A quiet coastal community that many Sunshine Coast residents have never visited is starting to make its presence felt in the region.
Unassuming Coochin Creek, an area of some 50 houses about 10km south of Caloundra, has spent decades in relative obscurity as a farming community with just one access road.
But it seems the region is awakening from its slumber, with soaring property prices, growing tourism and could soon be home to a bold new music festival site.
The Coochin Creek community fronts a waterway of the same name to the south and the Pumicestone Passage to the east.
The area is home to wetlands, strawberry and turf farms and a few dozen houses.
It’s sandwiched between the greater Sunshine Coast to the north and Moreton Bay to the south – two of the fastest-growing regions in the country.
Property prices skyrocket
There aren’t many properties at Coochin Creek and they’re prized possessions.
Only a few come on to the market each year, and when they do, they’re valued much higher than before.
A house on a huge 4877sq block on the esplanade sold for $370,000 in 2013 but the house next door on a smaller 650sqm sold for more than double that at $768,000 earlier this year.
A couple of homes are currently for sale at just under $1 million.
Ray White Beerwah Principal and Sales Agent Alex Garden said properties were more affordable than neighbouring areas but the asking price was increasing.
“Most of the people there have been there for most of their lives, so we don’t get a lot of turn over,” he said.
“It’s probably one of the cheapest places to get waterfront property on the Sunshine Coast because it’s still raw land.
“But it’s becoming a more popular spot and when you look at the replacement costs on land and for building, it’s no wonder these properties have got up to that $1m tag.”
He said Coochin Creek was becoming popular because if its relaxing surrounds, natural beauty and proximity to the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
“You can get an acreage there near the water and it’s a great fishing spot, with a boat ramp.”
“It’s a fun place. If you are into boating or fishing or kayaking, then it’s the place to be. But maybe bring some Aerogard with you. “
Family ties to the land
Doug Roy, 78, who hails from one of the Sunshine Coast’s pioneering citrus farming families, said life in Coochin Creek was “wonderful”.
“I’ve been here all my life and I love it,” he said.
“It’s nice and quiet. There aren’t many people around.
“But I think it will get crowded one day, not in my time, but it’s starting to get that way.”
The Roy family owned much of the Coochin Creek area at one stage.
Brothers Harry, Gordon and Jack moved there on horseback in the early 1930s and went on to manage a 37,000-tree citrus orchard on 248ha, as well as a turf farm.
The Roys had a jetty at the creek, where fruit could be packed and taken by boat down the passage to the markets in Brisbane.
The Roys also developed a dirt road from their property to Beerwah so they could transport their fruit by train to Brisbane.
Generations of Roys were involved in farming (mainly citrus) at Coochin Creek and beyond.
They had farms and packing sheds across the region, including a large property owned by Charlie Roy at Palmwoods.
There is now a memorial at Palmwoods that recognises the family’s contribution to the region, while the 20km road between Coochin Creek and Beerwah evolved to become a well-known route and was named Roys Road, after them.
Doug recalled some fond memories of his childhood at Coochin Creek.
“We worked pretty hard on the farm,” he said.
“When we had time, we went fishing and swimming and crabbing.
“The crabs were that thick here that we used to put the crab pots out overnight and then come home with 100 crabs.”
But over time, the Roys sold most of their land.
Three members of the family remain at Coochin Creek, where they own a little more than eight hectares between them.
“I didn’t think any of it would go out of Roys’ (hands) but it was eventually sold to other people,” Doug said.
Doug expected the area to get busier and more sought-after but he said there should be very little development because of the wet terrain.
The Coochin Fields music festival will be held just a couple of kilometres from his home, after The Comiskey Group purchased 150ha of land in 2021. It is leased by two turf farms and a strawberry farm.
‘We need the festival’
Turf farmer Mick Cutts looks forward to welcoming the Coochin Fields music festival.
The 38-year-old has been a local for seven years, as owner and operator of I Love Turf.
“We started with nothing but we now have 160 acres of turf cultivation,” he said.
“It’s a great place to live, although the mosquitos can cart you away.”
Mick said silting had affected the waterway and stopped people from travelling on low tide, but the creek had become a very popular destination.
“Since they put the boat ramp in and advertised it on Creek to Coast, there has been a phenomenal amount of people fishing there,” he said.
His turf farm is among the properties that was purchased by The Comiskey Group in 2021, so his business would essentially pause for three days when the Coochin Fields music festival rolls into the region.
Mick said the festival would be good for the Sunshine Coast.
“We need that festival here,” he said.
“I think it will be great.
“My generation used to go to events like The Big Day Out … and we need something like that on the Sunshine Coast – an outdoor festival to entertain people.
“We don’t have anything really, except for the Caloundra Music Festival.”
The festival is expected to boast some of the biggest acts.
Comiskey Group’s entertainment director Jonathan Jackson said he was looking forward to bringing live music back to South-East Queensland “in a big way” after the impact of the pandemic.
“(Coochin Creek) is a really impressive site that has so much potential,” he said.
“It’s going to be an exciting addition to the region. We can’t wait to bring your favourite musicians closer.”
Meanwhile, Mick believed more houses would be built, although the wetlands should keep development in check.
“Everything evolves. Farming land on the Coast slowly gets divided up and turned into houses as the population grows,” he said.
“But I don’t think they will be developing too much here anytime soon.”
Preserve a slice of paradise
Sunshine Coast Council deputy mayor and local councillor Rick Baberowski said it was important to protect the Coochin Creek area.
Cr Baberowski said it was one of the most stunning natural settings in the region.
“It’s really quite special as you drive down Roys Road towards Pumicestone Passage and the Coochin Creek campsites,” he said.
“It starts to feel like it’s more and more influenced by the environment and you can get taken over by the quietness and different pace.
“You can go to the boat ramp and the camp site and wander about.”
The Beerburrum State Forest and Roys Road Bushland reserve are crucial to the ecosystem while much of the area is aligned to the Moreton Bay Ramsar Site – a wetland area designated to be of international importance.
“It’s got incredible ecology, and everything we do around Coochin Creek and adjacent to Pumicestone Passage matters,” Cr Baberowski said.
“We’ve got a guardianship of holding the water quality. If we do that the dugongs will stay there, along with the colonies of black swans and the amazing fish life.
“The diversity of habitat is incredible there and we have an obligation to keep that for future generations.
“I think the community there is aware of it because they live with it.
“It’s also important to hold on to the high-quality food production (from local farms) and I’d like to see it go no-til – keep the soil complex and don’t add too many nitrogens and phosphates that could end up in the passage.
“They’re doing a good job of that.”
He said it was important for farmers to use environmentally-friendly practises.
“It’s good to hold on to good quality rural production that is low impact on the passage, so farming techniques matter and we’re getting better at that.”
Cr Baberowski said the area should remain relatively pristine.
“The community wouldn’t want to see it developed on and I support that.”
