THE early-morning freak tornado which tore through a NSW caravan park has not deterred tourists from celebrating the Queen's Birthday weekend there.

It took just 10 seconds for the twister's 150kph winds to turn the attractive BIG4 Lake Ainsworth Caravan Park in Lennox Head into something resembling a war zone.

But staff have worked tirelessly, returning the park to some sort of normality and resulting in an occupancy rate of around 80 percent for the holiday long weekend.

Caravans were hurled around like toys as the June 3 twister raced in from the ocean, but miraculously no one was hurt. Caravans and cabins were overturned at the three-and-a-half star, 294-site caravan park, leaving travellers and holidaymakers dazed and astonished they had survived Mother Nature's fury.

Twenty-four hours later, the sun was shining and skies were blue as caravanners attempted to clear up the devastation left behind by what has been described as a "freak of nature". They were joined by emergency workers and huge machinery.

Caravanning News was unable to contact the park because telephone lines were down, but within two hours of the 7.30am twister hitting we were told by a spokesperson for BIG4: "All staff and guests are safe and the State Emergency Service is on site."

NSW Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan toured the park and could not believe the extent of the devastation ... more incredibly so when he spotted a lone tent which was left standing after the tornado struck.

A traveller told Caravanning News: "There were water spouts over the ocean and total destruction in parts of the town. The winds were terrifying."

Another witness told media: ‘"It tore through the western end of the caravan park, dumping caravans on top of caravans."

Graham Ellis: wine

About 30 homes in the town were damaged or destroyed, power lines brought down and huge trees felled.

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally toured the storm-ravaged area, marvelling that no one had been killed. She declared the town a natural disaster zone.

Grey nomads Graham and Pam Ellis were spending their first day back at their beachfront home after a six-week caravanning trip to Cooktown in far north Queensland.

Their home, where they have lived for more than 20 years, was badly damaged and their caravan blown onto its side and wrecked ... though three bottle of red wine came out unscathed.

"We're going to use one to toast our luck in surviving the tornado," 73-year-old Graham said.

Meanwhile, Spencer Wacklath could not believe he came out unscathed as the twister blasted through the caravan park.

"It sounded like a gravel truck dumping loads off the back of it," he said.

To view a video of the tornado's trail of destruction, click here.