In the River Murray town of Punyelroo, just downstream of Swan Reach, shack owners are getting their first look – via kayak – at their muddied homes that have spent weeks submerged by floodwaters.
As Rolf Stanisch hops out of his kayak and onto what was a second-storey deck, the sight that greets him is "shambles".
"We looked through the windows and we were sort of aghast with the amount of mud … about three inches of sludge all the way through," he said.
Among the sludge were critters, yabbies and a strong smell of sewage.
"We knew that it was going to be really bad for everything inside, but when you actually come and see it for yourself, it's a real kick in the guts, it really disheartens you," he said.
"You know what you've got ahead of you [and] the clean-up is just monstrous."
But he says other shack owners are far worse off, including those with single-storey properties, and his neighbours who had an entire tree cutting through their home.
"The carnage it has caused this time around is amazing," he said.
The floodwaters further upstream at Blanchetown are dropping visibly too, with lines of silt marking the dozens of homes that have spent weeks submerged.
The water level has dropped by more than a metre since it peaked in early January, but the State Emergency Service's (SES) David Pritchard says it could still be weeks before owners gain access to their properties to begin the arduous clean-up.
"We've still got properties inundated, we still have levees being engaged and ... the flow is still very fast, so it's a pretty hazardous place to be," Mr Pritchard said.
The flood is still considered an emergency, but authorities say volunteers will be needed as more people begin to gain access to their homes.
River Murray flood recovery coordinator Alex Zimmermann is asking people to register their expression of interest.
"We'll look at the communities that do need help, and … look at how we can coordinate that volunteer force to help them," he said.
The SES is also on the lookout for volunteers.
Thousands of properties affected
More than 1,000 property owners have registered for a clean-up inspection, but Mr Zimmermann hopes that number will increase so authorities can plan for how much rubbish needs to be removed.
The number of flood-affected homes is estimated to be about 4,000 but the exact number is still being counted.
While experts will assess whether or not homes are salvageable, Mr Zimmermann expects many would not be.
"It's highly likely there'll be a large number of premises that will be required to be demolished for safety because they have been inundated totally for a long time," Mr Zimmermann said.
"It's not only the inundation, but it's the flow rate that's been happening during that period."
Mr Zimmerman said riverside building regulations are under consideration.
"We're evaluating all of these planning regulations that would impact, and potentially minimise, the level of damage in future flooding," he said.
And it is not just homes that are affected.
Some key roads connecting river communities remain underwater and Mr Zimmermann said it will be weeks or months before they are repaired.
But even as the water clears, he is urging the community to be patient.
"We just want to make sure that they're safe to travel on, and that people who might want to go in early, don't ruin the road by going on it too early," he said.
"Just because the water has left the roadway, doesn't mean it's necessarily safe."
