But while authorities have been warning residents to stay indoors as Cyclone Alfred approaches, die-hard surfers have been throwing caution to the increasing wind."This is what we look forward to," said Jeff Weatherall as he waited for a jet ski to pick him up from Kirra beach and carry him into the big waves.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), said warnings remained in place for heavy rainfall, locally intense rain fall leading to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, a dangerous storm tide, abnormally high tides, damaging surf, damaging wind gusts and destructive wind gusts.

The fringe of a tropical cyclone started whipping eastern Australia on Thursday (Mar 6), bringing drenching rains and record-breaking waves to a heavily populated region rarely hit by typhoons.