It’s a balmy Friday evening, and the Warren St ‘’island’’ was quiet save for a truck collecting bins around the isolated community. Remarkably, bin night had gone ahead.
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A group of residents, much as they have done for nearly three weeks, gathered at the corner of Redman and Warren Sts for a beer and a chat, with the new "shoreline“ marking the end of the road just 20 metres away.
Floodwaters have isolated several communities over the course of the current floods, but for those on the Warren St island who have been cut off for 20 days, it’s driven residents together in a bizarre situation.
Both Campaspe Esplanade and Warren St have been inundated, cutting off approximately 30 properties located on Jarman, Homan, Hansen and Redman Sts from the rest of the community.
Canoes, tinnies and (very) heavy vehicle transportation were the only way in and out of the community before the SES began ferry operations on Friday, October 28.
Before that, the situation had reached the point of transporting the elderly out of the area on a trailer hitched to the back of a truck.
Resident Gayle Honey flagged the need for a dedicated boat service after witnessing the heartbreaking moment.
“We haven’t complained, we’ve been a beautiful little community, but when I saw that it really broke my heart,” she said.
SES personnel were then stationed at either end of Warren St over the weekend to ferry residents to and from their locked-in houses.
The bridge roundabout has been turned into a makeshift port and carpark for residents who managed to relocate their vehicles to dry land before the Campaspe River’s peak 96.25m (AHD) late on Sunday, October 16.
But despite the disconnect brought on by the floods, the community, as it has done many times throughout the crisis, has banded together.
Whether it’s sandbagging, transportation through floodwaters, or simply a chat and a beer, the islanders have come together in each other’s time of need despite being surrounded at every point of the compass.
The community recounted what has been a bizarre ordeal and credited the people who have assisted others throughout.
“Glenn and Anne Wales were taking us all out; they’ve done a wonderful job,” Gayle said.
“Eighteen cars they moved out. They brought all the sand in so everyone could sandbag together.
“They used the Bobcats to take the bags around to different locations. Everyone jumped into machines and helped, there were even kids.”
Shane and Laura Ross have been residents for six months after making the move from Kotta, but feel like they’ve been living in the area for years.
“Laura and I have only been here since Queen’s Birthday weekend and we feel like we’ve been here for years the way everyone’s accepted us and helped out,” Shane said
“It’s just a great community feeling. The way the Waleses have contributed, nothing has been too much for them.”
Transportation in and out for work and school has been a mixed bag, but several of the island’s children returned to school on Wednesday.
As Paul Briscoe explained, however, after 20 days the hope is floodwaters recede sooner rather than later.
“I think everyone’s getting a bit loopy,” he said. “We’ve got to get out of here at some point.
“I didn’t want to leave my ute (up at the roundabout) because in one toolbox there’s $10,000 worth of tools.
“I can’t bring that back in a canoe at night — it’s not going to happen.
“I haven’t been to work for a couple of weeks, and being a builder I could be used out there somewhere helping someone.”
But despite the isolation, most houses have been spared flood damage.
Residents on the other side of Warren St haven’t been so lucky.
“There’s a family over the road on there on their own, so they’ve got no neighbours to speak to,” Paul said.
“There’s a few houses over there like that, where people are isolated on their own.
“Gayle, Ernie and myself canoed over there and they said ‘good to see you, we haven’t seen anyone in four days.’”
“At least here we can wave to everyone on the hill. And at least we can get out safely.”
Forty-one-year community member John Carter said even in previous floods residents could make a safe exit toward the Northern Hwy via the cemetery.
He’s never seen anything like what the 2022 flood has thrown up.
“In the last big flood we could drive out through the cemetery and get out onto the highway,” he said.
“We have always been able to drive out.”
But as has been the case throughout Echuca and surrounds, the community spirit has shone through, and the water hasn’t prevented the island residents from helping elsewhere.
“We’ve been stuck here and people have still been away from the island helping out the community,” Gayle said.
“The two Atkinson boys spent three days building the Campaspe wall — they’re 14 and 13. It’s just a beautiful little community.”
Local pizzeria Roma lightened the mood for residents by sending across a large amount of boxes of pizza, while barbecues and regular get-togethers have helped keep the support up.
As for the local cemetery, residents have been tending to the grounds, fielding messages and requests from those who can’t access the site.
Even, in some cases, just providing a presence on the anniversary of someone’s passing, for those who didn’t want their loved ones to be alone.
The people of the island were only too happy to oblige.
“If it makes them feel better, then it’s absolutely worth it,” Gayle said.