Gabrielle has since been downgraded to a vigorous sub-tropical low pressure system, reaching New Zealand's north early on Sunday and delivering heavy rain and powerful winds.
The centre of the category two storm passed Norfolk about 9pm local time on Saturday, causing downed trees, blocked roads and major power outages.
Authorities issued an all-clear for residents shortly after 7am on Sunday.
"We have been extremely fortunate with the passage of the cyclone as the most destructive winds have just missed us," Emergency Management Norfolk Island said.
"However there is still considerable clean-up to be undertaken and it may take a while for services such as power to be restored.
"There is still debris on the roads and power lines are down in some places."
The storm hit the island with sustained winds near the centre of 110km/h, with gusts to 155km/h, falling short of warnings of possible sustained winds up to 140km/h, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Gale-force winds were likely to resume for a period early on Sunday after Gabrielle passed the island, it said.
"We expect the centre of the circulation to move across Norfolk Island overnight and then start moving away ... (in the) early hours of Sunday," senior forecaster Dean Narramore said on Saturday.
"But on the backside, we expect another burst of strong to destructive winds as well as some bursts of heavy rainfall and a continuing damaging surf and swell."
The storm is expected to continue to track southeast out of the tropics and is predicted to pass New Zealand on Monday night, according to Weatherwatch.co.nz.
Gale periods are expected over Norfolk into Sunday afternoon, with the bureau warning very heavy surf could also persist through most of Sunday.
An emergency evacuation centre was made available on Saturday morning, with the island home to about 2000 residents and up to an estimated 950 visitors remaining there after they were urged to leave.
"There is no way to evacuate the island with weather like this. You can't get aircraft in so we just have to ride it out," Norfolk Island Regional Council controller George Plant told ABC.
Teams of military and emergency personnel were on standby as the cyclone passed over to respond as needed.
Meanwhile, a hazardous surf warning is in place for Queensland's Fraser Island coast and waters off Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast until midnight on Monday.
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