From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (July 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Noosa Heads Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The beach along the town of Noosa Heads.
Postcode:	4567
Property Value:	AUD $630,000[1]
Location:	138 km (86 mi) from Brisbane
LGA:	Noosa
State District:	Noosa
Federal Division:	Wide Bay
Suburbs around Noosa Heads: North Shore Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean Noosaville Noosa Heads Sunshine Beach (Lake Weyba) Noosaville Castaways Beach Sunrise Beach

A beach on the headlands hike, coastal trail. Photo by Raffi Kojian.

Noosa Heads (26°23′S, 153°05′E), part of the Noosa district, is a small, wealthy, coastal settlement, located about 100 minutes' drive north of Brisbane. It is known for its beautiful beaches and nearby rocky headlands covered in lush forest. The Noosa River forms one boundary of the town, the headlands of the Noosa National Park another. Behind is Noosaville and Noosa Junction (these urban areas run into each other).

Noosa Heads is the tourist heart of Noosa district, with many restaurants and hotels. The main street is Hastings Street, which lies directly behind the seashore. The shire's tourism exponentially grew shortly after the second world war, when gold miners from Gympie took vacation in the Noosa Shire. Evidently, roads around Noosa are named after Gympie landmarks. Such roads include Gympie Terrace and Mary Street. By the mid-1990s, Noosa Heads had flourished into a well-known tourist destination, marked both by domestic and international travel guides.

Noosa's expanding network of roads have a growing number of roundabouts. These traffic alternatives to traffic lights have become a well-known trademark in the Noosa Shire. There are only three sets of traffic lights in Noosa and the Shire Council stands by its roundabout policy to minimise urbanism. Another course of action taken by the Shire Council, to minimise the possibility of an urban Noosa, is building restrictions. With the exception of the Sheraton Hotel, no building in the Noosa shire is to be built with four floors or more. On top of this, a population cap has been endorsed to slow down Noosa's growing shire.

Noosa Heads' main attraction is its beaches. Its main beach and its small bays around the headland are common surfing locations which are known on world surfing circuits. One of its major surfing contests involves the Noosa Festival of Surfing. This festival attracts large numbers of longboarders.

Noosa's major events throughout the year include the Noosa Festival of Surfing, Rock'n Tewantin, Noosa Long Weekend, Noosa Triathlon and Pomona's King of the Mountain. The Noosa 'Long Weekend' actually runs for ten days where several cultural activities are celebrated throughout the ten days. Such drawn-out festivals give Noosa a laid-back atmosphere and is also a product of it being a holiday destination. The people of Noosa are commonly regarded as relaxed when compared to neighbouring shires. It is said that new citizens of Noosa take a long time to adjust to Noosa's efficiency in doing anything.

Noosa Heads hosts a population of koalas, which are often seen in and around Noosa National Park. Koalas are present all year around.

Noosa Heads is the main centre in the Noosa district.

• Noosa Heads Bus Station
• Noosa National Park

1. ^ domain.com.au, accessed 19 December 2006

• Official Tourism Noosa Website.