A Holland America cruise ship will make an unscheduled visit to Burnie on Thursday, January 2, because of the New South Wales bushfire crisis.
MS Noordam was scheduled to arrive in Burnie on Friday, January 3, but will skip the New South Wales' Eden and dock in the North-West at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday.
The town of Eden, situated on the south coast of New South Wales, is surrounded by bushfires that are devastating a lot of coastal and inland communities.
An hour's drive away, the Victorian Mallacoota town was the scene of devastation and havoc on New Year's Eve as residents fled to the sea in a rush to escape the bushfires.
According to Burnie City Council Mayor Steve Kons, that was the second cruise vessel to make an unscheduled arrival in Burnie during the season, and the bushfire crisis on the mainland might lead to more.
For other MS Noordam accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.