"The Gulf is smiling"
That's how Etheridge Shire Mayor Barry Hughes described the start to the 2023 wet season in the Gulf region of Queensland.
Rainfall records have tumbled, dams are full and one of the best bodies of pasture in years has graziers celebrating.
Cr Hughes, a grazier from North Head Station, Forsayth, said the region was enjoying a "fantastic" wet season.
"We've got a body of feed already right across Etheridge Shire that is one of the best bodies of pasture we have seen for a long time," he said.
"We look forward to seeing really good cattle growth rates and weight gains across the shire over the next couple of months and, if winter is kind to us, we should see it continue until the second or third part of the year."
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Georgetown Airport received 423mm in January - the highest January rainfall since 2009.
Cr Hughes said some properties had recorded up to 1.3m of rain.
"The last significant rainfall event that we can compare this one to was 2009/10," he said.
"We've had near record flows in some of our major river systems.
"We've had isolated pockets of extreme rainfall in the shire where some properties have already registered up to 1.3m of rain - that's something you don't hear of very much in our part of the world."
An early February deluge in parts of the catchment caused some flooding at Georgetown, resulting in evacuations and inundation of property.
Cr Hughes said the shire's road system had sustained damage as a result of the rain.
"That comes part and parcel with a wet season like this one," Cr Hughes said.
"We will take up the challenge of getting our roads up to an acceptable standard once conditions dry out."
January rainfall records have also tumbled in other parts of Far North Queensland.
Mareeba recorded 616mm at the town's official rain gauge - the most rain for January in 23 years. Nearby Walkamin Research Station recorded 546mm for January - the highest since 1979.
Mt Garnet received 436mm - the highest since online records began in 2000, while at Innot Hot Springs, 630mm fell in the rain gauge for January. It was the highest January rainfall since 1991.
While the paddocks are overflowing with green grass, creeks are flushed and dams are full, the heavy rain has caused headaches for fruit and vegetable growers.
January is prime mango harvest time in the Mareeba-Dimbulah region, one of the largest production regions in the Australian industry.
FNQ Growers president Joe Moro said the volume of rain caused huge problems for growers in the northern Tablelands areas of Mareeba, Dimbulah and Biboohra.
Mr Moro grows mangoes at Biboohra and estimates his property received close to one metre of rain in January.
"The rain had a bigger negative impact than in previous years," Mr Moro said.
"It caused a nuisance with harvest and caused huge problems with work conditions.
"It was very difficult to gain access to paddocks and I think all crops were impacted in some way."
Mr Moro said the rain also impacted fruit quality.
"The one benefit is that Tinaroo Dam is full - but the wet season is not over yet, so we are keeping a close watch on potential flooding."
The soggy conditions forced the cancellation of three store cattle sales - at Innisfail and Malanda last weekend, and the weekly Mareeba Sales on Tuesday.
The rains continued over the weekend in northwest Queensland, with two-day totals for Richmond (55mm), Julia Creek (102mm), Hughenden (41mm) and Cloncurry (74mm).
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