Mudjimba Dreaming

August 15, 2011

Mudjimba Dreaming

Mudjimba Beach with Old Lady Island

Believe it or not, after fifteen years of living on the Sunshine Coast (that includes one year in Brisbane and one in Lausanne), I have a new favourite spot to hang out in. It's Mudjimba. And the really cool thing is, Jo grew up in Mudjimba and loves hanging out there too. So first a bit of local Aboriginal history. Mudjimba is on Gubbi Gubbi land. Mudjimba means 'place of Midyim bush'. The Midyim Bush is a low growing shrub native to this coastal area which produces a small edible berry. Click on the Kathy's Edible Fruits link below to find out more.
Midyim Berry

Kathy's Edible Fruits
Update: 69 days 5hrs

Comments: -

Such a lovely bush. I must have more! The new growth is furry and white then goes pink and smooth then turns green.

The ﬁrst inhabitants of Mudjimba and the Maroochy district were the Aboriginal people of the Gubbi Gubbi language group, which consisted of a number of tribes including the
Nalbo, Gubbi Gubbi, Dallambara and Undanbi. For perhaps as many as 20,000 years they hunted the ranges, ﬁshed the rivers and gathered seafood from the ocean. The burning of the countryside at appropriate times was a regular practice.

Now what is it exactly that I love about Mudjimba? For a start I like the fact that some local real estate agents describe it as a sleepy coastal backwater. That is a description that resonates with my persona. The few hundred square metres of residential properties, all within walking distance of the beach, are still dotted with original two room fibro beach shacks and there are no formed footpaths. Kids can still skate board on the edge of the road to the beach to check out the surf. And a lot of the older style houses have paper bark featured trees in the front yards to add character and shade. Mudjimba Esplanade follows the shoreline but council has not let any development take place on the eastern (ocean) side of the esplanade. That means that the shoreline remains alive and sheltered by Ti-Tree forests and scrub covered dunes which is almost unheard of anywhere between Noosa Heads and Byron Bay. You can't even see the ocean until you park and walk down one of the many trails and actually stand on the beach. Every day that I walk out and see Old Woman Island shining green on the blue horizon I can understand why the Gubbi Gubbi chose to live here for so long.

Okay that sets up the history and feeling of Mudjimba. But there's more. Did I mention the endless kilometres of unspoiled patrolled beaches? To the south you can walk uninterrupted to the north shore of the mouth of the Maroochy River, climb what remains of the craggy headland and see as far south as Point Cartwright. Inland you look across the sand banks and mangrove islands of the mouth of the Maroochy River to the jewel that is known locally as Cotton Tree. This area is a haven for many varieties of ocean and estuary birds including cormorants and pelicans. At any time of day the river here is dotted with ski paddlers, fisherman and people walking and swimming on both sides of the river.

Cotton Tree looking to Pincushion

Coton Tree flowers complete with bugs

Cormorants at Cotton Tree

Pelicans at Cotton Tree

To the north you can walk (or run) under the watchful eye of Mt Coolum, and you can travel ten kilometres without the need to get off the beach. Now that is pretty cool.

The living in Mudjimba is simple. Pristine ocean, the purest of sand, blue opal sky, sunshine that beckons you to join it, and you do in Billabong Boardies and (Australian) thongs (that's flip-flops for you foreigners), or even better naked feet. There's a surf board shop, a newsagent, a pie shop and a cafe on the corner called The Loaded Lizard (www.theloadedlizard.com.au) that does a mean Di Bella flat white. There's parks, free gas barbecues, picnic shelters, toilets, showers and colourful kids playgrounds. You can smell the nirvana and feel the serenity.

Mt Coolum to the north

My very beautiful wife walking under the winter sun

I am sure some of you think I'm trying to do a sell on Mudjimba because I own land there that's for sale. But I'm not. I want to keep it too myself, for me and Jo to slide back here whenever the opportunity prevails, and chill in a warm and wondrous way. You see, the truth is I needed to write a new blog and the only thing that has been on my mind this week, in the most amazing winter I can ever remember, is Mudjimba. So after you finish reading this paragraph and soak up the photos, this blog will self destruct in sixty seconds, and Mudjimba will be forever erased from your memory.

See ya 'round.