Thousands of tourists were hauled off beaches, ferry services were suspended and a Manly school was evacuated - all for what the Mayor of Waverley has dubbed the "tsunami that wasn't".

The warnings came after an earthquake hit the Solomon Islands at 6.40am yesterday, and a decision was made in Melbourne to put Australia's east coast on alert. However the sea level rises recorded along the NSW coast would later measure just 10 centimetres.

Pathetic Australia! Hang your head in shame! Surely we can do better than this!

I predict that if we do get a big tsunami someone will try to surf it. You heard it here first.