MPP takes a look at Bli Bli, a burgeoning hinterland community that is surprisingly close to the coast.

During the 1960s, the community was little more than a bait shop and store on the banks of the Maroochy River and beside a new bridge that had opened in 1959. There was excellent fishing and crabbing at Muller Park and its population of 206 at the 1961 census was mainly sugar cane farmers and their families. There were a couple of churches and a school, but Bli Bli was still more a district than a town.

As land has opened up, plenty of affordable housing has been built, but there are still plenty of exclusive properties

It took off in the 1970s, and by 1981 the population jumped to 984. Residential estates continued to expand in all directions and within the next decade, it had mushroomed to accommodate 2386 people. As more cane land made way for housing, it kept growing, and at the 2006 census, Bli Bli had a population of 5345.

From the early 1970s, Bli Bli has been most notable for the castle that was built as a tourist attraction in the village. The castle now houses medieval paraphernalia as well as a large doll display and coffee shop. Today, due to its convenient location, Bli Bli has become a popular residential community while retaining its small-town feel.

Six kilometres north-west of Maroochydore between the Bruce Highway and the Sunshine Motorway, Bli Bli is still more a district than a town, although it now has a local shopping centre, caravan park and retirement homes. Officially, Bli Bli also takes in Rosemount, Diddillibah and Kiels Mountain on the opposite side of the valley. The Bli Bli and Rosemount district has a land area of 6830 hectares with a density of 1.36 per hectare at the 2006 census.

The area has the distinction of being on the coveted eastern side of the highway, so it’s close to the beach but still a rural stronghold away from the rat race. As land has opened up and some cane farms turned over to residential development, plenty of affordable housing has been built, but there are still plenty of exclusive properties, especially high on the ridges.

Get your skates on

Muller Park on David Low Way is just over the bridge from Bli Bli and features a skate park with wedge ramp, grind rail, quarter-pipe bank and lots of other banks for kids (and grown-ups) to practise their tricks. Constructed in 2002, the park is situated in a recreation reserve and can comfortably accommodate around 10 skaters at once.

Plenty in reserve

Down by Sports Road, Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary features eucalypt forests, rainforest, melaleuca forest, casuarina woodland, salt marsh and mangroves that visitors to Bli Bli can explore. Life thrives in the unusual conditions of the sanctuary, where the land meets the sea, and the
area is home to more than 200 species of birds,crabs, butterflies and other wildlife. Sunshine Coast Council has closed nowthe wetlands until mid March to undertake construction work – the concrete entrance walking track will be connected to the existing wooden boardwalk to enable full wheelchair access through to the jetty at the Maroochy River.