When Yvette van Schie woke at 3:00am to the smell of sewerage, it was a pretty good indication that not all was well on her Southern Highlands property.
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Yvette and husband Stephen live in Wildes Meadow and like many properties in the area, have been watching nervously as the rain continues to pour down.
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That emotion quickly turned to panic upon waking to the sight of brown water filling their backyard, requiring an urgent evacuation of their chickens.
Whilst the chooks made it out in time, Stephen's blacksmith workshop wasn't so lucky with flood waters getting in.
Owner of 1910 Ironworks, the workshop is full of of equipment and antiques with the full extent of damage still unknown.
"I have to admit it's absolutely terrifying," she told the News.
"We've been up since three o'clock this morning checking in on the chickens and the workshop. The workshop is on the back of our property, everything is just covered in muddy water.
"Whenever this happens it goes into everyone's septic tank and we get all these, and my friend calls it, septic juices everywhere. The smell is becoming quite interesting.
"There are a whole lot of antiques in there. My husband restores stuff. But until we get a good look we don't know how much damage there is.
"I've been with my insurer for 30 years and never claimed on it but i think we will be this year."
Despite the scary situation and no power, Yvette is remaining positive that the house, which is almost 200 years old, will be fine even if it is being inhabited by a couple of the baby chickens.
"We have a couple of free-range bantams living in the house because their house is underwater," she laughed.
"There's nothing like sharing a kitchen with a coupe of chickens. The poor village [Wildes Meadow], everyone is pretty sloshy around here....there's water everywhere."
"This house has never flooded and it's 182 years old. The water seems to go around our house so we're feeling comfortable that we will be alright."
Yvette and Stephen would be grateful for any assistance people can provide with the eventual clean up. You can contact her via Facebook.
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