SYDNEY -- The familiar red-coloured Ayers Rock
                 (Uluru) has turned blue as waterfalls cascade down its
                 walls following the worst floods in northern Australia
                 in two decades.

                 Large areas of the north have been hit by flooding in
                 recent days as a tropical cyclone carrying heavy
                 rainfall and powerful winds swept across the nation.

                 The remote north Australian town of Daly River was
                 evacuated yesterday as flooding inundated streets and
                 a crocodile was seen near homes partially submerged
                 by the water.

                 About 70 soldiers from Darwin, 200 km to the north,
                 headed to Daly River to help in the operation, said
                 defence spokesman Major Robert Barnes.

                 Troops were erecting tents on high ground for about
                 250 people.

                 Another 80 residents, mostly babies and the elderly,
                 were evacuated to the nearby settlement Five Mile
                 earlier.

                 Most other townsfolk had already fled.

                 While the army was dealing with emergency housing,
                 park rangers scoured the muddy flood waters for a
                 large crocodile spotted swimming close to houses.

                 "A representative from the Conservation Commission
                 has arrived in the community to try and locate a
                 crocodile seen in the area," police spokesman Ms
                 Sue Bradley said.

                 The Daly River from which the town takes its name
                 burst its banks early yesterday after days of heavy
                 rain in the area.

                 It was expected to continue rising for two days.

                 According to a report in The Age newspaper
                 yesterday, large areas of the Northern Territory were
                 still under water.

                 It also said that the bridge spanning the Victoria
                 River, a vital link on the main highway between the
                 Territory and Western Australia was likely to remain
                 flooded for at least two more days. -- AP

                       Adapted from The Straits TImes, 14 Mar 2000.