BREAK GOES AHEAD: Finn, 8, Zoey, 3, Michelle   and Jimmy Davidson enjoy the pool at the Cabarita Beach Resort.
BREAK GOES AHEAD: Finn, 8, Zoey, 3, Michelle and Jimmy Davidson enjoy the pool at the Cabarita Beach Resort. SCOTT POWICK

Tweed open for tourists this Easter

DESTINATION Tweed wants tourists to know the region is back in business after recovering from the flooding brought on by ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie.

"The coast is clear,” Destination Tweed CEO Bill Tatchell said.

"We have spoken to a lot of tourism operators in the valley and for a lot of them, as businesses, they are not damaged.

"One of the issues has been access but the council has been fantastic getting to some of the arterial roads to make sure they are passable.

"With the Easter holidays coming up, come on down like you planned. The water has subsided - sure, there is some silt and mud around - but the rhythm of life continues.”

Destination Tweed's information centre, right on the Tweed River at South Murwillumbah, was inundated by flood waters and has been relocated across the road to the train station.

Attractions including Tweed Endeavour Cruises and Tropical Fruit World were among those continuing to operate, along with most of the region's restaurants and cafes, he said.

"Yes, there have been floods and it's been traumatic and tragic but on top of that is the resilience of our operators,” Mr Tatchell said.

"The region and natural environment welcomes you back down.”

Having fun in the sun on the Tweed Coast this Easter.
Having fun in the sun on the Tweed Coast this Easter. Destination Tweed

Beach Resort Cabarita manager Alicia Wood said 35% of bookings for the Easter holidays had cancelled in the immediate aftermath of the floods.

"It was en masse. It was such a huge hit for us,” she said.

"It's not like the Gold Coast or Brisbane. We don't get a lot of last-minute stuff. They tend to be bookings longer term, so are hard to replace.”

Ms Wood said cancellations had thankfully dried up and "we are getting back on track”.

"We are trying to get the perception out there that it's all okay,” she said.

"We are the largest accommodation provider here so the flow-on effect was quite big. You're talking about 150 people who didn't turn up.”

Mt Gravatt couple Michelle and Jimmy Davidson and their two children were among Beach Resort Cabarita holiday-makers last week who did not cancel.

"We checked with the venue to make sure it was going to be safe and the storm and after-effects weren't going to impact the venue,” Mrs Davidson said.

"We had to check the roads were clear because they weren't, but we managed to come down on the day we were booked in.

"We were keen to make it happen. It had a been a couple of tough days at home with school closures and we didn't want to disappoint the kids.”

The record floods didn't put a dampener on the wedding season either, with all nine venues used by Tweed Coast Weddings and Casuarina Weddings open for business.

"We're hosting 10 weddings this weekend, with some of our venues holding multiple over Saturday and Sunday,” manager James Mason said last week.

"Although last weekend was pretty eventful, and many are still counting the cost of what they lost, the wedding industry on the Tweed Coast is back to business.”

Tweed Endeavour Cruises owner Kylie Petersen said while the remnants of Debbie had halted their daily cruises to Tumbulgum, their Crab and Yabbies cruise down Terranora Lakes was still sailing smooth.

"The silver lining after the floods is that local crabbers can come down and catch some big mud crabs. There are hundreds of them about,” she said.

Ms Petersen said the Rainforest cruises to Tumbulgum would resume on Monday.

Visit www.destination tweed.com.au for details on activities, accommodation and more.

Tourists are encouraged to visit the spectacular Tweed Coast.
Tourists are encouraged to visit the spectacular Tweed Coast. Destination Tweed


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