“It’s a very exciting time”: How the Whitsundays is rebuilding after damaging cyclones
A billion-dollar transformation is underway for the Whitsundays as the once-popular tourist destination works hard to bring families back to the area.
Marine biologist Johnny Gaskell was one of the first to return back to the Whitsundays after the destructive Cyclone Debbie first hit the island back in 2017.
According to A Current Affair, Gaskell, who runs the island's living reef, returned to the island expecting the worst.
"The one pump that we had on for the living reef which got submerged, had big waves crashing all over it, it's not a pump that's supposed to go under water. Somehow kept running," he said.
Daydream Island’s living reef is now the centrepiece of the resort after it underwent a $120-million-dollar upgrade with families at the forefront.
There are upgraded rooms and facilities as well as a larger focus on reef restoration and education. There is also a coral garden that is supporting the restoration of three Whitsunday reefs that were damaged by Cyclone Debbie.
"It takes about a year to get the corals to a point where we can out plant them into a damaged site and then hopefully nature does the rest," Mr Gaskell said.
Tourism Whitsundays CEO Tash Wheeler says it is part of a $1.2 billion rebuild.
"We've got new hotels, we've got revitalised hotels, we have new experiences for people to enjoy, we have a new airport, it's a very very exciting time," she said.
"The rebound and resilience of the community and the development that's happened right now is spectacular,” says Venue Manager Brad Henstock.