Holzwart family loving the wet season at Torrens Creek

Since then, there has been only one month that they haven't recorded rain at Rangeside, the Desert Uplands property they purchased in January 2009 after six years in the Northern Territory, running red Brahmans at Daly Waters.

"2010 was really good, and it was the highest rainfall year, but for me anyway, I think this year's better because the rain has been steadier," Mr Holzwart said. "We had something like 34 inches (865mm) last year, which was a huge year."

You can see that reflected in the landscape of the typical Desert Uplands country situated on the Flinders Highway east of Hughenden - swathes of golden bearded grass, spinifex and desert blue grass have completely covered the red soil below.

"We've been very fortunate," Mr Holzwart said. "The last lot of rain at Baronta (north of Prairie), one of our neighbours would have measured 150 or 60mm for two nights and we got 90mm, and I'm much happier."

The 80mm they measured when they returned from a few days away at Christmas time is the biggest single amount they've recorded since La Nina helped turn the tide for the region.

Even though the grass is flourishing from all the winter and spring rain, Mr Holzwart says it's only just starting to thicken up a bit.

"It was 10 years (of drought) so it's not going to do it in five minutes, you've got to be patient," he said.

Even so, they were able to stock their 4050ha block north of Prairie purchased in 2019 with 1000 head of cattle last year, where normally they've run 450 to 500 head in a rotational grazing program.

While they use it to fatten steers and cows, they moved a lot of their cattle over there to let the 14,160ha at Rangeside recover.

"Baronta is a really good little block and it was just perfect for us," Mr Holzwart said. "It's the best season ever here now, there's grass everywhere and hopefully we're recovering this country."

The 300 head of predominantly Brangus cattle are being rotated through six unpulled paddocks and 12 paddocks of pulled country, generally of 140ha each.

It's something that gets shared around the Torrens Creek producer group that's been operating for nearly a decade, and which will no doubt have a new range of options to discuss now that most places have feed and water.

"It and the Sturt Plateau Bestprac Group in the NT have been really valuable tools and have taught me the importance of being open," Mr Holzwart said. "The strength of this country is not the country, it's the people that live in it."

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