Flooded paddocks in east Gippsland will take some time to drain, with one prominent Orbost livestock producer saying it was the start of a long, wet winter.
Parts of east Gippsland recorded nearly 300 millimetres of rain, over the weekend, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Major flood warnings were issued for the Cann and Genoa Rivers, after above average rain in the area in recent months, says Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Miriam Bradbury.
"The focal point of rainfall was central and east Gippsland, pretty much from the Gippsland Lakes eastwards, but the highest rainfall were seen in the easternmost parts of east Gippsland," Ms Bradbury said.
In the 48 hours until 9am on Monday, Mount Cann fire tower recorded 287mm, Mt Waldron fire tower, 278mm and Club Terrace had 204mm.
"Across that 48 hours, Malacoota saw 184mm and Orbost 171mm."
Read more: Rain to ease in the east
The BoM was predicted showers, for the area, in the coming few days.
Orbost livestock producer Chris Nixon said 'the place is sodden.
"We had 188 millimetres of rain, from Thursday through to Sunday night, so it's very, very damp, as you can imagine," Mr Nixon said.
He said two-thirds of his dairy flat country was underwater.
"That's just local rainwater, we are not affected by flooding, not like the guys everywhere else around Orbost."
He said some properties had experienced seven floods in the past 12 months.
"We go from one extreme, to another - people forget we only had 400mm of rain at the height of the drought, for the year, and last year we had 1200mm so one year were 50 per cent below average and then we were 50pc above average."
Mr Nixon said about 80 hectares of his property was underwater.
"We are in the back end of the dairy season, but it will impinge on us, as we won't have our fresh grass.
"Our rotation will be smashed and we will be relying heavily on silage and grain, to get them through the next few weeks."
The farm was running about 500 dairy cows.
"We have to pump the water out, to get it out, it will be there for quite a while.
"It's probably the start of a long, wet winter."
The ground was so full, water was just running off.
Mr Nixon said there were no stock losses, as farmers on the flats were 'well versed in floods.
"The event wasn't a surprise, so everyone had enough time to shift stock."
"Once the water is off, in a week or two, most people will be up and running again."
Peter Cunningham, Melrose Herefords, Cann River, said the property received 160mm over three days.
The property was right on the river, at Noorambie.
"Creeks go through our place and on the first night they came up a bit, so we couldn't get the cows out, so we just had to sit and wait and see what happened," Mr Cunningham said.
"We are still waiting for the water to go down, we can't get down to the cattle at the moment, but they are alright."
He said there was still a lot of water in the Cann River.
"It will be a little while before it goes down, but we'll be alright."
He said there were about 200 cows and calves cut off by the water.
"We are planning on doing a bit of feeding, there are one or two paddocks down there, which are a bit sandy and the water goes right through them."
The floods in the early 1970's had scoured the river.
"It takes a lot of water for the river to break its banks now."
Partner Molly Reed said they had been busy cleaning fences, fixed after the bushfires, and were hoping the water would not back up again.
"I think we dodged a bullet there," Ms Reed said.
"The fences haven't washed away, if we get the debris off them the next lot of water can go through.
"We are just soggy, we're lucky."
Orbost dairy farmer Tim Barnes said 'the whole' of his place had flooded.
"The cattle are out on the road now, I have the road taped off, and I'm letting them out for a bit of a pick.
"We only have one paddock next to the hay shed and one other one, which are out of the water."
Apart from the rain, water had flowed overland from the Snowy and Brodribb Rivers.
"I can't see the fences, but they will be a mess."
He said he would have to 'hard-feed' his 180 head herd with hay, silage and grain 'for a while'.
Milk tankers had been able to get back into the property, after several days of the road being cut.
David Mitchell runs a flock of 800 Dohne-composite ewes, 300 replacements and lambs near Bairnsdale and said the property received 90mm on the weekend.
"This doesn't surprise me, because you've seen there has been so much activity up the eastern seaboard, we were going to cop one somewhere," Mr Mitchell said.
"It's wet, wet and wet - it's back to when we had all the rain last year, that was a wet one," Mr Mitchell said.
"We've got a lot of grass to hold us up but there's water in all the places, it was last year.
"This will probably stay with us, for most of winter."
He said the area had 'been through a lot of bad ones' but an enormous amount of grass had grown since.
"I don't think I've ever seen the regrowth of clovers and different grasses like this, it's been marvellous."
He said the sheep had come through the wet weather well.
"The big swamp is running again, all the drains are running, the water has been over the road before you get to the aerodrome.
"That's an indication there is plenty of moisture around and the ground is absolutely full."