The trade assistant moved to the area late last year and said his home was “pretty much an island” on Friday when water surged through the north Queensland town after the Herbert River reached record levels. Ingham local John Stephen Robb. Credit:Facebook He watched as nearby Palm Creek rose to the bridge crossing and then over it, carrying clumps of rubbish along with it. “It was flowing pretty quick and I saw that massive clump of grass and rubbish and I thought that was going to get sucked under (the bridge),” he said. “It was pretty amazing.”

The bridge has since been washed away but that hasn’t managed to dampen the spirits of the town, Mr Robb said. “It is what it is, people deal with it and get on with it,” he said. “The train line in town was the only way you get from one side of town from the other and people were walking across there with their carton of beer. “Then you have other people drive their boat into town so they can get their beer. “It is pretty much all about the beer, everyone is prepared, they have their water they have their food but no one seems to have enough supply of beer so they have to keep going into town to get it.”

The bridge across Palm Creek washed away over the weekend after major flooding in Ingham, north Queensland. Credit:John Stephen Robb State Disaster Co-ordinator and Deputy Commissioner Bob Gee warned the flooding event was not over. "We've still got half the town (Ingham) split, highways cut off, so road safety, thinking about the water you're using and staying prepared," he said. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk travelled to Ingham on Sunday to assess the damage and said there were still a number of isolated properties. “I spoke to the mayor to make sure we have communication open to those people,” she said.

She commended north Queenslanders for “doing a mighty job” in helping help each other, especially farmers near Tully who helped emergency services find back roads to reach 71 year 6 students and eight teachers stranded at Echo Creek Adventure Camp since Wednesday. “The first lot of children have been evacuated, the second lot are being evacuated this afternoon,” she said. “I understand all these children will be home eating dinner with their families tonight." Three children with gastro were airlifted to Cairns on Saturday, however authorities decided it was safer to leave the remaining students where they were until Sunday morning.

Department of Education deputy director general Jeff Hunt said the children had made the most of lighter rainfall on Saturday. “The children were able to get out and participate in the normal camp activities like archery, adventure course, climbing frames and the like,” he said. Deputy Commissioner Gee grew up in flood country and said “these kids will remember this for the rest of their lives”. A local in Ingham taking advantage of the north Queensland floods.

Three-hundred-and-thirty-nine rapid assessments had been done so far, Ms Palaszczuk said after the region between Cairns and Townsville was declared a “disaster” by the state government and a “catastrophe” by the Insurance Council of Australia”. The Department of Environment and Science northern wildlife operations manager Dr Matt Brien warned residents in flood-affected areas between Townsville and Cairns to stay away from floodwaters. “Crocodiles prefer calmer waters and they may well be on the move as they search out a quiet place where they can wait for the floodwaters to recede,” Dr Brien said. “Similarly, snakes are good swimmers and they too may turn up in unexpected places." A spider clings to a branch to stay dry as flood levels slowly ease across parts of north Queensland. Credit:Andrea Gofton/Facebook

The warning comes as Ingham residents, whose homes were flooded on Friday, share photos of the town's wildlife, including one spider clinging to a branch, surrounded by floodwaters. Disaster assistance was made available for the local government areas of Hinchinbrook, Mareeba, Cassowary Coast and Yarrabah on Saturday. More than 200 homes were inundated at Ingham, where flood waters started to recede on Saturday, and some residents at Innisfail had to evacuate. While rain started to ease on Saturday, the Bureau of Meteorology’s senior forecaster Rick Threlfall warned the Herbert River was likely to stay above the major flood level of 2009 for Sunday. Floodwaters inundated homes across north Queensland, including this Morehead Street property at Ingham. Credit:Joanna Pickersgill/Facebook.

“It is a very slow-reacting river the Herbert River, it is only very gradually going to recede through the remainder of today and Monday,” he said. “It is still quite showery but nothing like they’ve seen, no widespread heavy rainfall, so it shouldn’t add to the flooding problem. “Most of the shower activity is really just on the north east and the tropical coast around Tully and Innisfail but away from there, we are not expecting any significant rainfall over the next couple of days.” SES assisting residents in the flooded Shire of Hinchinbrook. Credit:Facebook - Kylee Blanch The Bruce Highway remained blocked in the area after the Herbert River peaked at 14.7m on Friday.

Ms Palaszczuk said the full extent of the damage caused by the rain would not be known for weeks, but the flooding would have a detrimental impact on banana and sugar cane crops, and the aquaculture industry. Cars driving down the main strip of Ingham as flood levels ease in parts of north Queensland. Credit:Jodie Harpin/Facebook "We will get the full assessments over the next few weeks about the impact on the economy and I think everyone should spare a thought for the farmers who are going to feel a huge impact," she told reporters on Saturday. Disaster recovery specialists would be deployed to the worst-affected areas once roads reopened, while policyholders needing help can contact the ICA's disaster hotline on 1800 734 621. with AAP