Nestled right on the foreshores at Mooloolaba are 2 popular Sunshine Coast Council operated holiday parks. Although they are 5 minutes’ drive apart they are both named Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park, so to avoid any confusion I’ll review them separately according to their street address.

This holiday park is the larger of the two, and its office caters for bookings and the general running of both holiday parks. It’s located on Parkyn Parade which is the main thoroughfare leading out to the parks and walkways en route to the nearby wall at the Mooloolah River mouth. The parks and walkways en route to the wall are very popular, as is the wide expanse of golden beach. You can’t help but love that seaside ambience that comes from watching and hearing those waves break.

If you find yourself peckish there’s variety of popular seafood outlets and restaurants in this vicinity as well, all within easy walking distance of the holiday park.

The Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park on Parkyn Parade caters for 75 powered slab sites for caravans plus just over two dozen tent sites. While by some standards this is not a huge camping ground, the ambience of that lovely beach just through the back gates of the grounds gives this Holiday Park a rare attraction. Plus of course you’re close to Mooloolaba’s seemingly endless number of retail outlets, boutiques, hotels, night spots and numerous eateries. Take it from me, you have to book early to enjoy a holiday here.

The entrance to the Holiday Park is located pretty much opposite one of the Sunshine Coast’s main attractions, Underwater World.

Once you’re in the Park you’ll find there’s a fair amount of shade around sites, the roads are wide enough to make travel easy, there are clean and tidy amenities, a well equipped laundry, and also a camp kitchen plus barbecue. The entry/exit to the beach at the rear is via keypad-operated gates, ensuring residents of their privacy. That’s important, because that wide golden stretch of sand at the rear means things can be pretty busy at the gates during peak holiday times.

The second, and smaller, of the Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Parks is located practically right above high tide level off Mooloolaba Esplanade, where a service road leads down to the 34 powered waterfront sites with further concrete slab caravan sites located behind them. There are also very clean amenities, a camp kitchen plus barbecues for holidaymakers to enjoy.

Although it’s located just off the very busy Mooloolaba Esplanade, the combination of a row of large trees to the west plus the ambience of being right by the water makes this campground very popular. When you think about it, how many holiday parks or camping grounds offer camping just above the beach, on neatly mown grass? Very few, in my experience.

Again, you’re well placed to enjoy the attractions of the massive shopping centre and retail outlets, not to mention the wonderful restaurants and takeaway outlets. As you can imagine, you need to book well ahead for a stay here!

This section of the Sunshine Coast’s waterways is a virtual boater’s paradise. Whether you own a small boat or a big boat, there’s plenty on offer. There are immensely popular fishing grounds right out from Mooloolaba north up towards Noosa and south towards Caloundra. The sheltered ocean outfall of the Mooloolah River is a gift to the boater, with only a northwester likely to cause any wave-driven mischief around the river’s exit (and who would want to fish in one of these anyway?)

If you have a suitable offshore craft there’s great fishing for reef species, as well as pelagics such as tuna and mackerel in close, and sails and marlin out wider. Be advised that Transport authorities are strict on compliance with appropriate safety equipment for boats venturing offshore. Expect to be inspected.

For the small boat owner the Mooloolah River proper and Maroochy River just to the north of Mooloolaba are also great venues for a feed of fish such as whiting, bream trevally, jacks and others. These are quite sheltered waterways, very suited to small craft, and with their adjacent ocean outfalls they always seem to be marvellously stacked with fish. Yabbies can be pumped in the Maroochy River; they’re great bait and lots of fun for the youngsters.

The beaches in this entire area are usually packed with swimmers through the warmth of the day, but when things quiet down they’re also fabulous places to catch a feed of dart, bream whiting, trevally or tailor. Wetting a line at dawn or dusk around Mooloolaba is one of life’s pleasures.

If you’re travelling north on the Bruce Highway, take the Mooloolaba exit just north of Aussie World. Then follow Brisbane Road into Mooloolaba proper and make a left turn into Hancock Street, then a right turn into River Road and you’ll be at Parkyn Drive.

To get to the Mooloolaba Esplanade Holiday Park, following Brisbane Road to its junction with the Mooloolaba Esplanade will involve a left turn at the T junction. You’ll see the holiday park on the right as you descend the hill, going north.

If you’ll be travelling to Mooloolaba from the north, turn left into Brisbane Road at the Tanawha area and then follow Brisbane Road to the east.