Spotlight on the Australian Sunshine Coast
With its relaxed lifestyle, deep waterfront homes and subtropical environment, Australia's Sunshine Coast continues to draw local, national and international interest and set record profits, despite predictions that housing sales will falter.
I think the Sunshine Coast is one of the biggest and fastest-growing [areas] in Australia," says Mark Unkel of PRDnationwide Kawana Waters. "The demographics are quite interesting. There are a lot of high-end homes being bought by families. People in their mid-40s-retirees that already have the big homes-they're more into the apartments."
Regardless of preference, there's no question the Sunshine Coast is quickly becoming one of Queensland's hot spots. "The Sunshine Coast is made up of quite a strip, from Caloundra to Noosa. Between those two areas you have a lot of little seaside suburbs that have grown and are getting bigger and bigger," Unkel explains.
What follows are few reasons why Sunshine Coast real estate is one of Australia's up-and-coming commodities:
- Unspoiled Natural Beautyclick to read more
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Specific attractions throughout the Sunshine Coast vary by location, but the general atmosphere is consistent: diverse, relaxing and lively. The area receives a daily average of seven hours of sunshine year-round and is home to some of Australia's most famous beaches. At the north end, located in beautiful Great Sandy National Park, sits Rainbow Beach, aptly named for eroded cliffs that give way to gorgeous colored sands. To the south, in Caloundra lies Pumicestone Passage, with a well-preserved environment that is home to dolphins, turtles and dugongs, a small marine mammal native to the Indo-Pacific waters. Flanked by those two points, the beaches in between flaunt sparkling waters, year-round swimming and more than 100 kilometers on Australia's eastern coast.
While most recognized for its sandy beaches, the Sunshine Coast also offers a variety of other attractions for individuals, couples or families. Spectacular national parks prevail throughout the entire region. Australia's most-visited national park, the Noosa National Park to the north, contains a variety of walking trails that take more than one million annual revelers through the best in the region's natural beauty. One of the park's major highlights is the opportunity to see koalas in their natural habitat.
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- Overflowing with Luxuryclick to read more
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A 90-minute drive from Brisbane, Queensland's capital, Noosa has traditionally been the heart of luxury on the Sunshine Coast. Dotted with five-star accommodations and restaurants, Noosa "has been very attractive for many, many years," Unkel says. The beachfront Hastings Street is a mecca for world visitors, known for its cosmopolitan boutiques, designer shops and al fresco dining. In Noosa, you can indulge your culinary side through cooking classes offered by the five-star restaurants, dive or canoe in the beautiful waters, visit Rainbow Beach or explore Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island and home to Humpback whale watching from August to November.
Maroochy Shire, located directly south of Noosa, is as dynamic as its northern neighbor. Boasting many of the same luxurious amenities, from shopping to dining to tourist attractions, Maroochy is also the annual host to the Cadberry Schweppes Australian PGA Championship and home to more than 35 kilometers of beaches and sand dunes. One of the Maroochy Shire beachfronts-the seaside town of Mooloolaba's beachfront, or Esplanade as the locals call it-is a driving factor behind the strong price growth in the area's property in recent years.
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- Driven by Demandclick to read more
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The PRDnationwide Kawana Waters' Annual Property Research Report for 2004-2005, the most recent available, states, "The median sale price for a house in the [Mooloolaba waterfront] area was $940,000 during the June-05 half-year, an increase of 10 percent, or $90,000, over the previous year's median and representing an average increase of 25 percent [per annum] over the past five years." With its excellent central location, space for waterfront properties in Mooloolaba has become so scarce that new construction is limited to knocking down older properties to build new or renovating current luxury homes. "We only have so much area that has waterfront development," Unkel explains, adding that the local governments limit developments to single-family homes rather than allowing high rises.
The demand for Maroochy Shire properties continues to be driven by population growth. Maroochy and its southern neighbor, the City of Caloundra, were among the 10 fastest-growing regions in Queensland from 2003-2004, according to PRD's report. People continually flock to the area because of the lifestyle it provides. "It's still very easy living here," Unkel says. "The kids can still run outside; you can still leave your backdoor open."
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