Even record flooding couldn't dampen the spirits of intrepid hotel guests who traveled by boat to enjoy a drink at a stranded pub amid the North Queensland floods.
Instead of cars, it was a row of cans parked outside Hotel Euramo, a small pub almost on the banks of the Tully River, 155km south of Cairns, as many of the people inside celebrated the 'bucket list' event by heading to their local restaurant. by boat.
A video on the hotel's Facebook page showed a festive atmosphere on the busy balcony. In another photo, customers could even enjoy an outdoor table in the beer garden, despite it turning into a brown paddling pool.
Hotel owner Ollie Muzic told ABC News Breakfast on Monday that it was a local tradition for customers to come to the watering hole by boat or tractor during floods.
“There were no tractors passing by yesterday, but the water level was higher than ever before,” she said.
Hotel Euramo, located 155km south of Cairns, has rebranded itself as the Euramo Boat Club as customers turn up in boats
'Everyone was very cheerful.
“We're fortunate that our water spreads very quickly.”
The pub, which cheekily 'renamed' itself Euramo Yacht Club for the occasion, had a total of 18 boats, which they said was six more than were floating during the 2018 floods.
Hotel manager Tish Ottone said customers had made the best of a bad situation.
“It was really good, the atmosphere was great,” she said.
“It was definitely on my bucket list (to arrive by boat) and it's now been ticked off, so it was surreal, it was pretty cool.”
Six people stayed overnight on Sunday and Ms Muzic said she and staff would be on site until the water receded, assuring ABC interviewer Lisa Millar that there was plenty of food and drink in stock.
“The majority of the people here got everything sorted out yesterday morning before they came here, everything high and dry, and there's pretty much nothing you can do but sit there until the water falls,” she said.
It has long been a tradition to come to the Euramo Hotel in a boat or tractor during a flood
Although the atmosphere in the pub was festive, Ms Muzic said she was mindful of those affected by catastrophe.
“We understand that many places in north Queensland have been absolutely devastated by these floods,” she said.
“Our thoughts go out to everyone in Cairns and the surrounding areas who have lost their homes and roads.
“Hopefully our government will step in to resolve everything as quickly as possible, it's Christmas week.”
Northern tourist hotspot Cairns has been virtually cut off from the rest of Australia as its airport has disappeared underwater, causing Christmas travel chaos for thousands of Australians as an entire remote community prepares to evacuate.
More than 600mm of rain has fallen in far north Queensland in the past 40 hours, with another 300mm of rain expected on Monday in the wake of ex-tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Undeterred by the beer garden which is increasingly becoming a paddling pool, visitors to the Euramo pub enjoy a refreshing drink outside
Major roads in the region have been cut off and some have been halved by floods.
At least 14,000 residents are without electricity and have not been given a timetable for when power will be restored.
Hundreds of residents and tourists in Cairns have been forced to leave their homes as hotels have been converted into evacuation centres.
The city's flooded airport has been closed for a second day after 307mm of rain fell there in the past 24 hours. The store is unlikely to reopen until Tuesday at the earliest.
Nine people, including a young child, were trapped on the roof of a hospital in the remote Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal on Monday morning as emergency services worked to rescue them.
The entire community of 286 residents was ordered by authorities on Monday morning to evacuate and move to Cooktown, 80 km away.
Meanwhile, there are real fears that the Cairns region could run out of drinking water within hours, with residents urged to conserve water where possible.
Heavy, intense rainfall with dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is forecast north of Cairns, along with a six-hour rainfall total of up to 300mm.
The towns of Port Douglas, Wujal Wujal, Daintree Village and Cooktown are under the firing line, prompting widespread evacuation orders.
“It's just an incredible amount of rain, all the time,” Queensland Premier Steven Miles told reporters on Monday.
“(Residents) say they've never seen anything like it. When someone from Far North Queensland says that, it really says something.
“To Queenslanders in Far North Queensland, we know you've had a rough night.
Nine health workers and patients, including a seven-year-old child, were trapped on the roof of the hospital in the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal in Cape York, surrounded by crocodile-infested waters. They have since been safely rescued.
Other locals took refuge on cars and the roofs of their homes.
Eurama Hotel owner Ollie Muzic (pictured left) and manager Tish Ottone said the hotel was well stocked with food and drink for the duration of the flood
“The group of people trapped on the roof of the hospital in Wujal Wujal were able to move safely to another location, but it now seems likely that we will have to evacuate the entire city of Wujal Wujal,” Prime Minister Miles said.
“Agencies are working at all levels of government to figure out how to do that, to get the community of Wujal Wujal safely to Cooktown, to the PCYC there.”
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll added: “The biggest challenge so far for everyone has been access to some of these areas, and this will continue to challenge us.”
The evacuation orders come after the Wujal Wujal Council issued an urgent plea from the community on Sunday after a crocodile was spotted at the bridge crossing after the Bloomfield River burst its banks.