An outback cattle station in Western Australia’s north has felt the full force of Tropical Cyclone Narelle, with images emerging of the destruction left by the powerful wind and heavy rain.
TC Narelle smashed the Exmouth Gulf as a category four system on Friday, causing widespread damage to the Gascoyne region, 1,200 kilometres north of Perth.
A woman paddle boats through a rural property, with water almost reaching the rooftops of buildings. (Facebook: Bullara Station Stay)
Rising floodwaters engulfed Bullara Station Stay, a 100,000 hectare property and popular tourist accommodation near Exmouth.Â
Owner Edwina Shallcross was emotional when describing the devastation.
She said the water levels were “unprecedented”.
“There was a great tidal surge within the gulf,” she said.
“So that’s come up to the highway, and there is cattle stuck in the tide.”
Tim Shallcross paddleboards through Bullara Station. (Facebook: Bullara Station Stay)
In a post to social media, Bullara Station Stay shared videos of fast-flowing floodwaters almost reaching rooftops.
Ms Shallcross told the ABC that much of the water had receded by Saturday night, but they had been forced to move around on kayaks, tinnies and stand-up paddleboards until then.
“We never would have thought we’d be on a SUP board or a kayak ever,” she said.
One video appeared to show an animal seeking refuge in a car, as muddy brown water raged past.
“There’s definitely a loss of livestock. I just don’t know what numbers,” Ms Shallcross said.
“We’ve managed to rescue all the horses and the goats.”
Scratchy, the family’s pet bull and a beloved local figure, was still not accounted for.Â
What appears to be a goat seeks shelter in a car while being pummelled with fast-moving flood water. (Facebook: Bullara Station Stay)
Ms Shallcross said 15 staff remained on the property, while other workers were evacuated inland to Cheela Plains, 370km to the east.
“We’re just in one end of the house … it’s like a big slumber party,” she said.
“Everyone’s lost something; everyone that’s here has lost cars and all this personal stuff.
“But they’ve been so amazing.”
A convoy of cars leaves Bullara Station ahead of the arrival of Cyclone Narelle. (Facebook: Bullara Station Stay)
Ms Shallcross said the support extended beyond those still on Bullara Station.
“Our travelling community is just incredible and Exmouth and the pastoralists on other stations have been amazing,” she said.
Ms Shallcross thanked everyone who had reached out to try and help.
“There are other stations out there too that have had lots of damage … we’re fortunate because we have such a public profile.
“We’re just so grateful.”
People on Bullara Station are using improvised methods to get around their now inundated property. (Facebook: Bullara Station Stay)
Further north, the townsite of Exmouth is reeling from the system, which packed wind gusts of up to 250 kilometres an hour at its peak.
Power and water supplies were cut to the town, though they are in the process of being restored, and the local airport “obliterated”, the shire president said.
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