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"It's very stressful and very draining … we're just exhausted."

That's what New South Wales aged care worker Victoria Luff said when asked by 9news.com.au how she is holding up as the latest COVID-19 wave cripples the sector.

But Ms Luff's story is just one of many aged care workers who, along with vulnerable residents, are feeling the weight of the pandemic, which has only been magnified by a rising death toll.

This week the sector, and the government's management of the virus within it, has been thrust into the headlines as COVID-19 continues to spread.

Wearied staff are buckling under the pressure of covering rising staff shortages and emotionally supporting residents who have been locked away from their families in the 'golden years' of their lives.

Many have died, and thousands more are still vulnerable.

Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said 84 per cent of the nation's 1103 COVID-19 deaths had been in people aged over 70, with a significant number of those in aged care.

Yesterday he announced a taskforce to investigate the sector's fatalities, but Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese argued it's too little, too late, accusing the government of "neglecting" aged care.

As of January 28, there were 23,900 active cases of COVID-19 related to aged care including both staff and residents in 1261 facilities across Australia.

Ms Luff has given insight into the realities of working on the front line of the pandemic and made a plea to the government for desperately-needed assistance.

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Residents battling mental health issues amid lockdowns

Ms Luff is a carer at Baptist Care's Morven Gardens home in the New South Wales Blue Mountains.

The latest COVID-19 wave forced Morven Gardens to lock down for weeks as they battled infections among staff and tried to keep residents safe.

"It's obviously been very challenging," Ms Luff told 9News.

The isolating nature of lockdowns to contain COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes has had a tragic effect on the mental health of elderly residents, Ms Luff said.

"The mental health impact is huge, it's a very lonely and isolated feeling, they're missing their families and their families are quite scared as well," she said.

"Just the physical hug they're not getting that from their families or seeing them, a lot of them are becoming withdrawn from having to isolate in their room."

Ms Luff said she and her team often skip their lunch breaks to spend time with residents in a bid to console them while their family can not.

"When we don't have a break we'll go spend time with a resident who we've noticed might be doing it tough, and we try and comfort the resident the best we can," she said.

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Jim is a resident at Morven Gardens who missed family connections when lockdowns were enforced in the home, separating him and his wife from their daughter.

"It was fine, it was a bit upsetting, it wasn't good not being able to have visitors," he said.

The 82-year-old said he really missed what he once thought were small comforts like visiting the chapel or meeting with other residents.

He said those working at the facility really helped him to keep going when times got tough.

"I can't speak highly enough of the staff," he said.

"I congratulated the nursing unit manager and staff because we were hearing on the news a lot of negativity about homes like this, but the staff are so good that I couldn't understand it."

'Big pay gap for our huge responsibilities'

Staff have been commended for putting on a brave face for residents, but many were suffering – kept away from their own families and burdened by covering additional shifts when others caught the virus.

Aged care workers like Ms Luff aren't able to take annual leave to decompress and are pulling double shifts as they battle staff shortages.

"You're away from your family a lot," she said.

"We've done back to back shifts, we've built up annual leave.

"You know a lot of us haven't gone on annual leave after two years of back-to-back days."

The conditions are driving people who were once passionate about their jobs out of the industry.

"We're losing so many staff because they can't afford to stay in this industry, or with the pressure and stress," Ms Luff said.

"We need more people on the floor to look after these residents because one day we're all going to be facing this journey."

The federal government this week promised two one-off payments of $400 to nursing home staff on the pandemic frontline to battle staff shortages.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the payments were recognition for the hard work, and while Ms Luff is thankful, she said what aged care staff really need is a significant wage increase.

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Aged care workers are paid roughly $22 or $23 an hour, she said, claiming there's a "big pay gap for our huge responsibilities".

She noted there is better pay for workers in retail or "at McDonalds", without the huge mental and physical toll.

"They obviously have lots of responsibilities but here we're talking about people's health and they can die."

Ms Luff praised the support of her team at the Baptist Care management throughout the pandemic and instead called for action from the federal government.

"The biggest thing is we need help from our government," she said.

"Baptist Care is very supportive but we're really struggling, we're hurting, we're exhausted and we need more people to come into the industry for more staffing."

Meanwhile, the CEO of Baptist Care published a damning letter to the Prime Minister saying "pushing through" the latest wave of COVID-19 wasn't enough and the sector needs help.

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New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has called for the $5 billion cruise industry to be re-opened "as soon as we can, as safely as possibly".

"It's an industry that has done it incredibly tough over the past couple of years," he said.

