Caloundra is Queensland's Tidiest Town

This seaside town is situated in the southern part of the Sunshine Coast, East Queensland, in Australia. It is an hour's drive from the city of Brisbane, and 45 minutes from the Brisbane Airport. A 2005 census revealed that the town had a population of 88,500.

The residents of Caloundra were extremely proud in 2008 when they scooped the award for 'Queensland's Tidiest Town'. Anyone visiting this part of Australia to enjoy the sea and sun will find the beaches irresistible. All, but a couple, are patrolled.

Golden Beach provides ideal swimming conditions for children because it is protected by the Bribie Island. It is also a popular venue for fishing, boating, kite surfing and wind surfing. When the tide is low, you can almost walk to the island.

Bulcock Beach, with its piers and boardwalks, also provides ideal swimming conditions. This beach is also in the vicinity of Bribie Island. From here you can take an hour's walk on a walking track that takes you along the scenic coastline to Moffat Beach.

Unlike other Caloundra beaches, Moffat Beach is not patrolled, but you can have a quick dip if you want. This is a surfer's paradise with large, rolling waves. The beach is surrounded by residential homes, apartments and parks. After spending some time admiring this area, you can continue walking on to Dicky Beach.

Kings Beach is considered to be the main beach in Caloundra. Patrolled 365 days a year, it has lovely picnic areas and designated children's playgrounds. There are no less than 4,000 holiday apartments available for rental at Kings Beach. There is a large swimming pool near the ocean which is fed by sea water. This is very popular with visitors of all ages.

Shelly Beach is not suitable for unsupervised swimming but it is definitely worth a visit. Rough, wild waves crash onto large jagged rocks making thunderous noises. At low tide the shoreline becomes a wonderland of rock pools. This is one beach in Caloundra were dogs are not banned.

One of the biggest tourist attractions is the Ettamogah Pub. The quirky building looks as though it has jumped off the pages of a comic book. It was built in recognition of Ken Maynard, cartoonist for the Australasian Post Magazine which is now defunct. Since it was established in Caloundra, a chain of Ettamogah Pubs have opened in many other places in Australia.

The Sunshine Coast is also home to the Australia Zoo, owned and run by Terri Irwin, widow of the late Steve Irwin. Steve was known all over the world for his TV documentary programs called 'The Crocodile Hunter'. The zoo is a major tourist attraction.

There are many genres of Caloundra accommodation. From around $75 a day you can rent a 4-star apartment that offers all amenities to make your stay pleasurable. Or you can rent a luxury studio suite for $202 per day. These have sensational views of the Glasshouse Mountains and the 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman. For other accommodation options and discount deals go online or contact the Caloundra tourist information center.