lifestyle
Sunshine Coast Coastal Trail Upgrades: What Has Changed Recently and Why Locals Love It Now
New boardwalk and cycle links finished in June now let residents move between beaches without road crossings.
How we reported this
Work crews finished the final 4.2 kilometres of the Sunshine Coast coastal trail network on 28 June, joining Mooloolaba Beach to Coolum Beach with raised boardwalks and separated bike lanes.
July brings cooler mornings that suit walking and cycling, and the new paths arrived just as residents sought reliable outdoor routes after the Telstra triple-zero outage earlier this month left many without phone signals for hours.
Paths that serve daily routines
The upgrades run past Ocean Street in Maroochydore and link directly to the foreshore park at Alexandra Headland. Local cyclists now reach the Sunday markets at Cotton Tree without crossing six lanes of traffic on the David Low Way. The Sunshine Coast Council Active Trails program supplied the design, adding solar lighting that stays on until 10 pm and drinking fountains every 800 metres.
Families report using the route for school drop-offs on foot, while older residents from Buderim now reach the beach for morning swims without driving. The changes replaced a narrow footpath that flooded after heavy rain with a 3-metre-wide elevated deck that stays dry.
Numbers behind the shift
Council counters recorded 18,400 passes along the new section in the first week of July, up from 9,100 the same week last year. Construction cost $4.8 million, funded through the 2025-26 capital works budget, with completion two weeks ahead of schedule. Entry to the trail remains free, though nearby cafes along Mooloolaba Esplanade have raised takeaway coffee prices by 50 cents to cover increased foot traffic.
Residents can download the council trails map or pick up a printed copy at the Maroochydore library on Cornmeal Parade. The next stage, linking Coolum to Noosa Heads, is listed for tender in October with work expected to start in early 2027.