Andy McCutcheonDestination Mooloolaba - Feature
September 7th 2007 01:23
Peninsular Resort
Port of Call - Mooloolaba
Whether you live in Sydney or in Brisbane, while transiting the east coast of Australia by boat, Mooloolaba is one of those magic places that deserve a waypoint in your GPS.
Located just 94km north of Brisbane on Queenslands Sunshine Coast is Mooloolaba, a jewel in the crown of Australian tourism.
Historically an all weather fishing port, Mooloolaba is now a thriving metropolis of exclusive real estate, beachfront holiday accommodations, world-class restaurants, trendy shops as well as a number of notable local attractions.
In the 1970’s, Mooloolaba was little more than a fishing port and a swampy island but as development potential of the region was recognized, blocks of land on Kawana Island were made available and sold at the time for $4,000.00.
They couldn’t give the land away at that price and the majority of owners at the time constituted fishermen who bought the property for the deep-water access of their trawlers and in many cases lived either on the boat, or had caravans set on the blocks of land. It was shunned by developers as a flood plane and destined to be a makeshift shanty for local fisho’s.
In 1974 a cyclone hit the Sunshine Coast with devastating damages to the local surrounds and despite the cyclonic weather and king tides, Kawana Island in it’s natural state was one of the few areas that were not affected by flooding, prompting developers to have a closer look.
Land prices shot up virtually overnight on the island to roughly $15,000.00 and the majority of local fishermen who owned the properties sold out at that price point thinking they had just won the lottery. Today as development continues to skyrocket in Minyama and on Kawana Island with the aid of several bridges built some time ago, you would be hard pressed to buy a single undeveloped block of land for under $2,000,000.00 with developed blocks fetching prices in excess of $8,000,000.00, and a collection of some of the most exclusive real estate in Australia.
In addition to privately owned residences, Mooloolaba features a stretch of beachfront properties along the Esplanade that are a haven for holidaymakers in absolute beachfront resorts amidst trendy dining and shopping experiences.
While in Mooloolaba, we stayed at the Peninsular Beachfront Resort that’s positioned in the heart of the Esplanade and literally within walking distance of everything. It features up-market long and short-term rental accommodation in two and three bedroom suites that overlook a panoramic view stretching from the Alexandra Headlands north to Caloundra in the south.
Each of the air-conditioned apartment styled accommodations, feature full amenities, including up-market appliances, granite countertops and glass backsplashes in the kitchen. The bedrooms feature walkouts to the balcony, trendy ensuite bathrooms and tasteful artworks on the walls.
The lounges are stylish yet comfortable and practical. The resort also features an outdoor heated pool and spa, a sauna room and an indoor gym and tennis court. Security of your vehicle after hours is provisioned for in a gated underground garage with card access.
When you begin to get a bit peckish, not 10m out the front door of the resort is the start of an epicurean journey that caters to every budget and taste, while featuring some of the best dining experiences in Australia.
Augello’s Restaurant, who was kind enough to provide a recipe in our food and wine section this issue, is owner of the coveted title of “best pizza in Australia”.
A 200m stroll down the Esplanade in the other direction is home to the Mooloolaba Surf Lifesaving Club, one of the oldest and most recognized SLSC’s in Australia. Dinner in there is a veritable feast of the freshest seafood available, taking a page from its history as a former fishing village.
It has roughly 14,000 members and on a Saturday night, I think they are all in attendance, so go early. A live band comes on after dinner adding to the ambiance and friendly atmosphere that seems inherent in the locals. For kids, there is a play area either indoors or out to keep them occupied while mum and nana have a go on the pokies.
The building is almost a destination in itself, showcasing some unique historical information and pictures, while life-sized manikins on nipper boards and lifeboats are suspended overhead.
If you wish to dine with a bit more formality, a quick stroll down Parkyn Pde. Towards the spit will find you at the front doors of Fish On Parkyn Restaurant, whose owner John Koenig will welcome you. Their signature dish also featured in this issues food and wine section is a must to order. Its unique presentation leaves you wondering if you’ll be eating the fish, or if the fish will be eating you for dinner.
