Queensland
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Queensland
Save
Print
License article

'Scared stiff': Airlie Beach locals and tourists prepare for Cyclone Debbie

  • 136 reading now

Airlie Beach tourists and locals are feeling anxious about the cyclone brewing off the north Queensland coast. 

But backpackers, it seems, don't have the same worry, with a number even trying to head north to Townsville ahead of the storm. 

Up Next

'Islam is a disease': Hanson

null
Video duration
00:27

More QLD News Videos

null
Video duration
02:19

Tropical Cyclone Debbie latest: BOM
null
Video duration
00:27

'Islam is a disease': Hanson
null
Video duration
01:42

No more flights please: Premier
null
Video duration
02:30

Cyclone could be severe
null
Video duration
00:55

Man critical after kebab shop fight
More videos

Tropical Cyclone Debbie latest: BOM

Severe Weather warning video current at 9:00am AEST Sunday 26 March 2017. Vision courtesy Bureau of Meteorology.

Tropical Cyclone Debbie is expected to make landfall around Ayr, less than 200 kilometres north of Airlie Beach, on Tuesday morning.

Gemma and Matt Dungey who work at the Big Four Caravan Park said they had been through a category 2 cyclone before, but Tropical Cyclone Debbie is expected to intensify to a category 4 before crossing the coast on Tuesday.

Related Content

"We had to warn all the guests about it, I did get home feeling a bit anxious," Ms Dungey said. 

Geoffrey and Agnes Lawler were in Airlie Beach on holiday from Wollongong, visiting their son, and said they were worried about the coming cyclone. 

Advertisement

"I'm scared stiff," Ms Lawler said. 

But backpackers seem to be less worried. 

A staff member at a backpackers who declined to be named said about 15 planned to head north despite the weather warnings. 

"The backpackers don't believe it," she said. 

Weatherzone: Queensland radar

"I just told them to take water, money, food."

Staff have been warning backpackers to withdraw money while they can and bunker down in their rooms if the cyclone crosses at Airlie Beach. 

"We want everyone to stay safe," she said. 

She said everything was shut until Wednesday at least and tours were cancelled. 

Tom and Laura Britton had been on a bare boat, booked for a week of cruising around the Whitsundays but were called back to the marina on Saturday. With their flight from Proserpine cancelled on Sunday morning, the Canadian couple are now hoping to drive to Brisbane to fly on to Melbourne from there. 

"It's been an interesting turn of events," Mr Birtton said. 

"We enjoyed being on the boat so it's a little disappointing, but we have a couple of days credit so we'll come back," Ms Britton said.

Mr Britton agreed, and said they would happily come back to North Queensland. 

"Were not at all put off."

A local Woolworths supermarket had stocked up on bottled water but just 30 minutes after opening they were already running low on UHT milk. 

A crowd of about 30 had gathered at a car rental outlet in the hopes of securing a car to leave Airlie Beach and head further south. 

Don't miss important news stories. Like us on Facebook.