While re-opening the industry had been discussed last year, he said Omicron had probably delayed it.

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"It doesn't make much sense that you've got people leaving Australia to go cruising overseas, but they can't go cruising in Australia," he said.

He said a great deal would depend on federal government decisions, but that the discussion would no doubt return to prominence in National Cabinet as Australia continued to emerge from the Omicron wave.

Health Minister Greg Hunt extended the cruise ban until February 17 in December last year, despite earlier saying he wanted cruises back on by Christmas this year.

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The $5 billion industry supports 18,000 Aussie jobs.

Travel agents, food suppliers, maritime firms and on-shore tour and tourism firms also suffer a knock-on effect.

President of P&O Cruises Australia Sture Myrmell called the ongoing shutdown "discouraging".

"Federal and state governments are yet to outline their requirements for restart despite the nation's high vaccination rate, the cruise industry's comprehensive health protocols, vaccination policies for guests and crew and the successful resumption of cruising in other international markets," he said.

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The Aurora Australis dazzled the night sky last night and served up a visual treat for photographers in Victoria.

Melchor Raval was all alone as he watched the aurora dance for two hours in Tooradin.

The finished product was a stunning timelapse video.

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"I saw faint outlines of the aurora amongst the clouds and the milky way star trail," he said.

Melbourne resident Thurein Kyaw was shooting street photography in the city when he received an alert about a possible incoming Aurora.

He immediately dropped everything and drove to Phillip Island to try his luck.

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The long trip in the car paid off, with a stunning scene for the photographer.

"The Lady Aurora Australis graced us with her dance across the stars. The first real show of 2022," he said.

"I have captured Auroras before but this is the best one I have ever taken; even the clouds played nice, they usually ruin a good Aurora but they add a little something here and framed the shot.

"The beams were so intense that they were actually visible to the naked eye."

Darren Fulton said he "stoked" when he shot this Aurora Australis scene from Lardner Victoria.

"As a huge Magnetic cloud sailed on the winds of the Solar God. Managed to time the shot with peak activity," he said.

Roger Bowker also has captured a timelapse of an aurora dazzling the night sky at Flinders Blowhole in Flinders, Victoria.

"Aurora in Australia, particularly from the mainland, are difficult to see with the naked eye," he said.

"When they are really bright with beams and arcs we see these as brighter white light as our eyes are not equipped to pick up the colour at these latitudes that camera sensors can collect.

"Last night's aurora was one where until you took that first photograph it was difficult to know if there was actually anything there.

"After my eyes adjusted to the conditions and at the peak of the display the sky was noticeably brighter to the south, with the low clouds appearing as dark patches against the much lighter sky.

"You have to rely on the camera to tell you what is happening."

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A Perth great-grandfather has celebrated his 106^th birthday.

Ex-customs officer Gordon Ewers said his secret to living a long life is simple.

"Live sensibly, breathe regularly, think positively, and live hopefully," Mr Ewers told 9News.

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"I'm well. The bloke inside the failing body, the bloke inside is alright," Mr Ewers told 9News.

The supercentenarian still lives on his own and said he doesn't view his 106^th birthday as an achievement.

"I can't say it's much of an achievement, it just happened to me, which I'm very happy for it to have done," Mr Ewers said.

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His daughter Shirley Burton said she isn't surprised her father has reached this milestone.

"He's always been very easy to get on with, takes life as it comes," Ms Burton said.

Heavy rain is set to continue in Queensland for a fourth straight day as flood warnings remain in place throughout the state.

A private hospital in Cooroy in the state's south-east was evacuated yesterday after intense rain prompted fears the roof would collapse.

A car has also been washed away, and homes destroyed in the recent deluge across the state.

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Many parts of South East Queensland received between 50mm and 100mm of rain.

The wild weather will move on today, with a severe band of storms pushing to northern parts of the state.

But showers are also forecast to continue for the south-east, even as residents begin the process of cleaning up.

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The Bureau of Meteorology has said today carries a "high to very high" chance of showers and thunderstorms across eastern and northern districts north of Bundaberg.

There is also a risk of severe thunderstorm activity with heavy falls across eastern districts north of Townsville.

The storms will move further north over the weekend, with the risk of heavy falls declining by Monday.

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In South Australia, meanwhile, the Stuart Highway could reopen in the next couple of days as floodwaters start to recede.

Premier Steven Marshall says the reopening of the highway is his first priority.

More than 10 flights have now delivered essential supplies to Coober Pedy and surrounding areas.

Stay up to date with weather warnings and forecasts at the Bureau website.