The Bekker family moved to Brisbane from Whangārei for a better life but have instead experienced their home flooding not once, but twice. The picture on the right shows the flooded golf course that backs onto their home.
The Bekker family moved to Brisbane from Whangārei for a better life but have instead experienced their home flooding not once, but twice. The picture on the right shows the flooded golf course that backs onto their home.
A Northland woman’s Brisbane home has been flooded twice in three years - the latest only a month before the family planned to lift the house to protect it.
Northland-born and bred Rochelle Bekker’s family moved to Brisbane in 2020 for work after living in Whangārei for about 11 years.
Cyclone Alfred, which hit Queensland earlier this month, marks the second time they have lost most of their possessions, after the 2022 Eastern Australia floods.
They spent the first two years renovating their home to house their growing family before relentless rain struck the Brisbane area in February 2022.
About 1000ml of rainfall was recorded within one week.
They packed a few bags in a hurry and left the house.
The Brisbane River soon filled and the banks gave way, flooding their newly renovated home.
“It was about five days before we could access the property, we were definitely anxious,” Bekker said.
The water inside their home reached knee height at the flood’s peak.
The home was fully insured, including flood cover. The family were some of the first customers to be dealt with.
While they lost furniture and other items, it was Bekker’s eldest daughter, 4 at the time, who lost the most.
“When kids are small like that, everything is low, where all of her clothes went, where all of her toys went.”
Bekker was grateful the family left when they did.
“There would be nothing worse than having a 3-month-old baby and a 4-year-old and you’re stuck on a roof somewhere or trying to get evacuated on a boat.”
The family spent six months in temporary accommodation while their house was restored and the renovation process restarted. They had trouble finding beds and a fridge because so many people had been flooded.
She said being able to focus on the family while they rebuilt their life had been good.
By September 2022, they were back in their home and began planning to raise the house to avoid future flooding.
The process took some time and work eventually started in mid-January this year.
The self-described “diligent insurance holders” rang their company to inform them of the building works, hoping to modify their policy.
“Basically, they said that because we were doing foundational building works, we have to cancel the policy. There was no option to modify or pause it,” Bekker said.
Rochelle and Nicol Bekker's daughters were aged just 4 and 3 months during the 2022 flood that damaged most of their possessions. Pictured here are Louisa, now 7, and Nicola, 3.
They were just a month out from raising the house when warnings about Cyclone Alfred began.
It was the worst possible timing, Bekker said.
There was a lot of emphasis on high winds, so the family weren’t expecting much flooding.
But instead, heavy rain hung over Brisbane.
They spent about two hours lifting everything above bed height, on top of benches and into empty cupboards.
They also sacrificed some of the furniture to lift important items such as appliances.
The family of four then stayed with friends and checked their home on March 8, finding no flooding.
The next day they watched live-feed cameras as their house flooded - at least until the water hit the power box.
The Bekkers' home was flooded for the second time during Cyclone Alfred. The family tried to raise as much as they could but there was still plenty of damage.
Nicol headed back a day later to see the damage.
Their cabinetry, carpets, doors, wardrobes and insulation were waterlogged. A lot of items were contaminated with sewage.
The family have again been staying in temporary accommodation and starting from scratch for a second time.
Bekker said she had been impressed by the resilience of her daughters, aged 7 and 3.
“They’re handling it really well. Our priority has been to make their lives as normal as possible.”
The Bekker family home's fence and decking were underwater. There is usually a road and reserve in front. Nicol took this picture when he canoed back on Sunday, March 9.
Remarkably, Bekker has adopted an “it is what it is” attitude.
“I think you realise, once you’ve flooded and lost your things, that they are just things.”
Friends of the family in Northland have set up a Givealittle page to help them rebuild their lives.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
