Coolayla

You can see from some of the previous posts and the associated pictures, Gympie can at times get a little wet. We have had quite a wet March, not enough to cause any major flooding, but persistent rain that has really waterlogged the ground.

Being a former gold mining town, Gympie is covered in old mine shafts that have never been thoroughly documented, or for that matter, properly sealed.

Recipe – take one old mine shaft, add a couple of inches of soaking rain – and hey presto, instant hole in your backyard. This hole took out water pipes – which of course added to the problem, water meter and an outdoor table and chairs setting. The hole, measured around 30 feet in diameter and was 12 feet deep. This picture shows just one corner of the hole. The fence in the corner is dangling over the middle of the hole.

An interesting side note  – the property is owned by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s uncle whom he was named after.

The hole is expected to be filled and sealed by the end of this weekend.

A nice surprise to wake up to. I wonder what other interesting surprises all this rain will uncover.