'Her legs got caught in the sleepers and she was drowning with her baby in her arms.'

Queensland residents have been told to prepare for the 'unbearable stench' that follows a flood as the massive clean-up begins.

Officials are keeping a close watch on flood levees protecting a town bordering Queensland and New South Wales as water levels creep within 40cm of their 11 metre limit.

The water is starting to recede in Queensland but the body count continues to rise in the devastated Lockyer Valley region where dozens of people remain missing.

No bodies have been found in a mass of cars washed under a Queensland town's rail bridge where authorities feared they would find several people dead.

Experts blame a combination of a La Nina weather pattern and global warming for the magnitude of the Queensland flood disaster.

NZ's Civil Defence team was back on the move in flood-ravaged Queensland today after spending a frustrating day off confined to one of the state's isolated communities.

Flooding has left a valley to the west of Brisbane looking like a war zone, with Australian troops steeling themselves for expected ‘terrible outcomes’ as they move into the devastated area.

The frightening power of the brown surge heading towards Moreton Bay leaves no mistake about the devastation that this flood has done.

Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of the ecological wonders of the world, may also be severely affected by the Queensland floods.

Find out what people are saying about the Queensland floods in social media.

The Brisbane River peaked at 4.6m this morning with residents warned there would be shocking scenes of devastation.

A flood survivor has described trying to grab people fighting for their lives only to find they were bodies in turbulent water.

A NZ woman watched in horror as a wall of water swept through the tiny town of Murphys Creek, throwing debris around 'like matchsticks'.