A long time Bellinger Valley resident and amateur weather man said the current spring is the driest he has seen since 1970.

Darcy Browning runs cattle in the Darkwood area in the upper Bellinger river catchment.

He said the area is better known for being isolated by flooding.

But Mr Browning said the last few months are the driest he's seen since he started collecting rainfall data for the Weather Bureau over 40 years ago.

"For the four months up until the end of October we've recorded 50ml," he said.

"That includes a fall yesterday which was only 3mls.

"So that brings it up to 53mmls for four months to the 1st of November, which is the lowest we've recorded for 43 years.

"I've seen it browner than it is, you can have a severe winter, lots of frost and that sort of stuff, but as far as the dryness goes I'd say it's the driest I've ever seen it here."