Gann, It is true.
Compare Yak's BMO image from Townsville to the one from Cairns. (Sorry I can't post images as he does) When I looked 20mins ago the Cairns radar was almost clear.
In '98 (or '99) TVL was caught unawares. A rain depression (baby cyclone) camped, stationary over Rollingstone, 50k north of us. It rained steadily all night and when we woke up we were flooded. We were the "perfect" distance south. But it was very localised.
