QHA REVIEW June_2017

COMPASS
Pub Moolooaba Pub by night
MOORING IN MOOLOOLABA
ALTHOUGH WEBSITES AND GUIDEBOOKS VARIOUSLY DESCRIBE MOOLOOLABA AS “A
TOURIST RESORT DESTINATION”, THIS SUNSHINE COAST TOWNSHIP IS A LITTLE MORE
GROUNDED THAN SUCH A DESCRIPTION WOULD SUGGEST.
QHA REVIEW | 42
Mooloolaba hums with genuine daily bustle and a lively
community spirit like any other regional Queensland
settlement, even though it’s technically a suburb
of neighbouring Maroochydore. Given its laidback
everydayness, it’s easy to forget paradise seekers
the world over like to flock to Mooloolaba’s golden
beaches, pristine surf, scuba diving adventures and
picturesque headland with popular fishing spots.
Originally called Mooloolah, a name derived from local
indigenous words either for snapper (mulu) or redbellied
black snake (mulla), the early settlement at the
river heads of the same name was first a timber port
in the 1860s then a fishing village and fruit-growing
area. Its name was changed to Mooloolaba in 1919
for marketing purposes when Thomas O’Connor
subdivided land for sale there and didn’t want it
confused with Mooloolah Valley township a little further
inland on the North Coast Railway.
As road and rail developed to replace water transport,
the locale’s population steadily increased in the
decades that followed. People enamoured with
Mooloolaba’s coastal charm soon developed it into
both a premier residential and holiday location with
dwellings and businesses along the narrow spit by the
lower banks of the Mooloolah river.
Today the town has a population of around 7,500.
The port near Mooloolah Heads now serves as a
busy marina and yacht club that are popular among
boaties as the heads are sheltered in the lee of
Point Cartwright. Mooloolaba attractions include
opportunities to scuba dive through the well-preserved
wreck of the ex-HMAS Brisbane and seasonal swims
with migrating Humpback Whales. For land based
interactive experiences with marine life, Underwater
World is Queensland’s largest tropical oceanarium.
The town also has a collection of relaxed, no-fuss
pubs. Three of which are members of the QHA.
PUB MOOLOOLABA
Pub Mooloolaba is located only a few minutes’
walk from the famous Mooloolaba Beach. Having
undergone an extensive refurbishment, the Pub has
loads to offer. With a fresh new dining room and large
comfortable outdoor dining space offering booth style