Norfolk Beach Wednesday 5th March 2025 5.30pm
2025 March & April Report
The Weather - welcome to the new normal!​
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January 2025 on Coochiemudlo was much drier than usual. February was the equal driest month in 50 years of records. March was dominated by Cyclone Alfred's gale force winds as it crossed the island, bringing a drenching 432mm of rain over three days (7th-9th). The March rain total was 597mm. Only February 2022, at 836mm, was wetter. Even April has never been as wet since 2012.​
Our wind speed numbers come from the Bureau of Meteorology's gauge on Banana Bank, and rain statistics from Coochiemudlo resident Tim Herse. Thanks to both.
Around The Blocks
We had a good roll-up for our March Saturday morning, postponed from the 15th to the 22nd in the wake of Cyclone Alfred. A fortnight on from the worst of the cyclone, D Block proved it's a very resilient natural environment.
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While the block is very exposed, and the cyclone gusted to over 90kph, the major planting of Native Nursery stock we did on January 18th has largely survived.
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The Barbed Wire Grass is thriving, so are the Coleus, and the Pandanus and Dianella demonstrated how hardy and they are and tolerant of extreme weather. The Coastal Wattles have all survived in the lee of the hessian fence.
We've lost one of the two Swamp Banksias, but the pair of Myoporum are doing well. Of most concern were the Wollastonia. They suffered badly during the February drought and only survived with a lot of hand-watering. While all plants lapped up the pouring rain from the cyclone, the Wollastonia looked better than new. The first photo is late February, the second is the same plant just a few days ago in late April.
Self-seeded natives are doing very well too, perhaps supporting the belief that water from the sky beats water from the hose every time. Here's a small, prickly monotoca, opposite a Moreton Bay Fig climbing a Callitris.
Our scheduled April work day never happened. It was postponed twice by the rain, and once by a clash with Easter activities. We'll make up with a couple of pop-up sessions in the months ahead.
What did hit the ground running, or at least weeding, was the Bushworx crew that started their Bushcare contract in our C Block on Morwong Beach in the second week of April. Their team of experienced operatives did 3 days of brush-cutting and hand-weeding, and will be returning in a month or so to treat the remaining weeds.
Here's a copy of the agreed work plan which gives you an idea of the scope of the project. We left a margin of tall grass around the high tide mark on the block to help hold the line when big seas and strong northerlies occur.
Zone 3 on the map, the wooded edge along the top of Norfolk Beach, is not part of the contract as we felt Bushcare has the resources to look after it, and it's a pleasant worksite with lots of good vegetation. Our thanks to Redland City Council for the Conservation Grant that made this possible.