Floods crisis: Off-the-grid family on the torrential frontline

A family of five, stranded in their homestead in Upper Lansdowne for the last four days, has made a daring escape from their property as floodwaters begin to recede.

Lauren Archer and two of her three children trekking to safety through the rain forest in Upper Lansdowne.

For almost four days, the off-the-grid Archer family has endured the very worst of the mid-north coast’s weather crisis.

In their log cabin in the isolated reaches of Upper Lansdowne, the family of five had no option but to batten down and wait for the bitter weather to pass, as raging flood waters rose and heavy debris continued to tear through the valley at the weekend.

With communications down and roads cut off, James and Lauren Archer trekked down the valley with their sons Jack, 4, Kai, 2, and Liam, 3 months, in tow once flood waters began to recede on Monday afternoon. “We haven’t been able to receive updates for about four days,” said Mr Archer.

“We’ve had no idea what was going on outside this little valley.”

Since Friday, flash flooding and wild winds besieged the valley as surging creek levels fed into the Lansdowne and Manning rivers below. By Saturday evening, the Archers’ cabin was encircled by water and debris. “We were trapped and fearing for our lives … We felt we were on an island.”

“We were an inch away from water passing underneath the house, and the way the river began to turn it meant debris — trees from the rainforest — was getting flung closer and closer to the cabin.”

On Monday, conditions began to improve across the valley, and the Archers were able to contact a neighbour, seeking refuge in a rental property outside the danger zone. “We just treated (the trek out) like it was an adventure through the rainforest and the kids were great. We were obviously very anxious.”

They are now contemplating the damage across their property, as well as at the sawmill they run.

Mr Archer said “my family has been around here since the 1800s, and we’ve been through so much hardship to get this place up and going … we’ll be going back.”