A combination of solid planning and good fortune saved Stockton from another devastating erosion event on the weekend.
The hundreds of sandbags that were placed on exposed parts of the suburb's foreshore last week held-up well to the large swell that hit the NSW coast in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Uesi.
Other than the swell, the extreme weather that was forecast to accompany the waves failed to eventuate.
Locals were breathing a sigh of relief on Sunday afternoon but remained mindful that the next big assault may not be far away.
"We dodged a bullet; we are definitely on borrowed time," Stockton resident Lucas Gresham said on Sunday.
"There's no doubt the sand bags helped but there's only so much they can do."
Lexie's Cafe was closed on Friday until further notice. It follows the closure and subsequent demolition of the suburb's childcare centre late last year.
Beach access points and the 90-degree parking bays on the eastern side of Mitchell Street also remain closed until further notice.
Of particular concern is the exposure of historic toxic debris. A council statement said the material will be cleaned up as soon as possible.
City of Newcastle continued with the relocation of 16 holiday cabins that were removed from the eroded shoreline to land near the swimming centre.
"There is no available space for all the relocated cabins within the existing holiday park footprint as this space is designated for tents and caravans and is fully booked for the weekend," a City of Newcastle factsheet said.
"The planning process for these emergency measures is underway, including site investigation and the lodgement of a development application."
The area was identified as a potential site for future use by the caravan park in the 2012 South Stockton Public Domain Plan.
Most other parts of the Hunter's coastline held up well to the weekend's heavy seas with a couple of exceptions.
While the Jimmy's Beach erosion hot spot near Hawks Nest escaped relatively unscathed, nearby Bennetts Beach bore the brunt of the swell.
"It got smashed because the of the northeasterly swell," Myall River Action Group spokesman Gordon Grainger said.
The southern end of Blacksmiths Beach also remains closed to 4WDs until further notice due to severe erosion.
A hazardous surf warning remains for the Hunter coast.
Surf Life Saving NSW warned rock fishers, boaters, surfers and swimmers to stay away from the water.
"If people don't heed emergency service warnings and put themselves in danger in these extreme conditions, it's possible that lifesavers will not be able to save them," lifesaving director Joel Wiseman said in a statement.
Some beaches may remain closed this week due to the large swell, poor water quality and large amounts of debris in the water caused by wind gust from ex-cyclone Uesi.
