A week after bracing for cyclonic impact, one of Australia’s tourism hotspots is learning the full extent of damage.

Before and after pictures of the Gold Coast indicate the task ahead as authorities scramble to rectify widespread beach erosion by the lucrative Easter holidays.

A snapshot overlooking the glitter strip towards Surfers Paradise was taken ahead of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred’s arrival.

Another from a week later shows the toll taken after ex-cyclone Alfred produced monster waves up to 12 metres, destroying the coastline.

Before and after shots of the beach towards Surfers’ Paradise on the Gold Coast. Photo: AAP

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate revealed 80 per cent of beaches had “gone into the ocean” in the system’s wake.

Experts warn the Gold Coast may take a major financial hit amid fears holiday makers will stay away due to the widespread coastal erosion.

The clock is ticking for the beaches to return to their former glory ahead of the Easter holidays, which injected $2.5 billion tourist dollars into the Queensland economy last year.

Local retiree George Geles reckoned ex-cyclone Alfred’s impact was the worst he had seen on the Gold Coast in more than 50 years.

He has lived on the glitter strip since 1971 and been a Mermaid Waters resident since 1993. Every morning he likes to kick start his day with a walk along Surfers Paradise.

His view has dramatically changed in recent days, with sand banks up to four metres tall created along the coastline by ex-cyclone Alfred’s wrath.

“The beaches have really been depleted. It’s really bad,” he said.

“There’s a lot of erosion down there.

“It’s the worst cyclone [impact] I have seen since 1974.”

Dredging is about to begin, with the local council setting an Easter deadline to return the iconic beaches to their former glory in time for the holiday rush.

Beaches will start re-opening on Friday as the recovery gathers momentum.

Rainbow-style dredging will be used – where a barge pumps sand that has been pulled offshore back towards the beach in an arc through the air.

“We have a big job ahead of us,” Tate said.

“If we are blessed with good weather we will get close to our prediction … that our beaches will be well and truly opened … well ahead of Easter holidays.”

The post-Alfred clean-up also continues elsewhere across south-east Queensland and northern NSW. About 30,000 people are still without power as skies clear and floodwaters recede.

-AAP