Bedraggled backpackers cursed their $50 tents as they battled sideways rain leaching through the seams. But surfers revelled in the 1.5 metre-plus sets that wrapped around into the Pass break, as Byron Bay felt the edge of Cyclone Marcia's weather vortex.
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The streets of the northern NSW tourist town sited on the shoulder of Australia's most easterly point were largely deserted yesterday as heavy rain set in about 9am.
Similar conditions were being experienced across the region as the weather system dumped more than 90 milimetres of rain in a 27-hour period according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, which predicted some flooding for the region.
Floods were forecast in river valleys in the Tweed, Brunswick, Richmond and Wilson and Clarence Valleys while the Orara River was listed as having a 20 per cent chance of flooding.
Moderate flooding was also expected in the Bellinger and Nambucca Valleys while at Murwillumbah, the Tweed River had been predicted to exceed minor flood levels and peak at four metres about 11pm Friday.
Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson said on Friday the shire was "travelling well so far" however he warned it had yet to experience the worst of the rain.
"There's been no reports of flash flooding, landslips or coastal erosion," he said.
"We've closed some roads and creek causeways due to water and we've had a few trees come down that have been cleared."
The conditions kept most indoors and Byron's backpacker community were hunkered down in the local caravan parks, opting to wait it out despite flimsy accommodation.
"They're pretty resilient," said Simon Halliburton, the co-manager of the Discovery Holiday Park on the outskirts of the town that had about 300 occupants a number still in tents.
"Most of them have got nowhere to go so they are staying put. The problem for them is that most have only got the $50 tents that don't keep the rain out."
Drenched French visitor to the park Laura Rival was one of many trying to upgrade from her van to a cabin.
"The van is moving in the wind and it stinks," said the 27-year-old who, with a friend, had spent the past 24 hours fleeing the cyclonic weather from Fraser Island in Queensland all the way to Byron.
She said Fraser Island had been a nightmare.
"Just wind and rain constantly. We will leave tomorrow," she said.
Meanwhile at one of Byron's iconic surf breaks the mood was different as board riders streamed into carparks.
Surfer Angela O'Sullivan, 30, who had travelled from Brisbane, said up to 50 people were out on the point which was one of the few breaks that was not too rough to surf.
"It was very crowded but I did enjoy it," she said.
"There were turtles and stingrays out there and some four to five-foot waves were coming through."
She said many of the other breaks to the north were too rough.
