A Carnival Cruise Line ship has made it into port in Sydney after being trapped overnight at sea due to strong winds and high seas.
Local media reported waves of 50ft off Sydney which prevented Carnival Spirit, with 2,500 passengers on board, from docking.
The ship was caught up in severe storms which have swept New South Wales for three days, disrupting travel and leaving 200,000 homes without power.
Passengers on Carnival Spirit have now been able to disembark a day later than scheduled.
Sydney Harbour Master Philip Holliday said a ship the size of Carnival Spirit required a pilot “to get on board to guide the ship in” and the severity of the weather conditions meant they could not safely allow a pilot to board.
“But the weather coming in from the Heads of Sydney was so bad that even if there was a pilot on board it would have been unsafe to bring the ship in. For that reason I closed the port and we waited for the weather to abate,” Holliday told the Syndey Morning Herald.
“This is the first time for me that I’ve closed the port and this is the first time I’ve ever said no to a cruise ship – and hopefully it will be the last time.”
Travel is reported as still being disrupted in Sydney with heavy showers today flooding some roads in the city.
Flights have also been disrupted at Sydney airport, with some international flights diverted.
A number of railway lines are still shut because of the storm but some ferry services have resumed.