THE next seven days are going to feel like the longest week in Swan Hill's history for some people.

After watching television footage of the flood devastation in Queensland, northern NSW and more recently Victoria, locals now face a waiting game.

Originally expected to reach Swan Hill at the weekend, the floodwater from three rivers - the Campaspe, Loddon and Avoca - is slowing down as it spreads out across the floodplain on its way towards the Murray River.

The flood is not expected to arrive until early next week.

It is not known how many farmhouses have been inundated in the past week, or how many more are at risk.

Gannawarra mayor Max Fehring said the flooding, which has been described as an inland sea, varied in depth between 1m and 3m.

"It's moved outside what we thought the perimeter of the flood would be," Cr Fehring said.

"The rural areas have copped the worst of this by a country mile.

"Even Macorna, a place you'd never think would flood, there are dairy farmers getting wiped out.

"The cows have had to be moved and therefore the milking facilities would be totally damaged because water would have gone through some of those," he said.

Swan Hill mayor Greg Cruickshank remained confident the town of Swan Hill was secure and would be protected by its levee system.

"The longer it takes, the better it is for us," Cr Cruickshank said.

"That means it's losing its puff. They're still predicting it to peak at 4.8m, and that's a major flood that will cause significant problems."