Resort damaged in wake of ex-Cyclone Dylan

Swells whipped up by ex-Cyclone Dylan have washed away parts of a Queensland island resort.

Great Keppel Island Hideaway co-owner Sean Appleton said Friday’s 9.30am king tide ripped the decks from three beachfront houses, as well as the deck from the resort’s main bar.

‘‘The footings are now hanging over the sand dunes,’’ he said.While residents on the mainland were breathing a collective sigh of relief in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Dylan on Friday, Mr Appleton realised the worst was yet to come.

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‘‘We’re expecting the houses to fall into the ocean with tomorrow’s high tide,’’ he said.

‘‘We’ve lost eight metres of beach this morning and I dare say we’ll lose the same tomorrow.Mr Appleton is preparing to lose three of the resort’s seven houses to the next high tide.

‘‘We’ve got 250 beds here, but losing them rapidly,’’ he said.

He fears the damage bill will exceed $500,000.

Mr Appleton said staff had used a tonne of sand to protect the property in recent days, but to no avail.

The swell was just too big, he said.

Mr Appleton purchased the resort, off Rockhampton, seven months ago, with the hope of rejuvenating the island’s tourism industry.

‘‘We’ve put in seven months of hard work and basically watched it all wash away this morning,’’ he said.

However, he said the damage might have been avoided if an application to the council and state government for a rock wall to be erected had not been rejected six months ago.

‘‘We need to start the job to save what we can now,’’ he said.