If fine dining is on your palate a one-minute stroll along the Esplanade from the resort will find you at the entrance of the 4th Floor Restaurant. Fine French cuisine is the fare de jour and the combination of wonderful ocean views amidst superior service and a relaxed ambiance is definitely a winning combination.
On your way back to the resort it is plausible that in the 200m stretch you would pass no less than 12 outdoor gourmet coffee shops all with their own unique blends of the nubian nectar and a vast array of lite, a-la-carte meals and sinful deserts.
Given its proximity to the resort literally outside the front doors, we frequented the Coffee Club and a host of others prior to the start of every day and I’m certain my wife dipped into our kids university fund supporting their efforts.
The next morning after a quick breakfast, we were off on a short ride through Landsborough to visit the world famous Australia Zoo, home of televisions “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin. For anyone with kids on board, this is a must see attraction while in Mooloolaba. It is educational, inspirational and adrenaline pumping, with engaging live crocodile shows.
Just down the road from Australia Zoo is another must see attraction at The Big Kart Track. Owner Ferre De Deyne an admitted adrenaline junkie is host to Australia’s largest go-kart track and bungee bullet ride. Not for the feint of heart, these karts do 60km/h on a professionally laid out circuit while the younger members of your crew can wile away the hours on their own purpose built track that’s a bit more their speed.
For the adrenaline addicts among you, how does rocketing your body 50m into the air in 1 second at 400kmh sound? It’s all there.
On your way back to Mooloolaba, you can quench your thirst at the uniquely constructed Etamogah Pub adjacent to Aussie World. There you will find a host of flavours not found at your local pub including their own “chili beer”. Aussie World represents a host of theme park rides for young and old alike and is well worth a look.
A ten-minute ride back into Mooloolaba at the Wharf is the location of Underwater World and this is an attraction that you can’t go past. It is one of a series of globally placed oceanariums and features sharks, rays, sea turtles and a host of unique and highly toxic fish species that you definitely don’t want to see at the beach, all of which are viewed from a unique Plexiglas tunnel.
After winding our way through the tunnel their staff were able to show us behind the scenes where we spent a few moments feeding the resident 2.3m rays a few pilchards.
Outside of Underwater World along the Wharf are a series of privatized berthing options with several still available for sale while most of the incoming vessel traffic into Mooloolaba would be accommodated at the Mooloolaba Yacht Club Marina.
A quick radio or telephone call to General Manager, Mark West and he will fit you into an appropriate berth depending on your requirements. While larger vessels can be accommodated there, generally boats with an LOA of up to 18m are best suited for short or long-term stays.
The Yacht club has recently undergone a marina expansion and several new fingers were added to allow for greater amounts of transient boat traffic.
One point of interest regarding Mooloolaba is that it was designed as an all weather port. Pilot boats escorting large container ships into the Port of Brisbane are based out of there and are able to navigate their way out to meet foreign or domestic shipping needs in any weather. Price tag? $7,000.00 each way and its mandatory to have a pilot to negotiate the tricky inbound shipping lanes of Moreton Bay.
If you are keen to get out on the water but want to leave your vessel moored, Mooloolaba offers several options here as well including fishing charters, sea kayaking, jet-ski tours or skippered sailing charters all within the marina complex or a short stroll down the spit back to the Wharf Marina.
Whether you go to Mooloolaba for the weekend from Brisbane or the Gold Coast or you are in transit to the Whitsundays, or you are circumnavigating the globe and decide to stop by. It is a plethora of “must see’s” and “must do’s”.
I will personally guarantee that it will be one of the highlights of your children’s lives and they will be trying to pronounce “Mooloolaba” for years to come yearning to return there. It is a destination that has literally something for everyone and one of very few sea borne destinations that has so much to offer within walking distance of your mooring.
Text by Andy McCutcheon
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