Magnetic Island has long been described as Townsville's jewel in the crown . But right now it is showing obvious signs of having been battered by cyclonic weather, heavy rain , flooding and tidal surges. In fact, one resident said the island looks like a third world country in parts due to the damage.
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The cyclone damaged Picnic Bay jetty, above, is closed off to the public, and the nearby beach with its stinger net and surf club has been gouged out .
During the downpour , all the steams on the island became torrents , Gustav Creek caused extensive damage to the road bridge , below, at busy Sooning Street, causing it to be closed off , traffic diverted around it, which in turn has damaged roads , there being a patchwork of filled in potholes . A major new bridge will have to be built at considerable cost .
The following photograph shows the closed off bridge site cleared.
Still visible , below, are large trees washed down Gustav Creek and there are many fallen trees elsewhere. The many large coconuts on trees could become a hazard if they start falling on passersby .
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A large part of the Nelly Bay beach is closed off to the public,below, to enable dune stabilisation.
The following photograph is a view of Nelly Bay beach from Nelly's Groyne , which is in surprisingly good shape, showing extensive foreshore damage, machinery and debris washed up .
Still closed to the public is the Alma Creek footbridge, below.
There are reports of burst water pipes, an area known as the Pope's Land having been badly damaged , the high water table creating a nose twitching smell from old septic tanks , some islanders experiencing problems with insurance companies .
So if Magnetic Island is Townsville's jewel in the crown , you would think the mainland media would provide better coverage of the situation.
