WORK done to mitigate erosion on the Kingscliff foreshore saved a caravan park from last weekend's huge swell, Tweed Mayor Barry Longland said.

Cr Longland visited Kingscliff on the Friday before the huge swell hit last Saturday to inspect foreshore stabilisation work around the Kingscliff Beach Holiday Park.

The at times 4m swell closed beaches across the Tweed and southern Gold Coast on the Christmas weekend.

"I have been in contact with the council officers about the erosion on the weekend," he said.

"There was a bit more erosion to the north of the rock wall.

"The extension to the rock wall was finished before Christmas and it had its desired effect."

Cr Longland said the wall stopped further damage to the area around the amenities building that would have forced the closure of the holiday park.

One family had to move as waves spilled over onto their camper trailer and water lapped at their feet as they ate their Christmas breakfast.

Charlie and Donna Needham watched as a tree close to their site fell into the surf.

Fellow camper Hugh Brian said he saw a chunk of concrete break off from the retaining wall in front of the surf club due to the force of the tide.

"It was all a bit scary," he said.

"We saw waves come up over the giant sandbags.

"One minute a tree was there and the next minute it was gone. People had to run to avoid getting swamped."

Cr Longland said without the mitigation works the damage could have been much worse.

"Thank goodness we did it because the surf club would be in the water right now," he said.

"The permanent solution will be a terminal wall stretching right across the foreshore."

Cr Longland said getting funding for a permanent solution was the top priority of the reserve trust and had the support of all councillors.