Locals in both cities were hungry to stay in the water – but while the Gold Coast woke up to damage on Saturday, for the Sunshine Coast, the biggest risk was yet to come.

The golden shores that attract millions of visitors every year to the southeast corner of Queensland have been left battered and bruised at the hands of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred.

The world-renowned holiday destination has seen its sandy shores washed away. Now, it’s been revealed when beachgoers could ...