Australia Weather News

Floodwaters have cut off outback cattle stations in the Northern Territory as heavy rainfall continues.

At Mt Denison station, about 330 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs, Dianne Martin is stuck on the property, unable to travel further than 100 metres from the homestead.

Over the weekend 115 millimetres fell, bringing the rainfall total since late December to 400mm.

"All the roads are cut. They are just running," Ms Martin said.

"It's like a big inland sea here. The homestead area is totally surrounded by water, about half a metre deep or deeper in parts."

Ms Martin said she had plenty of supplies to keep her going until the roads opened again, but that might not be for a while.

"I talk to the neighbours; they ring to check I'm fine every day," she said.

"There's a big low coming across from Queensland and it'll be between Cooker Creek [Cockatoo Creek] and Yuendumu in the next day or two, with 50 to 100mm of rain in it. It's just not drying up.

"All the roads will have to be re-done. The Tanami's closed from the Stuart Highway turnoff. They hope to have that open to Tilmouth Well maybe today.

"But to Yuendumu it'll be two weeks before they have the road open, and probably longer to Granites [gold mine] depending on the rain in the next week."

Rain holds up muster

Ms Martin said it was very green and the cattle were looking fat, but with all the rain they would not be able to muster for three months.

"There is just water everywhere. The whole Tanami region, all this southern part of it, our area is just inundated and it's impossible to go anywhere," she said.

Ms Martin said despite road closures in the area, people were still trying to get through, and subsequently were getting bogged.

"Nobody's travelling through Mt Denison. And if they do they'll be walking, there won't be any help given," she said.

North cops 100mm in three hours

Further north, rains have also deluged parts of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Wollogorang Station, which sits on the Northern Territory and Queensland border, received 100mm in three hours on Sunday.

Manager Cameron Fulcher said the storm had been very heavy.

"It came down quick and laid a lot of water, but this morning it is a little less. [The water] has disappeared, most of it," he said.

The storm brought the station's January rainfall total to 267mm, with 189mm falling in December.

Mr Fulcher said early rains in November and December saw good grass growth across the property, which helped prevent erosion from the heavy downpour on Sunday.

"The grass is quite thick and has covered the country well. [The cattle] are all up in the higher country out of the wetter areas," he said.

Settlement Creek, which runs near the homestead, is impassable, meaning station staff cannot travel far from the homestead.

"We are just doing general jobs around the homestead. There are not many of us here," Mr Fulcher said.