When Quorrobolong farmer Geoff Payne received a 'mankini' for his 50th birthday two years ago, his family and friends dared him to put it on and take a swim on what was one of Cessnock's coldest-ever nights.
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He declined, instead promising to wear it for a dip once the creek on his drought-stricken property was running again.
After this week's downpour, Mr Payne delivered on that promise on Monday, and his joy was shared with the nation in a video that was shared with the Today Show.
Mr Payne donned the mankini again on Tuesday morning, when he was interviewed live on the Channel Nine breakfast program.
Mr Payne and his wife Linda - who run Barraba Santa Gertrudis cattle stud - were "over the moon" with this week's rain, after the creeks on their property had run dry for several years.
He told Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon the drought has been "depressing and heartbreaking".
"Every minute you're awake you're thinking about the place, the animals, what you can do to improve it," he said.
"When the drought is as bad as it was, there's really nothing you can do without the water, and everything in front of you is just in peril, it's dying, or dead... it sort of gets you down, you know?"
Take a look at Geoff's Today Show interview in the post below.
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Just six weeks into the new year, the Cessnock Airport weather station has already received just over half of the annual rainfall total for 2019 (which, with 384.4mm was the driest on record).
A total of 193mm has fallen this year, including 143.6mm in the five days up to 9am Tuesday (with Sunday morning's 24-hour total of 59mm the wettest day of the year).
Possible showers are predicted for the rest of the week, with tops of 28 to 30 degrees.
Check out weather photos from our readers, including some amazing before-and-after shots from Barraba Santa Gertrudis, in the gallery below.
Krystal Sellars
Krystal Sellars is the Senior Journalist at the Cessnock Advertiser. Born and raised in Cessnock, she started her journalism career at the Advertiser in 2006 after completing a Bachelor of Communication at the University of Newcastle. Contact her on krystal.sellars@cessnockadvertiser.com.au.
Krystal Sellars is the Senior Journalist at the Cessnock Advertiser. Born and raised in Cessnock, she started her journalism career at the Advertiser in 2006 after completing a Bachelor of Communication at the University of Newcastle. Contact her on krystal.sellars@cessnockadvertiser.com.au.
