The good and the bad: post Mitchell flood

Prior to the February flood, an attractive foot bridge crossed the Maranoa River -- alongside the murals spray-painted on the bridge pylons.  A formed pathway meandered from the Major Mitchell Caravan Park down the riverbank, across the river and then up the other side and into the township of Mitchell.  


Today all that is spoiled.  Parts of the foot bridge are parked high and dry, and unused (Major loves jumping up onto sections of it!).  The concrete pathway is covered in mountains of white river sand.  Several seats have been unearthed, along with the newly erected but now wrecked musical stock grid.  


The Major Mitchell Caravan Park now provides a small bus to take visitors from the caravan park across the river and into Mitchell -- because there is no footbridge any more and the road bridge allows no pedestrians.  

Three good things happened today.  Firstly, the Snow White the egret greeted me at the Old Crossing.  


Secondly, 'my' mulberry tree by the road bridge has survived yet again, and has sprouted many slender new trunks, all clothed in heart-shaped leaves.  This tree is a true survivor, having lived through a seven-year drought and now this, the worst flood in white history.  Yet it's destined to die!  'My' mulberry tree is in the way of the new bridge.  I plan to take cuttings from the parent tree, propagate them and then replant the tree when the new bridge is complete.  This tree deserves to live on.


Thirdly, the fish are biting and there are reports of good catches of yellowbelly, and so lots of happy people are fishing along the banks of this majestic river.