It's been a bit wet over here too. The West coast of the South Island had it bad. Westport has been flooded out twice in the past 6 months. We had a 100 year rainstorm here in the wairarapa two weeks ago. But nothing like those Brisbane noes. It's is supposed to be very dry here in summer but the grass looks like a Taranaki dairy farm in the spring.
It can rain in the North of Oz. My sons house in Darwin had no gutters. The water fell straight on the ground because no gutter could keep up in the wet season.