Caloundra revisited

Most of our family holidays were spent on the Sunshine Coast at either Maroochydore or Caloundra. A famous landmark of Caloundra when we were children was the Rock Pool at King's Beach. This was a natural rock pool which had been made safe for swimming. It was not very large and was filled by the tides so one chose the best time of day to go there.

This photo would have been taken in Summer 1936/37  and shows Alan and me in the pool and Mum and Lois sitting on the side. Although I loved the water I could not swim at that time so you can see me staying close to the side!




This is how it looked in 1987...(when we took Fiona there and discovered that she could actually swim with no fear at the deep end.)

 

I was disappointed to see that the natural look had been replaced ; this obviously had become the district's pool where training etc could take place.  The general poition was still the same

 

This is how it looked recently...October, 2012.

 

 

Position the same but the pool has been  very modernised. The youngsters today wouldn't have the same thrilling experience of swimming "in the rocks" as my generation.

 

The Pavilion with change rooms etc and I think a small kiosk for sale of ice-creams and the like is still there. The change rooms are still in use but I done think the kiosk part  is operating anymore.

 

 

 

 

Bulcock Beach facing Pumicestone Passage  was another favourite place for us at Caloundra. It was very natural with still ( tidal) water with a jetty from which people liked to dive.  It hadn't changed much from that when we took our children there for holidays but they would see big changes now...

 

Bulcock Beach -  October, 2012

 

One of the reasons I like going now to the Sunshine Coast in October is that that is the time when lots of young families take a holiday there before the busy and more expensive summer season starts. It is a good experience for an "oldie" to see young families doing the same things on the beach as we did many years ago.

 

 

 

Maroochydore revisited

While on the recent holiday at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, Bill & I spent a day at Maroochydore . Each time I revisit the area I see how it has changed since I was a young child. In fact parts are changing rapidly from year to year.
 I described some of our childhood beach holidays in earlier posts. Here is a photo taken on the Maroochy river in earlier days...

Alan gives Hilary & Lois a ride on the Maroochy river.

The foreshore of the river area has been landscaped and made into an attractive picnic area with bbqs, shelters, playgrounds, etc. They have thoughtfully kept a small area showing how it used to be...

 

 

But most of it looks more like this...

 

 

It is still a great place to sit and enjoy the river view...

 

 

 

Where the river enters the ocean has changed many times. Several huge storms have done much damage to the ocean side  over the years. This is how it looks today...

 

 

That small island in the middle  background used to be part of the mainland and we would walk along the beach to it. After the storms and all the erosion of the sand dunes and beach it is now quite a distance out to sea. In the photo it looks as if joined to land across the other side but it is in fact quite a distance to sea on that side also.

. Some of the erosion shows in this  photo when viewed larger by clicking on it.

 

Some beach has been regained over the years using sandbag groynes  but it only takes  another big storm to alter things again

 

I cant help wondering what these areas will look like in the future when hopefully my grandchildren and their children visit there.