Sunshine Coast beach holidays: 80 examples of summer fun | Photos

As tourism spending spikes on the Sunshine Coast and another bumper summer break approaches we’ve looked back at the best beach holiday snaps over almost a century.

Tens of thousands of visitors will flock to Sunshine Coast hotels, Airbnbs and the homes of their relatives for another summer of fun as the region’s recovery from the pandemic continues.

Tourism and Events Queensland data for the year ending June 2022 showed annual increases in four main tourism metrics for the Sunshine Coast and an 8.4 per cent spike in visitor expenditure compared to the previous year.

Total overnight visitor expenditure hit $3.011bn, in an economy with a total gross regional product estimated by economy.id to be worth $18.5bn, while more than 3.9 million people visited the region – up 3.7 per cent on the previous 12 months.

The Sunshine Coast claimed an 18 per cent market share of the total visitation in Queensland, second only to Brisbane (27 per cent) and ahead of the Gold Coast (15 per cent).

Whopping $1b+ spent on 25 Aussie houses

Fifty-nine per cent of visitors were on the Sunshine Coast to holiday, while 31 per cent were visited family and friends and just 6 per cent travelled for business.

We’ve compiled a stack of photos of beach holidays over the years on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa.

Check out the memories we captured below:

Noosa:

(L-R) Alle Johnson, Sam Geldard and Bek Fletcher from Brisbane at Noosa Main Beach in 2008. Picture: Geoff Potter.

Annie Broomham (right) and Tayla Stewart at Noosa Main Beach in 2008. Picture: Geoff Potter.

Holiday beach cricket at Little Cove, Noosa. Giles Evans-Barns, 8, of Brisbane, bats against his brother Augustus, 11, while John Kearney, of Sydney, plays the wicket keeper. Picture: Che Chapman

Taneille Duffy, 22 and Brett Leftwich, 21 from Brisbane relaxing on Labour Day holiday at Noosa Beach in 2006.

Melbourne holiday makers George and Sophia Stefanos with their children (L-R) Elena, Nikitas and Alexandros, in 2004.

L-R Lucas Kubina and Moritz Hartmann of Germany enjoy a Christmas beer in the surf at Noosa Heads beach in 2002. Picture: John Wilson

Taylor Peake (left) and Lauren Campbell from the Gold Coast enjoy Main Beach and the brilliant weather while they holiday in Noosa in 2009. Picture: Geoff Potter

Amanda Simpson (left) serves owner Caroline Draper at Spit Beach Snacks,

Easter holidays Noosa Main Beach: Emily and Gracie turned young Ella into a sand mermaid during their holiday from Mackay.

(L-R) Sam, Cathy, Maddie and Brett Davidson from Brisbane.

Friends Molly Cooper and Millie Murray make the most of their school holiday beach time at Noosa.

Lauren and Dom Geeves enjoy a pre Easter getaway with their children Ariana 4, Zane 6, and Abigail 18 months, on the beach at Noosa River Holiday Park. Picture: Lachie Millard

Surf club competitors at a surf carnival at Noosa Beach, 1952. Picture: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Claudia Ruffin, Tom Coates, Ellodie Ruffin, Sam Robinson, Brittany Ruffin, Wade Ruffin and Jill Ruffin on Noosa Main Beach enjoying Christmas Day.

Molly Stoddart, 11, Joe Stoddart, 9 and Hugh Rylance, 9 of Brisbane get stuck into some beach cricket on Main Beach, Noosa Heads.

Tourists Francesca Salzano and Georgie Strang relaxing on Noosa Main beach.

Misato Kumamoto, Sven Sahli and Koki Nakano on Noosa Main beach in Santa suits.

(L-R) Emily Keys, Carissa Walford and Jade Randall at Main Beach Noosa.

Noosa Nippers Beach Squad were in the Christmas mood.

Julia Larrain and Martin De-Pena from Chile.

Caloundra:

Kings Beach in December, 1972.

Kings Beach in December, 1972.

Kings Beach in December, 1972.

IRB crew at work in December, 2003.

A pelican rests on an old boat at Golden Beach, Caloundra. Photo Michaela Glen / Sunshine Coast Daily

Kite surfers in Pumicestone Passage.

Relaxing at Moffat Beach, Caloundra.

Michael Sideris likes the look of the new Bulcock Beach boardwalk in 2009.

Caloundra Surfabout day one at Dicky Beach in 2009, (L-R) Annie Costigan, Sharni Pope and Annabella Carter.

Australia Day celebrations at Kings Beach, Caloundra. German visitor Doreen Bauer in 2009.

Carols on Kings action back in 2008.

Luke Fitt with children Caleb 6 and Nikita 4 at Kings Beach in 2010.

Brisbane's Stephen Shelwell and Iva Salwenderova enjoy one of their favourite beaches, Kings Beach in Caloundra.

A border collie frollicks in the shallows catching water flicked at it by its owner at Happy Valley, Caloundra.

Fishing at Golden Beach.

Ben Roden-Cohen, 9, enjoys a game of beach cricket at Kings Beach, Caloundra. Photo: Warren Lynam / Sunshine Coast Daily

(L-R) Caroline Jackson, Jack Rau and Adam Klein from Darwin.

