Hamilton Island quickly returns to business as usual after Tropical Cyclone Yasi

Hamilton Island is welcoming back guests, following a swift and concerted clean-up in the wake of Cyclone Yasi.

Minor vegetation damage, including downed tree branches, was the only evidence of the Cyclone which at its worst saw winds of over 100km per hour blow through the Island on Wednesday night.

Taking early and pre-emptive precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the holidaymakers, residents and staff, the Hamilton Island team, along with industry partners Fantasea, Jetstar and Virgin Blue, was able to efficiently transfer people from the Island well in advance of the bad weather.

Ferry services resumed on Feb 3 and all regularly scheduled flight services have resumed.

Many Island retail, food and beverage and touring facilities have now re-opened for business.  This includes the Hamilton Island Wildlife Park.

Hamilton Island’s reservations team are re-booking guests who were required to change their holiday plans – no penalties will be incurred.  Those affected are advised to contact their travel provider or the Island’s reservations team on 137333.

Bookings for future travel are being accepted as per usual and normal cancellation and amendment conditions applied from Thursday, 3 February.

Glenn Bourke, Hamilton Island CEO, commented,“Hamilton Island’s extensive and rigorous cyclone emergency plans helped us to feel confident that we were ready for all circumstances. Naturally our focus was on the safety and comfort of everyone on the Island.

“We were well prepared for the bad weather and had taken all necessary steps to ‘batten down the hatches’. This included moving our guests and staff into accommodation built to withstand high category cyclones.  We also removed all outdoor furniture and brought all our vehicles indoors, secured all boats in the marina, as well as ensuring we had adequate food and water provisions for everyone.  The Island is also highly self sufficient so we were fortunate to have our own emergency generators which kicked in when the mainland power was lost.

“We are really proud of our staff and residents, everyone has pulled together exceptionally well. It’s great to see how quickly we have returned to ‘business as usual’.”

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