Local Information - Sunshine Coast & North QLD

The Sunshine Coast (population 312,908 with up to an additional 50,000 in visitors and seasonal workers) is a coastal region located in South East Queensland, north of Brisbane. The Sunshine Coast is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the east, and extends to the local government boundaries beyond the Blackall Range to the west. Occasionally, the towns of Gympie, which is 30 minutes' drive north of Noosa Heads, and Caboolture, 30 mins drive south of Caloundra, have been included in a broader definition of the Sunshine Coast region.

The Sunshine Coast economy is currently dominated by three main sectors - tourism, retail and construction. The region also has a strong agricultural sector. Strong efforts are being made to diversify the regional economy by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and others with an emphasis on 'clean and green' knowledge-based businesses across sectors such as information and communication technologies, cleantech, creative industries, aviation, education and food and beverages.

There are many localities within the Sunshine Coast region, including the former Local Government Areas of Maroochy Shire, the Noosa Shire and the City of Caloundra.

The region is characterized by beaches, coastal views contrasting with the lush green hinterland. Many World and Australian-renowned beaches within the Sunshine Coast region are located at Noosa Heads, Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba, Coolum, Maroochydore and Kings Beach in Caloundra.

The Sunshine Coast contains tourism attractions such as Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, UnderWater World marine park, Aussie World with the Ettamogah Pub, The Buderim Ginger Factory, The Big Pineapple and the Majestic Theatre at Pomona.

The Sunshine Coast region is home to more individual national parks than any other region in Queensland. The natural biodiversity of the area has been protected by five separate parks in both coastal and inland regions, including Mapleton Falls National Park, Kondalilla National Park, The Glasshouse Mountains National Park, Noosa National Park, and the Great Sandy National Park, which includes sections on Fraser Island and in Cooloola near Rainbow Beach.

The Sunshine Coast has numerous golf links, including Headland Golf Club (Buderim), Pelican Waters, Pacific Harbour, Noosa Springs, Peregian Springs, Twin Waters, Hyatt Regency Coolum, Beerwah, Cooroy, Caloundra and Horton Park.

Tourism is Queensland's leading tertiary industry with millions of interstate and overseas visitors flocking to the Sunshine State each year. The industry generates $4.0 billion annually, accounting for 4.5% of Queensland's GSP.[25] Queensland is a state of many landscapes that range from sunny tropical coastal areas, lush rainforests to dry inland areas.

The main tourist destinations in Far North Queensland include Cairns, Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef, Hervey Bay and nearby Fraser Island, and in North Queensland include Townsville, Magnetic Island, and the Whitsundays including Airlie Beach, Whitehaven Beach, Hamilton Island and Daydream Island.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org