Relieved Cooktown wakes to little damage

Jeff Sanders feared Cyclone Nathan would smash Cooktown with more fury than Ita did almost a year ago.

But he's counting his blessings after a restful night tucked up with his wife and three young children at a refuge in the far north Queensland town.

"Last night was 100 per cent better than Ita," he told AAP on Friday, after category four Nathan made landfall about 100km north of Cooktown.

"We all slept right through the night this time."

He says his kids are a little tired, but not due to the howling winds.

The cause of their fatigue has more to do with staying up too late to play with the other children at the shelter.

The relief was palpable in Cooktown on Friday as locals drew the inevitable comparisons with Ita, which tore roofs from buildings, toppled trees and fences, and damaged crops.

"It definitely wasn't as bad as Ita," one drenched woman yelled on Friday from her yard, adding: "Everyone is still asleep."

At the shelter, as people packed up their makeshift beds, the local sense of humour was on display.

As 76-year-old Freda Glynn left the safe haven with a mattress under her arm, she told those she'd spent the night with: "I'll see you next year."