effort over the past 40 plus years to Paluma. It is obvious there are strong emotional ties and many happy memories Les and Lynn both have with Paluma. And it goes without saying they have left an indelible mark not only on the many events and improvements in our community but in our hearts as well.
Les and Lynn Hyland at the start of the walk named in their honour in recognition of their love of hiking in their younger days and their many contributions to Paluma Community. Photo: J. Oliver
Lastly, many thanks to all those who joined the working bees that have made the Hylands’ Rainforest Walk, just opposite the Community Hall, such a lovely easy stroll in the cool rainforest.
Text and photos by J. Poletto unless otherwise stated
The final market of the year, the Paluma Spring Markets, is fast approaching and will be held on Sunday October 6th. This is a call-out for Paluma’s Kitchen Rockstars to rumble, roll and rock-out some home made goodies to sell for our community’s (PDCA) fund raising.
Also, there will not be a working bee as usual on Saturday 5th BUT, Wilfred would greatly appreciate a hand in getting the hall and bbq set up and ready for the markets on Sunday. Please be at the hall by 8am, Sunday 6th.
If you are interested in doing some baking and donating your goods for sale at the Paluma Spring Market then please read on…..
Here’s what to do:-
Please divide your baked goods into small batches for sale. We suggest batches of 2, 4 or 6 individual pieces as this has worked well at previous markets.
Please add a sticker or other suitable label outlining the contents of your baked goods. You will need to add this label to EVERY individual batch of goods. This is required for health & safety reasons. (If you get your the name of your item and list of ingredients to Anneshka, she will print them on sticky labels for you! But please, don’t leave this to the last minute).
Please plate the goods (in batches) and secure with glad wrap or suitable packaging. (We have previously used paper plates and glad wrap and this works well).
Please add a price sticker to your goods, with what you think is a fair and reasonable price for your baked delights. We can provide price stickers if needed.
Please deliver your goods to the Community Hall on Sunday morning 6th October at 8.30 AM (for a 9 am market start).
Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact Wilfred Karnoll by email: Wilfred.suzanne@bigpond.com or phone 0447822626
Previous cake stalls have been a roaring success. Any and all contributions are very much appreciated.
So many beautiful blooms are all around our village at the moment. From the colour and variety in the carefully tended gardens to the surprise orchid finds in the forest. Such a season of colour and spectacle in this little village.
A little addendum to the previous post: “Paluma…NQ’s Blue Zone’. After a couple of conversations, I was made aware I had wrongly assumed that all readers of the post would know what a ‘Blue Zone’ is and why one could consider Paluma had the potential to meet some of the criteria of a ‘Blue Zone’. The phrase ‘Blue Zone’ was introduced by Michel Poulain, Dan Buettner and Giovanni Mario Pes when investigating people around the world living longer and better. They developed BLUE ZONES as a brand and certification mark and with a team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists found nine evidence-based common elements across those geographic areas that had these thriving centenarians.
And if you’re wondering, no, Australia does not have any BLUE ZONES however, Paluma has the potential for its residents to engage several of the common elements. If you’re interested to know more you can click on this link, BLUE ZONES.
The Paluma PDCA offers a range of opportunities to feel part of a community whilst contributing to its and your own health. We realise it isn’t easy when there are so many demands on your time and many of us value Paluma as our respite, not a workplace. However, if and whenever you’re able, supporting the working bees, the History Project, social events, markets and other significant village events allows your PDCA to care for our village and it’s assets, as well as raise funds to help with this. Any time and skills you can donate is valued and much appreciated and we’re sure you’ll feel good too as you’ve helped top up the community kitty.
Photo by Jamie Oliver.
‘How do these funds get used?’ you may ask. All spending is approved first through the PDCA executive committee. There are ongoing costs such as payment of hall maintenance bills, power bills, payment for the hosting of this website, hall landscaping and renewable supplies required for cleaning, the bar and catering. Recent spending this year saw the installation of new 40km signs throughout the village, updating of items in the First aid kit in the hall, the new gravel installed in the parking area out front of the hall, new entryway mats for the hall and even a fire pit for use at community social events. So as you can see, your PDCA funds work for you, the village resident.
Photos by Jill Meads.
Our next PDCA event is the Spring Markets in October which will be on Sunday 6th. Immediately following the markets, at 1pm, there will be a dedication ceremony for the naming of the Hylands’ Rainforest Walk. Our local councillor, and Deputy Mayor of Townsville, Paul Jacobs, will be there. Please feel free to come along to this village event.
This is an early heads up also for our Paluma Kitchen Rockstars – old and new – for baked goods, preserves, etc as well Volunteers for the sausage sizzle and PDCA stall holders for the Spring Markets. Let Wilfred, Anneshka or myself know if you’re available. There will be another post that will provide details regarding the bake stall. If you’re wishing to have your own table/stall at the October markets, don’t forget you can contact Wilfred on 0447822626.
Text: J. Poletto Images: J. Poletto unless otherwise stated.
Our next Paluma working bee will be THIS coming Saturday September 7th. We will meet at the Community Hall at 2pm. We will be cleaning up Hyland’s track, including: leaf blowing on board walks, using the last of the gravel and tidying up that end of the track. Also, a focus on cleaning up Loop road including vegetation over the retaining wall. The Cairns birdwing butterfly vine on the hall verandah is in need of a tidy up and trim for anyone wishing to work in the shade. Bring equipment you think would be useful in the completion of all these tasks. Most importantly, bring your willing hands and smile.
