Like it has been across the rest of the region, it has been bone dry down Tikokino way - until the rain came earlier this week.
"It is absolutely wonderful to get the rain because it has been so dry down here," Marie Pickering said.
It had been so dry that it became, in a way, inspirational to her - as she is an artist who works at standard theme painting as well as abstract.
The landscape surrounding her and husband Rex's rural homestead had dried and browned severely, with the only plus to it all being the remarkable colours which grew from that.
"I looked out and saw it was very straw-like in colour and the small leaves on the top of the ground were a golden colour - they had a coppery look to them."