Mooloolaba

Growing up in Brisbane, Mooloolaba has been a lifelong weekend beach destination for my friends and I. It’s a small town along the coast to the north of Brisbane, with the amazing strip of beaches referred to collectively as the Sunshine Coast. Mooloolaba has a nice swimming beach with flags in the middle of the sheltered bay, but my favourite activity is exploring the rock pools.

The volcanic rocks and millions of years of movement of the ocean and wind have created the most interesting hideouts for crabs, shells, small fish and other tiny sea life waiting to be discovered. At low tide, water is left behind in the holes and crevices while high tide puts on a show of waves crashing against & foaming over the slippery rocks.

Some hot tips from locals for walking on slippery rocks.

• Wear reef shoes to protect your feet from stonefish or broken rocks & shells
• Don’t put your fet where you can’t see. Say… under a rock where an eel might bite it.
• First timers seem to insist on stepping on to the highest flattest spot on a rock. This is the most dangerous place to stand and the worst place to fall from. Put your feet between rocks where possible provided you can see where your foot is going. These spots are more stable and your foot is less likely to slip causing you to overbalance and wack your shin bone on a sharp rock.
• Don’t take anything but photos. These are living shells, with living creatures inside. Don’t murder them. Take a photo. Take lots of photos. Don’t take a life.