Quite a few years ago, a local Bushcare group (Noosa Bush Beach and Creek Care) NBBCC, noticed there was a sand dune area at the northern end of Sunshine Beach that was badly eroded. This was mainly caused by the patrol quad bike of Sunshine Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, but obviously the prevailing winds and walkers also contributed. As the track and dune were in both the Noosa Council’s Foreshore Reserve and the Noosa National Park, no rehabilitation could commence until the Rangers agreed to realign the track.
On Anzac day 2016, after a different vehicular access was built, approval was given to start the project. After some research, it was decided that one solution would be to fix weed-free hay bales into position, and plant behind them on the leeward side. Unfortunately no grant funding was available, so some members of the group decided to pay for the 137 hay bales themselves. Luckily Noosa Council offered to deliver the bales and a team from QPWS arranged for a “fire fighting tank” of water on the back of a ute.
Over 3 consecutive mornings, the bales were delivered, placed in position and 400 plants were put in the ground and watered. 200 of those plants were provided by the Bushcare Group themselves, and the remaining 200 were supplied from the Landcare nursery, and paid for by Council. There were 19 volunteers from the Sunshine Coast Bushcare Group, plus 4 workers and a supervisor from the Landcare Skilling Queenslanders program.
Anzac Day 2016
September 2025
About 100 Beach Bean seeds plus numerous pandanus seeds were also put behind the hay bales. The bales helped with both wind protection and moisture retention. Of course the volunteers continued with follow-up watering, and despite 3 days of particularly windy weather that followed, most of the plants survived. The Acacia sophorae (coastal wattle) is now so dense that it is difficult to walk through it!
History of the Area
This area was used by the Army for artillery training during the war. Sand mining occurred on the beach and dunes in this area, and there was a floating dredge in a channel cut into the beach, so they could suck up the sand. The separators were on the beach.
Before we had mobile phones, the Army used a platform to erect a tent so they could monitor the boats in the Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race. After this, hang gliders used this area as a launching pad.
When the Sunshine Beach Surf Club got their 4 wheeler many years ago, they used this sand dune to get around to Alexandria bay, and Noosa Heads. Of course this caused some erosion, and kids loved to slide down the sand dune.