Australia Weather News

Caretakers at a prestigious West Australian resort who sheltered in an underground bunker as Cyclone Fina severely damaged their workplace have described the harrowing experience.

The cyclone caused substantial damage in Darwin and the Northern Territory last weekend, before crossing the remote Kimberley coast in WA's north at category three level on Monday night.

With wind gusts of more than 150km/h, the Berkeley River Lodge, an exclusive tourism retreat only accessible by sea and air, suffered significant damage.

Two caretakers took refuge in an underground sea container as the extreme weather system passed over them.

Emerging 16 hours later rattled but unscathed, Laura Stokes and Adam Zerna have described the experience as "really scary" and admitted the wind was so strong they feared the bunker might get lifted into the air. 

Preparing for the worst 

Ms Stokes works at Berkeley River Lodge as a tour guide.

Along with caretaker partner Mr Zerna, the pair had taken on the task of looking after the luxurious site between September 2025 and May 2026, when tourists are scheduled to return.

With the cyclone moving closer to the West Australian coast on Sunday, the pair started to prepare for the worst.

Berkeley River Lodge had previously installed two shipping containers welded together and placed underground as a cyclone shelter.

Ms Stokes said as the wind started to pick up, the pair entered the shipping containers at 2pm on Monday and did not resurface until 6am the following day.

"It was really scary. There was some gusts that were so severe I had the visions of it throwing us into the sea," she said.

As the cyclone winds peaked, Ms Stokes described "blasts of wind".

"Things were bashing on top of the bunker roof ... sounds of debris of large items moving around," she said.

Ms Stokes said the pair were holding hands and trying to stay calm as the wind and noise intensified. 

Mr Zerna said when the bunker began to move, he realised the power of the cyclone.

"I thought you're kind of invincible in a steel bunker that's buried in the ground, but when it starts shaking around, that changed — everything changed very quickly," he said.

When the pair exited the bunker,they were stunned by the destruction left in the cyclone's wake.

"We went into that bunker, and it had been a paradise, and lush in nature, and then we came out and the landscape was completely bare," Mr Zerna said. 

"We knew there was damage but we didn't expect what we saw there."

Ms Stokes said she was in disbelief.

"Broken stuff just everywhere, you just felt like you're [in your] own apocalypse movie," she said. 

Damage assessment underway

With three of the resort's 18 villas destroyed and significant damage to other parts of the retreat, there is a sizeable rebuild ahead.

Saltwater Properties, which bought the Berkeley River Lodge in 2016, is still assessing the extent of the damage.

Owner Chris Banyon said earlier this week his plan was to re-open in May to tourists.

Ms Stokes said she hoped the lodge would reopen next year.

"I think at this stage they're enthusiastic they might reopen it and there's potential for the future," she said.

"But [we're] just trying to get to grips with being alive."