Cricket club beach party at Kings Beach.

Fun in the sun at Kings Beach, Caloundra, January 29, 2015. Pictured, Jennifer May, Kim Hilton-Barber and Teneya Holder, all from Brisbane.

Hayden Rothman, 9, from Capalaba making the most of the clear weather fishing with dad Sandon in the Pumicestone Passage at Caloundra.

Mooloolaba:

Bonita Mendel (1yr), from Corinda, playing on Mooloolaba Beach on Christmas Day, 2001.

Gabrielle Miller on holiday from Cairns enjoying Mooloolaba Beach in 2001.

At Mooloolaba Beach celebrating Christmas Day in 2004 were L-R Aleksandra and Ivana Nikolic.

At Mooloolaba Beach celebrating Christmas Day in 2004 with a BBQ were Mum and Daughter L-R Rosina and Renee Catania.

At Mooloolaba Beach celebrating Christmas Day in 2004 with family were Jessica, 5, and sister Rachael, 3, Brown.

Sisters Catherine and Anna Apuli play at Mooloolaba Beach in 2007.

Amanda Chiodo 7 and James Renzella 11 in 2009.

Romy Vuksan, Josephine Bingham, Brylee Burge and Marnie Vuksan in 2009.

Henry Preston pushes his truck along some water canals on the beach.

Louis Delescluse 22 from France and James Spiers 40 from Mooloolaba.

The lads enjoying a game of touch footy on Mooloolaba beach.

Cousins from Brisbane L-R Riley Smit 11 months and Ethan Howie, 9 months enjoy their first Christmas holiday together at the beach in Mooloolaba in 2011.

At Mooloolaba Beach are (L-R) Daniel Gabriel and Zoe Clark.

18-month-old Charlie Creagh and his dad Luke on holiday from Western Australia enjoying Mooloolaba Beach.

Out and about at Mooloolaba Beach are Megan and Chase Every, 3.

One of the many camping sites on the foreshore of Mooloolaba Beach, during the annual Christmas-New Year holiday period, 1937

Beach goers enjoying the surf and foreshore at Mooloolaba Beach during the Christmas holiday period, ca 1940.

Holiday photos at Mooloolaba Beach. The Signall Family from Darwin and New South Wales. From left is 9 year old Dane with Christian and 5 year old Riley.

Richard Buckley playing on the beach with his daughters Emma 9, and Kate 6, while on holiday at Mooloolaba.

Christmas Day on the Sunshine Coast. 5 year old Jack Mercer-Barney and his mum Nicky, on holiday from Nottingham, run from the waves at Mooloolaba.

Coolum Beach:

Sand sculptor Dennis Massoud, left, passes on some tips to participant James McDade from Toowoomba in the sand building competition at Coolum Beach in 2009.

Yoga teacher Vanessa Rudge prepares for the 2 Sunshine Coast The Global Mala event in 2006.

Escaping the heat at Coolum Beach are Sophie and Elaine Moore with Vicky and Jordan Atkins in 2005.

Georgia Collier pictured here at Coolum Beach with her family (L-R) brother Liam, sister Stacey, Mum Tania, Dad Alan and sister Emily, in 2003.

Michael Twohill, Oscar Dougherty and Louise Thomas of Newcastle optimistically head to the beach at Coolum.

Scotsman Gary Fraser on Coolum Beach for Christmas Day, 2011.

Christmas Day 2011 on the Sunshine Coast provided big seas, strong winds and blue skies but people were out in full voice to celebrate. Julie, Alice and Ida Listrup from Sweden on Coolum Beach.

Enjoying pristine weather and calm conditions at Coolum Beach were Sally McGregor, Liz and Kathryn Henderson.

Enjoying pristine weather and calm conditions at Coolum Beach were Aimee Cahill and Meaghan Ward. Photo: John McCutcheon / Sunshine Coast Daily.

Roger and Jayce Ellsworth of Beerwah having fun at Coolum Beach in 2013.

Bree Asbury, Mark Foster and Mercedes Foster of the Gold Coast having fun at Coolum Beach.

Lorin Schueller, Phil Rieper and Laura Engle having fun at Coolum Beach.

Six-year-old, Isabella and her dad Wayde High enjoying the weather on Coolum Beach in 2013.

Jaxon and Kai Peermamode and Oscar and George Woodhead at Coolum Beach.

Tennis player Daniela Hantuchova gets surfing lessons from pro surfer Julian Wilson at Coolum Beach in 2012.

Councillor Jason O'Pray and his daughters Lily, 9, and Jay Jay, 6, try out one of the obstacles that will be part of the Beach Bash at Coolum back in 2014.

Jess Mardling loves walking Shiba and Shanti and sitting and watching the surfers at Coolum Beach.

Luke, 9, and Jessika, 10, Gavel of Yandina enjoy at day at the beach at Point Perry.

Boxing Day on Coolum Beach. Meg, Claire and Alice McCormick from Moree.

Sue and Mietta Sonego, 5, at Coolum Beach.