Sydney family stuck on Hamilton Island ahead of severe tropical cyclone Kirrily
A Sydney family who came to Hamilton Island on holiday are now stuck bunkering inside their hotel as Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirrily nears landfall.
Whitsunday
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A Sydney family who came to Hamilton Island on holidays is now bracing themselves for a Category 3 cyclone as Cyclone Kirrily makes its way to the North Queensland coast.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is expected to cross Townsville on Thursday night.
Whitsunday Islands residents have been warned that damaging wind gusts to 120 km/h are occurring near the islands in the Coral Sea and that winds may get to 155km/h.
A curfew was imposed on Wednesday night at 11pm on Hamilton Island, with residents being asked to stay indoors and prepare, while many businesses and schools announced they would close their doors on Thursday and Friday.
That didn’t stop one NSW man from allegedly flipping a golf buggy while drunk.
The Mandarano family arrived on Hamilton Island from Sydney on Saturday for 10 days.
Mum Katie Mandarano said the weather conditions meant they had to cancel a dinghy fishing day, a lunch out to Dent Island and a couple of nice dinners at restaurants.
Ms Mandarano, who stays at the Edge Apartments on the famous island with her four children Andre, Danny, Luca and Milan, her partner Damian and her mum Paula, said it was now a matter of “making the day fun” for everyone.
On the program for the family is playing board games and card games, while other kids are spending time of their phones or especially eating, Ms Mandarano said.
Ms Mandarano said this was definitely not their holiday plan, but remained hopeful the weather would clear enough on time for them to have one day of fun.
While having to stay indoors while on a tropical island, Ms Madarano said the apartment they were staying at was “pretty special to bunker down in”.
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