A laid back beach town on the Sunshine Coast, Coolum Beach offers the best of relaxed living and natural beauty. With numerous walking tracks, a selection of popular cafes and eateries and your choice of white, sandy beaches, this suburb is popular with holiday makers and loved by locals. It offers a more laid back vibe than its touristic neighbours Mooloolaba and Noosa, yet is still close enough to enjoy all they have to offer.
In recent years, Coolum Beach has seen development of a number of holiday complexes and apartments. These now sit alongside traditional homes, luxury hilltop homes overlooking the ocean and unit blocks.
Top things to do
1. Climb Mount Coolum
Source: coolum.com.au
You’re not really a local if you haven’t climbed Mount Coolum. This glorious mountain provides a striking backdrop for your drive into and out of Coolum. Sitting in Mount Coolum National Park, take the 1.6 kilometre bush walk up the mountain for superb views out the ocean and across Coolum and the greater Sunshine Coast. Popular with day trippers and fit locals, it’s not uncommon for this to be a daily morning ritual for residents – it sure beats the gym anyway! Beautiful at sunrise and sunset, it’s also best to go at these times in summer to avoid the heat.
Whether you’re a keen surfer, avid sunbather, beach walking enthusiast or simply want to take a dip, you’ll be more than satisfied with the beaches on offer in Coolum. Coolum Main Beach is the most popular spot and directly opposite Coolum’s cafes and shops – perfect if you want to grab a fresh juice or coffee and hit the beach. If you’re looking for something more secluded try the picturesque First Bay.
- Average weekly income– $700
- Average listing duration– 119 days for houses; 168 days for units
- Rental returns– The average house in Coolum has a weekly median rent of $435 and average rental returns of 4.63 per cent, while units have a median weekly rent of $375 and average returns of 6.27 per cent
- Price growth – House prices in Coolum have grown by 12.83 per cent in the past three years while unit prices have increased by 9.23 per cent in the same period
- Median unit value– $416,392
- Median house value– $541,094
- Vacancy rate– 1.9 per cent (July 2017)
- Postcode– 4573
- Dwelling type – The majority of properties are houses (64 per cent)
- Occupation– The majority of residents are professionals, followed by those in a trade or technical position
- Ownership– The majority of properties are rented (38 per cent) while 31 per cent are in the process of being purchased
- Birthplace – 78 per cent of Coolum residents are Australian
- Age – The majority of residents are in the 0-19 years age group
Learn more about the stats and figures for Coolum Beach.
Places to eat
For a laidback beach town, there’s an impressive array of eateries in Coolum Beach. There are options for Thai, Indian, Sushi, baked goods, takeaway, health foods and more. Many of these eateries are independently owned, but you’ll also find a McDonalds, Dominos and The Coffee Club here.
A must try is Canteen Kitchen and Bar. Directly opposite the beach it’s perfect any time of day, whether you’re looking to grab a coffee, some breakfast or tapas with cocktails on a balmy evening.
Raw Energy, Harvest and Hot Chilli Bean Thai are also local favourites, and be sure to try a scoop (or three) of the award winning gelato from Gelato Mio, which is handmade fresh daily.
Coffee lovers won’t be disappointed with a number of cafes offering a decent drop.
Transport
SunBus buses (a subdivision of TransLink) operate in Coolum Beach, with services running frequently along David Low Way. Coolum Beach is conveniently just a ten minute drive from Sunshine Coast Airport.
Hospitals and healthcare
In addition to Coolum Beach Medical Centre and Coolum Beach 7 Day Doctors, there are a range of health services in the area including physio, dental, optical, pathology, podiatry, x-ray, radiology, acupuncture and Chinese medicine. There are also several pharmacies.
Education and childcare
Coolum is a great place to live if you’ve got school aged kids, with Coolum State School and Coolum State High School nearby. There is also a Coolum Community Kindergarten and Preschool. For the younger ones there are several day care options. There are also out of school educational services such as language and singing lessons available.
Shopping
While you won’t find any many big name retail brands in Coolum, you’ll find a mix of small boutiques such as Red Zoo, and a number of surf stores. There are a few options when it comes to do groceries. In addition to a few independent grocers, there is a Coles and a Woolworths, located in two separate shopping centres. Here, you’ll also find bakeries, butchers, cafes and a Dan Murphy’s.
Sports and recreation
There are plenty of ways to keep active in Coolum. Whether you’re into yoga, dance, personal training, surfing, capoeira, tennis, swimming, F45 or yoga, there’s something for everyone. In addition to several green parks with barbecue and picnic facilities, including Tickle Park right by Coolum Main Beach, there are lots of nice walking tracks for a walk or run with the best views in town.
Entertainment
As a laidback holiday town, there’s not a lot open later in the night. If you haven’t tired yourself out at the beach all day there are still a few options though if you want to head out for the night but still want to stay in Coolum. Head to Canteen Kitchen and Bar or My Place for some cocktails and dinner overlooking the beach or if you want to catch some live music you can head to Coolum Beach Hotel.
View the latest Coolum beach real estate listings now.
