Every Sunshine Coast summer tells a similar story. The crowds grow, the days get longer and the beaches fill with the sounds of people laughing and creating memories.
For more than a century, the ingredients have remained the same – salt, sun and the promise of a good holiday.
Sure, the skyline has changed, the fashion has cycled (hello again ’90s) and umbrellas have given way to cabanas, but those constants remain. There’s the smell of sunscreen and hot chips wafting in the air; teenagers pedalling their bikes, towels slung over their shoulders; and parents, arms weighed down with eskies, beach bags and kids, heading down the sandy paths.
Those first few days in December always take me back.
It was the mid-90s and I was a teen who wanted nothing more than a tan, wavy sun-kissed hair and fun mornings at the beach with my cousins. The sun was shining, the water looked inviting and we were free. School holidays meant five entire weeks of freedom.
Every summer holidays, our family of four would pack up the Holden (so full that it looked like we were moving permanently), hit the Bruce Highway and drive the 12-hour stint south to the Sunshine Coast. For a few weeks, the Pacific Horizons holiday apartments at Alexandra Headland became our home. It was a new building back then and the rooms felt exotic with the cane and rattan furniture and apricot and mint-green colourings – nineties interior design, at its best.
In those days, the Olympia Theme Park was at the heart of Alex, and you could hear the laughter and excited screams of thrill in the distance. We were allowed, like most kids, to visit the park without parental supervision. We would spend hours slipping and sliding on those bright yellow mats.
Then, it was off to the beach as a family, followed by a cousins-only trek to Maccas for the usual cheeseburger and sundae.
This was our day-to-day, a few trips to the newly opened Sunshine Plaza thrown in, and takeaway dinners from Chicken Spot, eaten on the headland overlooking the ocean. The smell of Impulse body spray and strawberry-flavoured Lip Smackers were ever-present; sounds of the Spice Girls and Matchbox Twenty were our soundtrack. Our uniform? Swimmers, denim cut-off shorts, singlets and Masseur thongs.
There’s nothing quite like the good old days, so let’s take a look back as we gear up for this year’s holiday season.
1950s-1960s
Long before high-rise buildings cast their shadow, the region had become a popular holiday destination. Families came by train or rough roads, pitching cotton tarp tents and cooking over open fires. Tripcony Park at Caloundra and the Cotton Tree camping reserve were among the most popular spots.
By 1960, the camping area at the mouth of the Maroochy River was operating under its present name, Cotton Tree Caravan Park. The area was lined with guy ropes, striped annexes and makeshift kitchens. Kids played all day, making new friends with other holidaying families.
At Kings Beach and Bulcock, wooden diving boards attracted brave jumpers, while Maroochydore’s Belle of the Beach and sand-garden contests brought huge crowds. The most glamorous event of all was the annual Sun Girl Quest – beach beauty and surf culture meeting in a summer spectacle.
A few shillings could buy an ice cream or fish and chips wrapped in paper from the local stores, and Milkos, Choo Choo Bars and toffee apples were the lollies of choice.
Local lifesaving clubs were at the heart of the beaches. The Mooloolaba clubhouse, first built in 1939 and extended in the 1950s, was the base for volunteers keeping swimmers safe. At Peregian, the surf lifesaving club formed in 1962 and at Marcoola in 1969, with their nippers training every Saturday in the local pool. Each club helped build the identity of the Coast.
1970s
By the 1970s, the Sunshine Coast had a name of its own, having officially been renamed from Near North Coast. Roads had improved, holiday parks expanded and families began returning year after year to the same camping spots at Cotton Tree, Golden Beach and Moffat. It was the decade of sandcastles, zinc, transistor radios and beach umbrellas.
The Big Pineapple, a 16-metre fibreglass icon, opened in 1971, and it was a must-visit with its pineapple parfaits, banana splits and the little train ride through fields of tropical fruit.
The annual Bathtub Carnival added to the region’s sense of fun. Held at Bulcock Beach during the New Year weekend of 1973-1974, it was hosted by the Caloundra Apex Club in conjunction with a marathon.
In the following year, the event became a large-scale carnival, including a street parade. According to Sunshine Coast Council’s Heritage Library, the BathTub Derby was held on Currimundi Lake in 1978 before relocating to Golden Beach the following year. A variety of vessels competed, including powered bathtubs and paddle tubs.
Floods and cyclones throughout the decade resulted in a different kind of summer memory. In early 1972, two cyclones hit within days of each other. Cyclone Wendy was the first, followed by Daisy, which caused sand dune loss and major flooding. In February 1974, Cyclone Pam sent water surging through Bulcock Beach, closing roads and flooding shops. Then Beth brought gale-force winds in 1976.
