Welcome to Cooroy, the dinky little town with a big heart!
Gosh, I just love our 'adventuring' in and around the Sunshine Coast. One of my absolute favourite Hinterland towns to visit is Cooroy. Did you know that the name '
Cooroy' comes from the mountain in the area. The original spelling used to be '
Coorooey' which means possum in the language of the Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people.
The farmer and his farm are at the heart of most little Hinterland towns!
From rolling hills to the beauty of Lake MacDonald and the Noosa Trails, Cooroy naturally abounds in beauty. For a little town, Cooroy has heaps to attract visitors. For instance, in December the whole town of Cooroy comes alive with their
Christmas festivities, enticing visitors from far and wide, to enjoy a whole weekend of festive season merrymaking.
Entrance to the 2018 Australian Body Art Festival
The weekend just past, Cooroy was celebrating once again, and for me, any excuse is a good excuse to visit this delightful little town. The
2018 Australian Body Art Festival was on again and I am absolutely thrilled to report that the
Body Art Festival is truly going from strength to strength. There were many more spectators, a bigger variety of models happily being used as canvases and far more market stalls than in the previous year.
The theme this year for The Australian Body Art Festival was 'Wild Things'
The
Australian Body Art Festival is actually a two day event, so visitors who are not local could be tempted to stay a while and explore. Accommodation is readily available in and around Cooroy, from
RV accommodation to luxurious
Bed 'n Breakfast accommodation, all in very close proximity to the festival site. We chose to do the Sunday at the
Body Art Festival this year, which included the '
Face Painting' and '
Special Effects' competitions. One has to actually
see the true talent on display to truly appreciate it - the bodies of art were absolutely phenomenal.
The bottom left-hand model's eyes were actually closed and painted over the lids to appear to be open!
To ensure that I don't 'spoil' your appetite for the next
Australian Body Art Festival, I'm only showing a few photos in this article, hoping you can be tempted to attend next year's Festival!
Cooroy even has its very own Heritage Walk - how awesome is that!
You might remember that a couple of years ago, hubby and I took a step back in time in Buderim, and thoroughly enjoyed
Buderim's Heritage Walk. Well, you can imagine my excitement, when I discovered that Cooroy has its very own Heritage Walk. Our day had passed so swiftly - that's what happens when one is having fun - that we didn't have time to visit all twenty-four historical locations in Cooroy, so for me, this is definitely one to be bookmarked for a future date. But, just in case you manage to get there before me, here's the
link to Cooroy's Heritage Walk.
Butter Factory Arts Centre entrance
One must remember that Cooroy is a real dinky little town, so without too much preamble one can quite easily stumble upon points of historical value. For instance, the Cooroy Butter Factory at 10 Maple Street. The dairy industry in the Cooroy region supported the local economy for many years. Butter factories were established to process cream to butter and were common in Hinterland towns. The present Butter Factory building was built in 1930, replacing the original timber construction from 1915.
The
Sunshine Coast Council now operates the
Butter Factory Arts Centre from this building and presents an ever-changing programme of art and heritage exhibitions, an ongoing workshop programme and access to pottery facilities.
Blacksmith mural
Whilst walking, look out for the wonderful street art that adorns various walls throughout Cooroy. At 12 Maple Street we came upon a mural depicting the Blacksmith Shop where a blacksmith business had been operated from 1920. All hidden gems, waiting to be discovered.
The delightful Mulberry Cafe in Cooroy
Cooroy is home to a great range of cafe's, restaurants and watering holes, so whether you're looking for breakfast, lunch or dinner, there is a fantastic selection to choose from. And, that's just what we did!
Yep, everybody was outside enjoying the sunshine
Our choice was the delightful Mulberry Cafe, a pet-friendly cafe serving breakfast, lunch, coffee and everything in-between.
The Mulberry Cafe offers inside and outdoor seating - you can guess from my pic where everybody was sitting.
Healthy menus and dog friendly
There is so much to see and do in and around Cooroy. If you're interested in visiting for an event -
see here for what's happening and when; or wanting to do some fishing, birdwatching or canoeing, then Lake MacDonald is a mere six kilometres from Cooroy. Lake MacDonald is also home to the
Noosa Botanic Gardens.
Preening pelicans at Noosa Botanic Gardens
Interested in mountain climbing? There are several mountains close to Cooroy that have walking tracks. Mount Tinbeerwah is close with a driving track that will take you very close to the top and then an easy stroll to the lookout. Don't forget the Cooroora Mountain in
Pomona, the mountain that requires a moderate level of fitness to climb, and is the focal point with the
King of the Mountain event happening in July.
Mt Cooroora, the focal point in King of the Mountain in Pomona
As you can see Cooroy might only be a dinky little town in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, but this quirky little town has a big heart filled with a diverse selection of activities, beckoning visitors to experience everything it has to offer. Why wait for another event, why not visit just because!
All images are authors unless otherwise indicated