Wild BNE

View of the Maroochy River from the summit of Mount Ninderry. Connecting the forested slopes of the Blackall Ranges to the glittering coastline at Maroochydore, the Maroochy River is an important part of the Sunshine Coast’s natural heritage. Named after an Aboriginal legend , the river has also lent its name to a rural and low-density residential suburb that straddles either side of its shores in the upper estuary area. To avoid confusion for the rest of this article, the name ‘Maroochy River’ will refer to the suburb specifically. Featured areas: (1) Suburban Maroochy River, (2) Highlands Hill Reserve, (3) Dunethin Rock, (4) Mount Ninderry Bushland Conservation Park, (5) River Road; Image courtesy of Google Maps. Originally the cherished homeland of the Kabi Kabi people, the Maroochy River area was quickly recognised by European settlers as a place of great fertility, and to this day it is still used largely for farming purposes, particularly sugar cane (Saccharum offic...

Pale-lined tropical rock crabs (Grapsus albolineatus)  are a common sight on the rock platform below the headland. The Sunshine Coast is a place that abounds with natural beauty, so for Alexandra Headland to be as special as it is really says something! Bordered by the limelight-stealing suburbs of Mooloolaba, Maroochydore and peaceful Buderim, Alex Heads—as it is often called by those acquainted with its charm—nevertheless easily holds its own against these places. 

Dark bar-sided Skink (Eulamprus martini),  Ferntree Creek National Park. Featured areas: (1) Jacaranda Drive, (2) Ferntree Creek National Park, (3) Nambour Golf Course, and (4) Parklands Conservation Park. Image courtesy of Google Maps. Parklands is a beautifully forested area of the Sunshine Coast, with the majority of it protected by a National Park and large Conservation Park. The Bruce Highway bisects it in two, and in the western segment is Ferntree Creek National Park, and on the eastern side is Parklands Conservation Park. The original version of this Suburb Guide neglected to include the Conservation Park, because Google Maps once upon a time drew the suburb boundary so that it encompassed only the section west of the highway. Listed here are four areas where you might find interesting wildlife and plants within Parklands.