As always, the Coast bounced back. By the late 1970s, beach holidays were as strong as ever.
Soft-serve ice cream was a summer staple. In 1978, Dairy Whip opened at Caloundra, and before long, its vans became a familiar sight across the Coast, attracting kids and adults alike.
For Coast resident Amanda Richens, the late ’70s and ’80s conjure up memories of holidays at Coolum Beach. “Growing up in a family that worked long hours, we couldn’t wait for Christmas to arrive,” she says. “Every year, we’d pack up our old Falcon car, filled to the brim with blow-up toys and a canvas tent, while managing to also fit Mum, Dad and four children. We would know we were getting close to Coolum when the sweet smell of sugar cane filled the air. As soon as we arrived at Cool Seas Caravan Park, it felt like coming home.
“In the early mornings, Dad and my three brothers would head down to the flat cliffs to fish for yellowtail bream while Mum and I stayed back at the campsite, ready to cook their fresh catch for breakfast, bones and all. The salty breeze, the sound of waves and the aroma of sizzling fish fried in butter are memories I can still feel, as if they were yesterday.
“Each day, the milko truck’s cheerful horn was our chocolate milk treat and dessert didn’t get better than canned rice cream. The Coolum cinema was another favourite, with its hessian bag chairs and that unmistakable smell that seemed part of the experience. And of course, the 727 local shop was our go-to stop, with the fish and chip shop and the Chinese restaurant pretty much the only shops along the front with the old surf club. Nearly 20 years ago, my childhood dream came true when I moved to the Sunshine Coast with my own family. Now, every familiar scent, every local face and every walk along Coolum Beach brings back the nostalgia of those summer holidays.”
1980s
The 1980s were colourful and fun. The first Kawana Summer Spectacular was held in 1987 by the Kawana Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Caloundra City Council. It was a community celebration of sport and music with events including a bowls tournament, triathlon, fun run, novelty events, tug of war and a bricklaying championship.
The Wharf at Mooloolaba opened the following year, attracting thousands of people. Families loved the new Underwater World, where the seal stadium and underwater tunnel became instant favourites.
In keeping with the water theme, the Pacific Super Slide opened at Alexandra Headland in 1986, built by the Vizi family after their grandchildren begged for a waterslide. Later sold and renamed Olympia Theme Park, it was demolished in 2006 to make way for apartments. Meanwhile, the Black Hole Waterslide at Currimundi provided hours of fun on the southern end of the Coast from 1982 to 1985. It was one for the brave – the dark, twisting tunnel guaranteed screams all the way down. Then there was Mighty Putt and Water Wonderland, located near the Golden Beach turn-off in Caloundra. It featured Australia’s longest waterslide and 18 holes of mini golf.
As one long-time resident recalls, those ’80s summers were among the best.
“I remember sitting on the hill at Mooloolaba with fish and chips wrapped in newspaper,” she says.
“Cotton Tree was also a fave spot where they had big trampolines in the ground. I thought I was just it in my terry towelling strapless jumpsuit. As much as it is very naughty nowadays, I used to sit on the handlebars of my bike navigating my girlfriend, as we laughed all the way to the beach.”
1990s
By the 1990s, the Sunshine Coast was well and truly on the world map. Families returned to the same holiday apartments each year and new tourist offerings were popping up.
The Pioneer Village at Pacific Paradise (later renamed Nostalgia Town) offered a quirky take on history with its remote-controlled boats, silent movies and Albert’s Incredible Time Machine. Meanwhile, Queensland’s first drive-through deer park at Forest Glen gave excited kids the chance to feed the animals from the car. The Big Pineapple continued to pull crowds, with Super Bee and Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo adding to the holiday mix.
In the weeks prior to Christmas, festive parades rolled through the main streets of various towns. Even Nicklin Way was closed off to traffic as hundreds of people gathered to wave the participants by.
Today, our summer holidays look a little different. Tourists arrive on planes that land at the airport regularly, while phones now capture every moment. Caravan parks have power, pools and wifi. As for the Bruce Highway? It’s busier and faster than ever before.
Despite these changes, the essentials have held strong. Kids still run from the water to refill moats around collapsing sandcastles. Fish and chips still taste better eaten overlooking the beach. The laughter during those sunny days is as loud as ever.
And the feeling – that deep, simple joy of summer on the Coast – well, it definitely remains the same.