It was meant to be their first getaway together in four years.
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Now, Amy Hubbard and her partner, Nick Breslin, have memories of a Daydream Island holiday they won’t forget any time soon – for all the wrong reasons.
The Towradgi couple arrived at the Daydream Island Resort and Spa on Saturday – the day after Tropical Cyclone Debbie, then located well away to the north east of the idyllic holiday spot, was named as a category one system.
What had been a picturesque view from their ocean balcony room soon turned to one of washed-out skies and chaotic conditions, as Debbie intensified into category four on Monday morning and sent rain and strong winds ripping across the island.
Ms Hubbard said the week-long holiday was their first in the four years she and Mr Breslin had been together. It took six months, and plenty of savings, to make the getaway a reality.
Activities planned for the rest of this week were ruined in “a matter of 24 hours”, she said, and the pair now wait to find out when they will be able to leave the island.
“We arrived on Saturday on the second last ferry before they closed the ports, without any information given to us that we would be stuck once we arrived,” Ms Hubbard told the Mercury.
The pair were then confined to their room for about 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday as the cyclone tore through.
“It was absolutely insane to watch happen but devastating at the same time, watching such a beautiful place get hit so hard,” she said.
“The cyclone hitting was extremely loud and [there] was just constant wind gusts about 250km hitting trees and the glass door.
“Just hearing the banging and crashing of everything around the island was surreal.
“You could feel the big hits as it would shake the room and doors.”
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Nick Breslin describes Cyclone Debbie on Monday night.
WARNING: This video contains strong language that some viewers may find offensive.
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Ms Hubbard said the building she and her partner were in could withstand category five cyclones and both of them felt “pretty safe” in their room.
“[We] had the bathroom set up as a shelter in case we needed to move in there for more protection,” she said.
Ms Hubbard said many guests were told to stay in their rooms as Debbie ripped through the area.
“We all started getting a bit of cabin fever to be honest. It’s been a crazy 48 hours and we still have no idea what the next steps are,” she said.
The couple moved to the resort’s main building on Tuesday night, once the cyclone had passed, when power and water was no longer available in the rooms.
The pair were among about 200 holiday-makers and 50 to 60 staff on Daydream Island who were running out of water.
In an update on its website, Daydream Island Resort and Spa said it and surrounding areas had “borne [sic] the brunt of Cyclone Debbie”.
“Every guest has been accounted for and are safe as are all our staff,” the post, on Tuesday afternoon, said.
The full extent of damage caused was yet to be determined, due to lingering dangerous conditions, the resort said.
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Nick Breslin talks about the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie on Wednesday morning.
WARNING: This video contains strong language that some viewers may find offensive.
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However, it said early indications were that extensive damage had been caused to vegetation across the island, including many uprooted trees, while the resort’s jetty and pontoons has sustained significant damage.
Two of the island’s three iconic mermaid statues were swept away, a section of boardwalk lifted and the force of the driving rain had caused water damage across the resort.
“The resort’s priority at the moment is the ongoing safety of on-island guests and staff who will need to be taken off island as soon as practical,” the post said.
Ms Hubbard and Mr Breslin hoped to leave the island on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Hamilton Island, which bore the initial brunt of Cyclone Debbie, also sustained substantial structural damage.
A Dapto family was among those who hunkered down as the then category four tropical cyclone struck, packing wind gusts of 263km/h.
“It’s really scary right now,” Samantha Burnhams told the Mercury as the cyclone intensified about 11.25am local time.
- with AAP