Producers report general rain across Queensland's west

In doing so, a rain influence has brought a wedding present of enormous proportions to an area greatly in need of steady, gentle, soaking rain.

Saturday was set down as the big day for Mark Gordon and his fiance Heidi Hatch to marry on her grandparents' property just to the north of the small town near Longreach.

They'd picked out a spot, whipper snipped all the roly poly and then, 45 minutes before the ceremony was due to start, the heavens opened.

The black soil venue quickly became inaccessible and so the small town set to work to transform the verandah of the landmark Wellshot Hotel, owned by Heidi's parents.

"They say it takes a village," she said. "They totally transformed it, with pot plants and festoon lights."

RELATED: Eight years in and waiting on the big wet

Heidi is an agronomist in Ayr and wedding guests had come from not just the Burdekin and Mackay but from as far as Cairns and Sydney.

She said many had not been west before and loved the whole experience, including the mechanical bull set up for the reception in the beer garden.

"All our guests brought the rain with them," she said. "This sort of weather is what you expect in Ayr, not Ilfracombe."

In the 48 hours to Monday night the town had recorded 115mm, a figure matched or exceeded across the wider region.

ALSO READ: Annabel's Dress for Drought tears

Jubilant reports reverberated across the Who Got the Rain social media site on Monday evening.

Good April rain isn't unheard of - the record 1990 floods happened in April and drought in 1982-3 was broken in the same month - but producers were increasingly concerned that the wet season had passed without relief.

At Home Creek, midway between Barcaldine and Blackall, the Chandler family had had 138mm by 7.30pm and it was still raining, resulting in the biggest daily rainfall total in 16 years.

"It's been a very long time since we've seen monsoonal rain like this," she said.

Pauline Brunckhorst said the 100mm they'd received at Lumley, 80km west of Isisford, setting the creeks running, was "the most amazing rain event".

Making it clear how much the rain meant was Cameron Steadman, who said they'd been getting "pretty desperate" before the 100mm received to 5pm at The Ranch, 100km west of Longreach.

"U rippa, saved us," he exclaimed.

The 70mm recorded by Tracy Horsley at Hereward and 103mm at Bude, between Longreach and Winton was described as a blessing.

One of the highest falls was recorded by John and Jo Milne, Loongana, 30km south west of Longreach, tipping out 172mm.

North of Longreach, Sue Wyton reported in from Muttaburra where she'd measured 75mm over three days.

"Just amazing and so so wet, and still drizzling," she said.

Roger Batt at Eldwick, Stonehenge had had 83mm early on Monday, saying he hoped everyone was getting a bit.

Showing the extent of the rain were Lesleigh Fegan, Penola Downs, McKinlay, with 96mm and rain still around, and Boulia mayor Rick Britton, who chimed in with 95mm at Goodwood.

The rain meant many of Mark and Heidi's wedding guests had to take a long way home back to the Burdekin, via Winton rather than up the Torrens Creek Road.

"Everyone so wanted the rain, and I was happy to get married in the rain," Heidi said.

Meanwhile, until it stops and the couple can get to the family property, Newstead, to pack up, they've postponed the honeymoon and Heidi is serving behind the bar at the Wellshot Hotel.

"Patrons are a bit surprised - they say, aren't you the bride," she said.

ALSO IN THE NEWS:

Want daily news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the Queensland Country Life newsletter below.