Dry as a dead dingo’s

The troubles of Australia’s east coast – years-long drought, empty rivers, wild fires – may become ours, too.

Here’s a new definition for an optimist: someone who buys a rain gauge in Wairarapa in January. It could well be the new meaning for dumbo, too, but I’ll live with that.

After weeks without significant rain, our gardens have been gasping between waterings, and our once lush,