Kiwi flatmates hunkering down as Cyclone Alfred hits the coast

For Pierre Nixon-Sparkes, living on the Gold Coast was supposed to be about sunshine, surf, and an easy-going lifestyle. But now, instead of heading to the beach, he's watching it disappear as Cyclone Alfred tears through the coastline.

"We came here for the beautiful weather, but right now, it’s grey, dark, and kind of scary," he told 1News.

Pierre and his Kiwi flatmates have spent the past 24 hours bunkering down, stacking outdoor furniture inside, filling up the bathtub in case the water goes out and stocking up on supplies before the supermarkets shut.

Now, all they can do is wait.

"Last night, we sat down, had a drink, and just watched the madness outside," Pierre said. "The wind was blowing in two different directions. The rain was coming sideways. I’ve never seen waves this big in my life."

But Cyclone Alfred is no longer a waiting game. It’s here.

Across southeast Queensland and northern NSW, the cyclone is tearing down trees, knocking out power, and swallowing entire beaches.

More than 40,000 homes are in the dark, with power out across the Gold Coast, Brisbane’s bayside and northern NSW.

Storm surges and massive swells over 10 metres have been recorded, carving away beaches and damaging infrastructure.

Winds up to 120km/h are slamming the coast, with trees crashing onto homes and roads, and heavy rain is flooding some communities.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the damage is already piling up.

"Overnight, we saw Alfred pack a punch," he said. "The images of fallen trees, homes damaged, and the coastal erosion at Main Beach show just how intense this storm is."

For Pierre and his Kiwi flatmates, Cyclone Alfred is their first real taste of a storm like this—and they weren’t ready for it.

"I was pretty nonchalant about it at first," Pierre admitted. "I didn’t think it would be a big deal. Now, I’m wondering if our street will flood, if trees will come down, if we’ll be stuck without power for days."

That’s where their Aussie neighbours have stepped in.

"They’ve been through it all before, so they’ve been giving us advice, telling us to bring everything inside, move our cars to higher ground," he said.

Pierre’s parents, Jo and Paul Nixon-Sparkes, are also stuck in the storm after what was meant to be a long-awaited holiday turned into a disaster.

Pierre says they haven’t lost their sense of humour, yet.

"They haven’t been overseas in 10 years, and this was supposed to be their dream holiday," he said. "Now they’re stuck in a cyclone. We had a concert lined up on Wednesday night, but we couldn’t even go."

With power outages spreading, Pierre says his door is open if they need to evacuate.

"They can have my bed, I’ll take the couch," he said. "We’ll figure it out. We’re Kiwis and we look after each other."

Cyclone Alfred is still battering the coast, and authorities are warning the worst could last through the weekend.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged people to stay inside and prepare for the worst.

"This is already having a serious impact," he said. "We should not think that slower means better, it could still intensify."

For Pierre and his flatmates, it’s just about riding it out and hoping the power stays on.

"This whole thing reminds me of Covid—when people rushed to the supermarkets, when there was this weird tension in the air," he said.

"The only difference is, we know this is only supposed to last two days. But honestly, who knows?"