As today is predicted to be showery we decided to have a look at a few display homes to get an idea of what is in vogue in Queensland housing right now. But first, time for a coffee and pastry at Ma Boulange across the road.

Harmony in Sippy Downs

Just 30-mins drive southwest from Coolum Beach is the delightfully sounding ‘Sippy Downs’ a flat, almost marsh like area close to Mooloolah. Located here is a new display village very well designed and featuring both local and national builders.

By complete chance the first single storey property we looked at happened to be our favourite and one we returned to for a second look… and then took a brochure to look further.

Part of the reason for our big adventure around Australia is to look for somewhere to downsize and settle in the future and visiting display homes is a great way to get an idea of what style of house we would like. And today was a great start. A single storey home would suit us well as we get older but one thing we would really like is somewhere to store the caravan when not on the road and a large shed would be ideal. If it could also house a man cave, all the better, somewhere to store all those essentials in life… a beer fridge and a ride-on mower for example.

Before we returned to Coolum Beach we had a drive through some of the neighbourhoods looking at new and existing properties and many waterside homes in Minyama, near Mooloolah.

One very interesting place is Mooloolah Island with just one narrow road but beautifully landscaped properties all with deepwater access. Sadly we had to rule it out – it would be difficult with a caravan in tow.

Back to Reality

We’ve decided we like Coolum Beach so much we’ve extended our stay to eight days giving us time, if the wind and rain clears, to explore the Glasshouse Mountains to the south of us. In the meantime, between showers, we took a windy stroll along Coolum Beach to the Noosa National Park boundary at Stumers Creek with just a brief stop to watch the clouds drift by before happy hour begins