If you love the water – whether it be swimming, surfing or scuba diving – the Sunshine Coast is your playground.
Stretching 60 kilometres from Noosa to Caloundra, the coast’s golden beaches aren’t its only attraction.
EX-HMAS Brisbane is one of Australia’s best artificial reefs. It offers something for everyone – from the most experienced divers to first timers.
Located 2.9 nautical miles or roughly five kilometres off Mooloolaba, the Ex-HMAS was scuttled 18 years ago and has been a tourist mecca ever since. And it’s not just for the divers.
The site is also a major marine conservation park allowing our underwater friends to flourish, replenishing vital fish stocks.
Sunreef offers daily tours and provides a full range of diving certificates. They also run plenty of other water activities – from snorkeling to whale watching as well as inshore activities like kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and jet skiing.
Diving not for you – but you still want a close encounter with sea creatures? Head to Sea Life at Mooloolaba Wharf. Opening in 1987, it’s one of the Sunshine Coast’s longest-running tourist attractions and still among its most popular.
Whether it’s your first or tenth time, a tour through the underwater aquarium never gets old – and there’s always new marine life to see. Some of the fish are gigantic – and the reaction from kids to marine megafauna is priceless.
Sea Life also offers behind-the-scenes tours of their turtle rescue program. Suvivors of illness or accident, these beautiful marine creatures are being nurtured back to good health by the Sea Life team.
Recovery can take up to two years, before the turtles are released back into the wild. Like sending your kids go off to school for the first time, it’s an emotional day for Sea Life carers when their patients finally swim away.
When it comes to water activities to try on the Sunshine Coast, the options are endless – regardless of the weather. And you’re guaranteed one thing: a big smile on your face at the end of the day.
The Sunshine Coast is committed to preserving its world class beaches, rainforests and mountains in pristine condition so they’ll be enjoyed for generations to come.
