Black Mountain Hideaway Flood Recovery

Hi Everyone,

We are raising money for Suzie and her herd of horses at the Black Mountain Hideaway up out of Port Douglas. Sadly they were caught in the recent floods due to cyclone Jasper just before Christmas.

I will preface this and say that Suzie is a proud and strong woman who refused to let us help her. Unfortunately with sick horses, a lack of work and the inability to produce income for a long while yet they will be needing as much support as they can get.

Suzie will use this money to provide feed, medical supplies etc for her horses and if there is money left over she will be able to help others also affected by the floods.

Here's their story (grab some tissues):

Cyclone Jasper crossed Wednesday and that was easy to deal with. The worst was yet to come unbeknown to us.

2,5 meters of rain in 5 days. Since the 15th December life has been a complete horror movie and I can only bring myself to tell you all now as I found it hard to stop crying, but crying and physical hard work help. I think my emotions are just catching up to me now that we are not so hectic.

Five horses died as a result of the aftermath. Flood water exposure, no food, no water for 5 days, not a break at all. I've never witnessed anything like these type of injuries or distress in horses, and I've owned horses 30 years in the tropics. Wet seasons /cyclones had been all ok except cyclone Ita and that had nothing on this.

Saxon and Pete found 3 dead horses and walked two more home, they were blind and died later in the yards. Some chose the wrong places to hide. We think too much fever, to weak. Maggots in their legs, It goes on, their hair fell out, some came in pretty perfect so it maybe did come down to some chose the wrong places to hide and was too much for old ones.

The morning the rain stopped, horses started coming back by lunchtime, 7 were still missing. 3 found dead, two still alive along with other people getting horses home to care for, it takes a long time, painkillers and walking 50meters in a couple of hours.

Our 2 other followed home to later die, one still unaccounted for. Sax and Pete couldn't find Apollo so we thought for sure he was dead.

Next morning he walked in maggots hanging out of his legs, skinny, thirsty, fever, hair fallen out too like others, vet told us what to do as we tried for the others... So lucky to have him alive too.

The road got washed away and had no access for a week, no internet, no phones, we were fine, the horses were our priority. First couple of days no worries, then it was the waiting game, lucky no more dead horses so trying to feel grateful for what I have in amongst many moments of despair and profound sadness.

Nicole got through from Mareeba first day rain stopped, emergency services let her through as she had horse feed, medicines, fuel for generator, got to the hole in the road, she and the kids walked 3 km to the farm then Pete drove them back to the hole to chain the supplies back to our side.

Marnie brought in supplies too and was lucky enough the excavator popped her stuff over as chain gang with the horse feed was a long way.

We burnt the horses as we had plenty of timber (burying them was not an option), it was exhausting and time consuming. It was so sad watching their spirits go skyward. I covered them is all the silk and pretty fabric that we could find.

On a day with the big excavator on the road, the workers made a ramp and got Marnie and her big 4 wheel drive through so we were able to tow bodies to locations where there was timber. Nothing left, like they never were, just ashes.

The dead were my very old queen brumby Goldie, the kids favorite a younger horse Chakor, a horse I rode a lot & loved Flash, and two of the older ones Diva and Starfire. My older horses Sailor (the dad of most) & Breeze survived and Verrity which I'm grateful for as they are ancient too and tiny Pumpkin picture perfect.

It was truly worthy of a very sad movie, still processing the whole thing.

5 horses came in looking skinny but perfect condition. Others were badly compromised and will be fine with care and time and good food now, except one still blind. People have been paying for vets, feed and more as we have run out of money. In lots of ways I'm a lucky woman, I have good people and am grateful.

We greatly appreciate any and all support, I cannot thankyou enough.

Warm regards and thankyou everyone who tried to contact us over the period. Happy new year and may 2024 be a good one.