Using community pages on Facebook from Merriwa, Scone, Muswellbrook and Denman, two women started the ball rolling and have been overwhelmed with local generosity ever since.

OH&S consultant Amanda Elliot and mine operator Melanie Orth had never met each other until a few days ago. 

Now they’re working with a team of volunteers, including RMS Services who donated a three-tonne truck, a ute and a trailer and LJ Hooker to transport donations to people in the Dungog area who’ve been hard hit by the flooding.

Ms Elliot said she cannot believe what people donated.

“They gave furniture, fridges, washing machines, beds, household furniture; anything that you can imagine and we could fit on the truck went to Dungog,” she said.

“We had some lovely ladies who baked all night and made scones and biscuits and a three-year-old boy who handed over his teddy bear.

“We left as a convoy at 6am on Sunday, drove to the Dungog Showground on really bad roads and we plan to do the same again this weekend weather permitting.”

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning another system is developing off the NSW east coast and could bring heavy rain to northern catchments. 

Ms Elliot said as word travelled around the Upper Hunter about their flood donation project two deceased estates have since donated everything that’s in those houses.

“I already had my little cry because these people could have sold all these items and made some money and instead they’re giving it away to people who need the possessions more than they do,” she said.

At the other end of the journey is Tammy Zanardi, one of the co-ordinators at the Dungog Showground, who’s been volunteering in the relief centre since Thursday because she said: “I’m married to a Dungog boy and I want to do it.”

“I cannot tell you how much we appreciate what you are doing because we’ve got people who’ve pulled together in Scone, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Gloucester, flood-affected areas like Maitland, Raymond Terrace, Nelsons Bay and Rutherford, as well as Tamworth and Sydney to help us,” she said.

So what do these hard-working volunteers need?

“We still require packaged food and tinned food and we’re desperate for disinfectants and other cleaning products,” she said.

“Furniture, beds, mattresses that aren’t old and stained, and linen are also needed but we’re good with clothes now; we don’t need any more clothes.”

Back in the Upper Hunter, Ms Elliot said she and Ms Orth are working on the trade-based equipment now because the gyprock inside flooded houses just disintegrated.

“We’ll get there because there isn’t a single person I’ve met who hasn’t been willing to lend a hand and that says a lot about the people of the Upper Hunter,” she said.