Couple escape rising floodwaters at their Panmure home

Having gone through a similar thing in the 2011 floods, Trevor and Janet Blackley were prepared this time.

"I got up at 4.30am to have a look. There was still a little bit of track to be seen," Mr Blackley said.

They managed to get out before the track was completely covered with water.

The couple expects to be cut off from their property for about a week, which is what happened back in 2011.

Mr Blackney said that in 2011 they had spent the whole week wondering if the water had got inside the house.

But it didn't come up that high - something he puts down to good planning not luck.

He said their home had been designed and built with floodwaters in mind, so it sits on stilts higher off the ground above the water level.

"It was just under the floorboards in 2011," Mrs Blackney said.

Mr Blackney is hopeful that the floodwaters don't exceed predictions with the flood levels along Mount Emu Creek not expected to get as high as 2011.

"This time we've lifted everything up inside," she said.

"The fridge is sitting on the dining room table at the moment, the big fridge.

"The beds are up on the cupboards.

"We're as prepared as we could be."

Mr Blackney said that in preparation they had also moved their cows to the neighbour's property on Saturday

"We had a whole lot of neighbours and the Rotary Club of Warrnambool come and move all our stuff that was important out up the hill to the neighbour's farm," she said.

"So it was great. Everyone was so helpful."

The house and sheds are surrounded by floodwaters, and the road leading up to it is also submerged in the rising waters.

Looking on the bright side, Mrs Blackney said now that the road - which had been full of potholes - had been destroyed by the floodwaters she hoped it might now be fixed

"There were heaps of holes in it before hand. The water's washing it away," she said.

The couple intends to find somewhere to stay in Warrnambool while they wait for the floodwaters to recede.

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