Wagga Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) members who joined the clean-up operations on the east coast last week were not only contending with floodwaters. They were also navigating some dangerous aquatic animals.
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"We've done floods here, we did the 2012 floods and then we were putting up with snakes and spiders," said VRA flood boat operator Tim Lidden.
"Up there, there were jellyfish and we even saw a bull shark floating around."
Leaving together on Monday morning and returning late on Thursday night, Mr Lidden was joined by Elliot O'Keefe on the recovery mission to the NSW Central Coast and Mid North Coast.
"We did about 2000km in four days between the Central Coast and Taree and then back to Wagga," Mr O'Keefe said.
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They took with them the Wagga district rescue boat - known affectionately as 'Miss Mel' - and a newly minted light recovery vehicle.
The ute is one of four vehicles of its type in the state and had arrived only three weeks ago. It's still yet to be used in Wagga.
While stationed in Wyong and Tuggerah Lakes on the Central Coast, the team assisted in rescues and delivered food to stranded residents.
"We were checking on people, doing food drops and cleaning out people's houses," Mr Lidden said.
"The waters were dropping quickly on the Coast so we headed to Taree to give the team a rest there."
While in Taree, they caught up with a former member of the Wagga VRA branch who had lost everything to the floods.
"He was just putting everything into skip bins, filling it up," Mr Lidden said.
It was a heartbreaking scene to witness.
"It's close to some of the worst floods they've had that way," Mr O'Keefe said.
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