Mount Coolum

Discover paradise indeed - with white sand beaches that stretch on forever and secluded rainforest rimmed sheltered coves Coolum Beach is renowned for its charming sea-side village atmosphere and is very chic with Resorts such as the Hyatt Regency Coolum, The Beach Retreat, Coolum Caprice and Club Coolum offering first class accommodation, whilst The Esplanade provides trendy alfresco cafes, restaurants and shops.

Coolum is the growth area of the Sunshine Coast and boasts many facilities and attractions such as Cultural/Civic Centre, local shopping, Surf Club, Stewarts Hotel complex, Bowls and RSL Clubs, Police Station, Municipal Library and swimming pool, tennis courts, football grounds, State Primary and High Schools, Post Office, medical centres, child care centres, youth & community centres, business and community groups, Fire Station, Ambulance, places of worship, caravan parks, barbeque and playground parks, Hyatt Regency Golf Course, Mount Coolum Golf Course, the best surf and swimming beaches, creeks, Lows Lookout, Mount Coolum National Park, fauna reserves and walkways - to name but a few.

With the most popular surfing spots on the Coast, the main beach is patrolled 365 days a year, whilst Yaroomba Beach is serviced by a lifeguard courtesy of the Hyatt Regency Coolum, and the beaches at Point Arkwright and Mount Coolum are patrolled on school holidays.

The rapidly expanding Mount Coolum precinct features an excellent shopping centre with a major IGA, Medical Centre, pharmacy, butcher, baker, newsagent, cafe, bottle shop, child care centre and elderly home care centre. The Stockland group has embarked on an upmarket beachside precinct development entitled "The Boardwalk" that is transforming the locality with prestigious residences and a green space community, as well as proviidng a lifesaver patrolled beach for resident safety. Several high quality resorts, designed for luxury permanent living plus holiday enjoyment, have recently been completed with 'White Shells" offering incomparable living right on the beach itself. Several other upmarket developments are now available off the plan, taking advantage of direct beachfront land rarely available on the coast and certainly not at Coolum Beach nor Noosa Heads.   

All this makes for a safe surfing environment. You can also indulge your 'fishing trip' adventures at Coolum with excellent rock or beach fishing, or use it as a base for excursions further afield such as the famous Coloured Sands and Fraser Island, and of course the Maroochy Airport is ten minutes drive down David Low Way.

Mount Coolum

About Mount Coolum

Mount Coolum is an isolated volcanic dome, 208 metres in height, roughly circular in outline, covering a plan area of approximately 1 square kilometre. Geologically, it is principally composed of sodium and potassium rich rhyolite with some sandstone surrounds. Potassium-argon dating gives and age of between 25 and 26 million years. One of the most notable features of the mountain geology is the striking columnar / crystal jointing patterns clearly visible both on the main cliffs and the faces of the disused quarry.

Although the geology of Mount Coolum is in itself quite spectacular, some of its most important aspects are not so immediately obvious. Ecologically, Mount Coolum is one of the most important square kilometres in Australia. The diversity of plant life within such a confined area is unequalled. The site has been intensely studied and over 700 plant types are now documented. This includes 590 flowering plants, 49 ferns and over 100 species of the lesser plants such as mosses, liverworts, lichens etc. By way of comparison, there are only 1400 species in all of Great Britain. Deserving particular note is the fact that the 49 ferns belong to 20 distinct families, some 40% of all fern families living on earth today. Psilotum Nudum, evolutionary the world's most primitive plant, is common. Two recently discovered species of trees are found nowhere else, and the area in general is unique in that numerous species find the limit of their distribution, be it in northern or southern, on Mount Coolum.

Even ignoring the technical excellence of Mount Coolum as a place of interest, it still provides an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy those age old delights of escaping from the hurly-burly of contemporary life, looking at beautiful and spectacular scenery and taking a dose of practical, non-regimented exercise all at the same time. It goes without saying that the view from the summit is truly magnificent; a 360 degree overview of the Sunshine Coast can be had by simply turning around; coastline and beaches extending from Moreton Island to Double Island Point, the cane fields and wetland areas of the Maroochy River Valley, as well as the main areas of the Coast, plus more; for the photography buff, there is a seemingly endless supply of material just waiting to be captured.

Long before the appearance of Europeans, the Aborigines were also obviously affected by its aesthetic appeal; its image of solidity; its stark, isolated bulk; almost every story, myth or legend of these parts involves Mount Coolum in some way.

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