Mooloolaba to Maroochydore via the Sunshine Coast Coastal Pathway

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Mooloolaba is tourist central on the Sunshine Coast, but still manages to be a fairly relaxed and laid-back area attracting lots of people from the local area as well as tourists. The foreshore running from the Rockwall along the Mooloolah River up to Cotton Tree Beach on the Maroochy River in Maroochydore is a lovely 6 km beachside walk and part of the Sunshine Coast Coastal Pathway. The ends are connected by buses that run regularly, so it is easy to do the walk in just one direction.



Getting to & from the walk

There are buses to the central area of Mooloolaba and to Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore and there is a bus about every 10 or 15 minutes running between the 2 locations. So it is easy enough to get there by bus and also easy enough to return by bus to your starting point if you drive. Parking is okay if you get there early enough, and there is parking close to the Southern end of Mooloolaba beach. I am going to describe walking from Mooloolaba to Maroochydore, and this is probably better for parking. Mooloolaba has a better selection of cafes and restaurants, so I would plan my walk based on where and when I want to eat. Though at Maroochydore, there are lots of cafes and restaurants in Sunshine Plaza, it just doesn't have the same feel.



The Rockwall

The southernmost end of the walk is the rock wall along the Mooloolah River. This area is popular with fisherfolk but it is also a pleasant walk and gives you a great view of where you are about to walk. Maybe it is just me, but I love to walk out to the end of spits and rock walls, so I would encourage you to do this, even though it means you have to walk out and back.



Mooloolaba Beach

The rock wall leads into Mooloolaba Spit Park and Mooloolaba Beach. You can walk along the mostly shaded path beside the beach, or take off your shoes and walk in the sand. While the rock wall end of the beach is fairly quiet, as you approach the surf club it gets busier and busier, especially during warm hot days during the summer holidays. Even though Mooloolaba is the tourist hub of the Sunshine Coast, it never feels overly crowded with enough room to spread out and find your patch on the sands.



Briner Beach & HMAS Brisbane Lookout

At the northern end of Mooloolaba Beach are rocks which you can walk over if you want, and this leads to the little secluded Briner Beach. Past this little beach, you come to the HMAS Brisbane Lookout, which is a memorial park featuring the mast from the second HMAS Brisbane which served in both the Vietnam War and the Gulf War, and which was scuttled off Mudjimba a bit further north as a dive wreck. The bridge and gun turret is at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.



Alexandra Headland Beach

The path continues north to the Alexandra Headland, and again you can proceed on the beach and rocks, or on the path. This takes you to the Alexandra Headland Beach. This is a quieter patrolled beach and can make a good place to head to avoid the crowds on Mooloolaba Beach, but there is still a surf club and other places for food and drink here as well. From this point on, the path is separated from the beach but still beside the road, so you probably want to proceed on the beach up to Maroochydore.



Maroochydore Beach

There is the surf club and some cafes at the southern end, but past that, it has become more of a local area. Maroochydore Beach leads down to the Maroochy River, and the walk here is okay. Like I said, stick to the sands to make the walk more enjoyable, and to get to Cotton Tree Beach you need to either walk along the beach or divert into side streets as the Cotton Tree Caravan Park blocks your way forward.



Cotton Tree Beach

As you come around the headland from Maroochydore to the Maroochy River and Cotton Tree Beach, the quiet area with a few walkers and fisherfolk enjoying the seaside gives way to the crowds at Cotton Tree Beach. Many are people staying in the very crowded Cotton Tree Caravan Park, though they are joined by other visitors looking for a kid-friendly beach spot for a swim.



Maroochy River

The walk continues along the Maroochy River on a nice path. If you plan to take a bus back you want to follow this path up to Sunshine Plaza. You can easily grab food, drinks and even do some tourist activities at the Sunshine Plaza before heading back.



Overall

Overall this walk is just a lovely beachside stroll. There are plenty of spots to get down onto the beach, but you can also do most of the walk on paths alongside the beach. Only when you approach Cotton Tree Beach you need to choose between walking along the streets or on the beach because of the Caravan Park there.

How do I want to rate this walk? Well, there is an interesting relaxed energy about the area and ultimately it is a great beachside walk with lots of options for dining at both ends, as well as along the way. So if you are in the Mooloolaba and Maroochydore area, consider going for a walk.


#beaches
#walks
#outdoors
#tourist_attractions
#family_friendly
#near_brisbane
#free
#nature
#parks
#lookouts
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