Remote cattle stations spared, but banana farm 'devastated' by double Cyclone Nathan hit
Updated
Cattle stations in far north Queensland may have been spared significant damage from Cyclone Nathan, but at least one commercial banana farm has suffered significant crop losses.
Nathan made landfall as a Category 4 cyclone near Cape Melville this morning, with wind gusts up to 220 kilometres per hour recorded.
The Hope Vale banana farm, located 100 kilometres south of where the cyclone crossed, was hit by the system for a second time in just over a week, resulting in fruit damage.
Manager of the Hope Vale Foundation, Ken Reid, said while the latest crop loss was devastating, it could have been much worse.
"On a whole I'm quite surprised that the farm held up the way it did," he said.
We lost 15 per cent when Nathan hovered off the coast last week, and now it is probably up to 30 per cent.
Ken Reid, Hope Vale Foundation
"I guess that's full credit to the guys in preparations leading up to the blow, with de-leafing and stringing and all that sort of stuff.
"We had a few volunteers down there as well from the community, so everyone chipped in.
"But we lost 15 per cent when Nathan hovered off the coast last week, and now it is probably up to 30 per cent by the look of it.
"So quite devastating, but essentially we still have fruit hanging on the trees that's going to be pickable on Monday.
"Hopefully we can still get a little bit of fruit out next week, and fully assess what the total damage is."
Remote cattle stations spared major damage
Glen Sheppard, from Lillyvale Station on Princess Charlotte Bay, told ABC Rural his property had sustained little damage despite being in the direct path of the storm.
"Everything is ok at the moment, there's a bit of a breeze around but nothing too serious," he said.
"We haven't had a lot of rain through the night, maybe five or six millimetres, and it is trying to rain now. But yeah, we expected it to be a lot worse.
"Maybe it's only early days, but yeah, it is pretty tame."
Everything is ok at the moment, there's a bit of a breeze around but nothing too serious at the moment.
Peter Sheppard, Lillyvale Station
Further south at Kings Plains Station, grazier Daryl Paradise said the cyclone was delivering steady rainfall across his property.
"We've had 25 millimetres since six o'clock this morning, and it is still raining very heavily here now," he said.
"And it looks like it might carry on for a bit longer. I see the rain band on the television with that cyclone, looks like it might supply a bit more rain for us today.
"It started raining at two o'clock this morning, but we had no wind to speak of here.
"We were pretty well prepared, because when Nathan came in before and dropped some rain, we'd already put all the cattle into the high country, and opened up gates here and there, gave them access if they needed to get out.
"If we can get this rain now, it will give us a reasonable season. It will be quite a long way ahead of last year."
Topics: rural, agribusiness, cyclones, beef-cattle, weather, cairns-4870
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