January 26, 2026 — 11:21am
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Save this article for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.
Got it
AAA
One of Western Australia’s famous pearl farms has been forced to close and two tourism operators on the north coast have lost their home as the mop up from Tropical Cyclone Luana continues.
Luana hit the Dampier Peninsula on WA’s far north coast on Saturday evening as a category two system, just days after Tropical Cyclone Hayley impacted the same region.
Parts of the Dampier Peninsula suffered a direct hit from Luana, which is a stretch of coast home to a number of Aboriginal communities and famous holiday accommodation locations including Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.
Some locals had been unable to return home to examine the damage from Hayley before Luana hit, with the Bureau of Meteorology saying about 200 millimetres of rain was dumped over a 24-hour period when Luana first crossed.
A tree uprooted in Derby.Norval Gallery
The town of Derby suffered some damage, including fallen trees and to roofs, but it was Mercedes Cove Retreat on the Peninsula which faced the full brunt of the storm.
The owners, Pat and Dave Channing, took to social media to explain the moment they saw what had become of their on-site accommodation.
“Unfortunately, our little home was all but destroyed in the cyclone yesterday,” they said.
The home was suffered extensive damage.Mercedes Cove Retreat
“We are heartbroken, this house holds so many precious memories for not only our family, children, grandchildren and friends but all of our guests over the years who may have popped in for a drink or a chat or to borrow some ice, a tea bag or to just sit and yarn.”
Images of the damage posted to social media.Mercedes Cove Retreat
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm was also closed as a precaution before the cyclone hit, but an email to patrons sent out on Sunday said it would remain closed until “further notice”.
“Due to the impact of Cyclone Luana, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm will remain temporarily closed,” it read.
“At this stage, we are expecting to reopen next week but cannot confirm when exactly we will be able to reopen subject to conditions and final safety checks.”
The farm said its team had been evacuated, and it would be prioritising safety and recovery efforts in the coming weeks.
It is currently the wet season in the Kimberley, with many businesses operating on limited hours or closing entirely as tourism numbers die down.
Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Nathan McIvor said the community was still dealing with heavy wind and rain, and emergency authorities had been calling residents to check on their welfare.
“[The weather] hasn’t stopped so it’s too dangerous to be sending crews out at this stage,” he said.
Djarindjin on Monday.Nathan McIvor
“I’ve been speaking to outstations and residents over the last few days … no one [is] injured.”
Some homes in communities have been cut off due to flooded roads, but main roads in and out of the peninsula are slowly reopening.
Related Article
However, the bureau warned the weather is expected to continue until at least Wednesday, and issued a flood warning for parts of the inland Kimberley.
“Moderate to isolated heavy rainfall is forecast across parts of the west and north Kimberley district today, which combined with rainfall already fallen in the past few days has the potential to cause flooding,” an alert said.
“Some communities and homesteads may become isolated. Hazardous road conditions are expected, check road conditions before travelling.”
Meanwhile in the south of the state, the bureau said it is hoped the remnants of the weather system ease temperatures in the Goldfields.
A severe weather warning remains in place for the Kimberley, Pilbara, Eucla and Goldfields as the ex-tropical cyclone moves south-east, bringing with it intense rainfall and damaging wind gusts.
It’s hoped the system will help ease hot temperatures in the Goldfields and Eucla where a heatwave warning is currently in place.
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
From our partners