Many hit the beach on Monday after a sudden temperature drop in NSW amid a hazardous surf warning.
Locals at Cronulla Beach watched some surfers venture out to catch a wave despite the conditions after southeast Australia's big chill.
A cool change moved through Victoria and Tasmania on the weekend with a cold front pushing through the southeast.
Both states copped showers, strong winds and significant temperature drops.
By Monday morning it was NSW's turn as a strong southerly change brought wind gusts up to 100km/hr along the south coast.
Winds eased off by the time it got to Sydney but temperatures still dropped eight degrees in 30 minutes in the city by 1am, down to 23 degrees.
Many other places across the NSW coast also had a sharp temperature drop as the strong southerly change pushed through.
"It has been quite a cool burst," the Bureau of Meteorology's Jonathan How said.
Showers also impacted NSW's south coast and ranges with up to 50mm recorded at Perisher.
The cold front was set to move into the Tasman Sea, ensuring conditions eased across Tasmania, Victoria and NSW.
Showers across eastern Victoria, the NSW coast and Tasmania's west are set to become more isolated by Monday night.
The heat is on from Tuesday, with above average temperatures forecast in the coming days across South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and southern NSW.
It comes after an "autumn scorcher" across NSW including Sydney on the weekend, with temperatures up to 12 degrees above average recorded before the strong southerly change.
In Queensland, there is more rain forecast for the north as the southeast recovers from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Locally heavy falls may impact communities near Townsville and Cairns, with flooding already present due to weekend rainfall.
In the southeast, the ex-cyclone Alfred clean-up is building momentum with insurers receiving more than 63,000 claims to date.
Power has been restored to every home after more than 400,000 were impacted, more than a week after the system hit the coast.
The last of the 661 state schools closed by the ex-cyclone's impact also reopened on Monday.
State-federal government disaster recovery assistance has been extended to more locations as progress was made on Queensland's glitter strip.
Tourist hub Surfers Paradise was set to be reopened on Monday.
"As we head toward the Easter holidays I still maintain to everyone that at the very least 80 per cent of our beaches will be open," Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate told reporters on Monday.
"Come on down because it is going to be business as usual."
12°C