Nadia and I try to take walks along various parts of the northern suburbs. This time we walked along a creek and floodplain.
The forbidden hole
Photo of a round culvert around a floodplain. Even though it is daylight outside, the interior of the culvert is pitch dark. A warning sign posted next to the entrance hole reads, “no entry” and “trespassers prosecuted”. Explanatory text above this reads, “lack of oxygen and sudden rising water”.
Floodwater culvert under a walking path
Photo of a set of large, rectangular culverts underneath a concrete walking path in a grassy area.
Looking through the floodwater culvert
Photo looking through a large, rectangular culvert that's underneath a concrete walking path in a grassy area.
The northern suburbs say We Luv U Gaza
Photo of a sound- and wind-dampening fence that's been erected along the top of a rise that's next to a floodplain. Spray painted on the fence is graffiti that reads, “WE LUV U GAZA”. In the background of the photo are high-voltage electricity transmission towers.
Flood-level markers along a creek in a floodplain
Photo of a series of white, graduated flood-level markers installed in the steep walls of a floodplain. Each marker is one metre tall and is painted white with black level-marks on it. Text next to these marks shows that the highest marker measures flood waters as high as seven metres above sea level.
A creek that’s on a flood plain
Photo looking down at a creek running through a grassy area. There are structures built along this creek to manage its flooding, such as a drain pipe that redirects flood waters via smaller creek into a flood retarding basin. A series of flood-level markers have been installed along the wall of this creek so observers can note the height of the floodwater.