For decades, Mudjimba and its western neighbour Pacific Paradise sat quietly and largely unnoticed on the north shore of the Maroochy River. There was a sprinkling of rundown beach houses and a handful of permanent homes but that was it. The main problem was that both areas were low-lying and flood prone. Owners of some of the first homes in the ‘70s and early ‘80s would bring in truckloads of fill so that houses sat on little mounds, like cherries on a Christmas cake, to keep dry. The other problem was that with all the water, mosquitoes loved the place. Property prices remained significantly lower than on the southern side of the river and gradually more people moved in to take advantage of the bargains. More people meant a demand for attention and eventually the council undertook a major drainage project and the ugly duckling became a swan. Construction of the five-star Twin Waters resort next door didn’t do it any harm either.
Pacific Paradise has the primary school, a shopping complex with a big supermarket and an industrial area, while Mudjimba has local shopping and the beach. Both are in the airport precinct but only a small section is on top of the runway. Things started to take off in the ‘80s and the population has continued to balloon since, accommodated in ever-expanding suburban streets and in the strip of high-rise buildings parallel with the airport between Mudjimba and Marcoola. These have pushed up the density to 3.81 people per hectare at the 2006 census, in an area of 2575 hectares that make up the Mudjimba, Pacific Paradise, Marcoola and Twin Waters statistical district.
Summing up: With the Sunshine Motorway on one side and the ocean on the other, it was inevitable that Pacific Paradise and Mudjimba would be discovered, even if it took a bit longer than southern beaches. There is still some affordable housing among the detached and high and medium density buildings. For families, there is a surf club and the North Shore Multi Sports Complex while the Twin Waters Golf Club is down the road.
