At the small community of Paisley along the River Murray in South Australia, there are currently stretches of water that almost resemble a ship graveyard.
But the semi-submerged structures sticking out of the depths are not ships — they are shacks.
And while the floodwater peak is now moving inexorably towards the Murray mouth, it is places like Paisley, near Blanchetown, that are feeling the full force of the one-in-50-year emergency.
"At this time of year we're normally out enjoying this beautiful river — but it's taken everything we love," said local Pete, who has had a shack in the area for more than 25 years.
"We sandbagged, we emptied it, done everything we could.
"But none of us expected it to get this high, and to go in today and see the top of your roof and that's it — it's heartbreaking."
Pete is not alone. Other locals who have only recently moved in have also been left devastated.
"We've got friends in there who are [also] heartbroken," he said.
"Been there a couple of years, all gone."
At the most recent count, 3,408 houses were identified as having been affected by flooding along the Murray in South Australia.
That number includes almost 400 permanent places of residence, according to the State Emergency Service (SES).
"The last analysis we did took satellite data from the 29th of December and we overlaid that with data held by government in relation to residential properties," SES chief officer David Beattie said on Thursday.
"There are over 3,400 properties where there was some level of flood inundation, from just across the ground to fully inundated.
"It's very difficult to give an exact figure but that analysis is in line with our estimates."
Paisley cabinet maker, vigneron and avocado farmer Nathan Salter expected he might be one of those whose homes have gone under, and said watching the water rise in recent weeks had been "daunting".
"[The 1956 flood] was up to the window sills on the house," he said.
But Mr Salter, whose home is close to the riverfront, said the peak appeared to have arrived and the property had been spared.
"To look out your bedroom window and there be water that we're not used to, it's quite incredible," he said.
"We'll definitely be able to sleep a lot easier at night, and the kids and my wife will be a lot happier that we're towards the end, that's for sure."
But, he said, the "clean-up's going to be huge".
The extent of the damage will be revealed once the flood waters recede, but Pete has already vowed to re-create his river dream.
"It's our happy place, we've got the kids and grandkids, so we'll start again — it'll take time but, yeah, we'll get there," he said.
"We'll all chip in together, help each other out, become a community again and do what we can.
"I reckon it'll take a good six months plus before it goes down, [to] get in and see what damage is done, but what do you do? Just battle on."
