Tropical Cyclone Seth: Giant gum which has stood for generations uprooted on Gold Coast, Queensland

Wild winds continue to whip through south east Queensland with a handful of locals on the Gold Coast getting an early morning shock when a towering gum was pulled from its roots and crashed just metres from homes.

One resident on Robina’s Manly Drive described the ‘giant crack’ heard just after 8am on Tuesday followed by a ‘massive thump’ as the tree – which pre-dates the suburb where it stood – was uprooted by gale force winds.

Amazingly no one was injured by the falling tree which was located in a leafy park just off Manly Drive heavily frequented by locals and dog walkers. 

Giant tree roots measuring almost four metres are seen pulled from the ground 

The Gold Coast and surrounding areas continue to be battered by winds of up to 100 m/hr and heavy rain as a result of ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth which has sat just off the coast since New Years Eve.

‘It was a pretty decent crack,’ said local Robina resident Craig Bartram who lives in the home directly adjacent to where the giant tree was pulled from the ground.

‘It was all over and done with in about three seconds. It’s lucky no one was walking through there at the time.’

Heavy rain in the past week has significantly dampened soil in parts of the Gold Coast with tree falls not uncommon.

Winds across the Gold Coast have also reached up to 100 kilometres per hour according to the Bureau of Meteorology with similar conditions expected for at least two more days.

‘We have had about six inches of rain over two days,’ Mr Bartram told Daily Mail Australia.

‘So the soil around here is pretty sodden and the types of winds we have had is going to put any tree under a serious amount of stress.’

The uprooted gum tree stood almost 40 metres high and was estimated to be around 100 years old by locals

Locals Debbie Heiner (L) and Zan Bond came to inspect the enormous tree which crashed early Tuesday morning

Other locals mourned the demise of the tree which, according to longtime resident Debbie Heiner, was one of the biggest and oldest in the area.

‘It would be at least 100 years old. We moved here in 1989 and it was standing tall back then,’ she said.

Meanwhile, huge seas have led to the closure of all Gold Coast beaches with lifeguards at Currumbin sent scrambling on Monday as waves swept through the local surf life saving club, washing away a shipping container and equipment.

BOM forecaster Helen Reid said its impact had coincided with king tides in south-east Queensland, making the surf conditions even more treacherous.

Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club was thrown into chaos amid huge swells on Monday

Beer kegs and equipment was washed away by powerful waves at Currumbin on Monday

‘It has transitioned to a subtropical system which has slightly different characteristics, but the intensity hasn’t decreased,’ Ms Reid told AAP.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth is currently located around 300 kilometres off the coast of Coolangatta and is slowly moving closer to land.

Beaches remain closed on Tuesday with police urging everyone, including experienced surfers, to stay out of the water.

Despite this many have lined the coastline to watch celebrity big wave riders – including former world champions Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Mark Occhilupo – tackle the monstrous swell which has been measured at up to six metres.

Very high tides are again set to plague the south-east today, with warnings in place for the Wide Bay region to northern New South Wales, including the seaward sides of Fraser, Moreton, North Stradbroke and South Stradbroke islands