Having climbed/walked most of the prominent peaks of the Sunshine Coast, I almost overlooked the most obvious one; Mount Coolum. Not because I haven’t climbed it, but because I climb it so frequently I actually forgot that I haven’t written about it!
I live on a slope just out of Bli Bli, and every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is look out at Mount Coolum’s striking silhouette on the horizon line. It is ever changing; every morning it takes my breath away. Clouds either cap or shroud the enormous mound, mists envelope it, sunrises cast ethereal glows around it. I never tire of its changing face! It is quite simply spectacular and I feel blessed to be able to appreciate it.
For those not too familiar with Mount Coolum. It is located on the Sunshine Coast, on the outskirts of Coolum Beach and is possibly one of the Sunshine Coast’s best coastal vantage points.
Mount Coolum is actually a laccolith. What is that I hear you ask? I was actually quite curious about the formation of Mount Coolum, as many of the Glasshouse Mountains are volcanic plugs/vents and I couldn’t quite get my head around what made Mount Coolum different. I discovered a wonderful book, Rocks and Landscapes of the Sunshine Coast, written by Warwick Willmott which explained the ancient history of Mount Coolum and other Sunshine Coast rock formations so brilliantly that I have now become something of a rock formation geek… I know that is not very cool, but I am happy to own it 🙂
To answer my question, a laccolith is where the bulge of cooled magma remained under the Earth’s surface and then over the ensuing 26 million years has eroded its way to 208 metres above the surface to how it appears now. The pictures below, illustrate this – they are on the sign at Mount Coolum and in Willmott’s book, which I seriously suggest you check out as it is full of interesting information.
I have climbed Mount Coolum dozens of times. There was a time in my more fit days when I used to climb it 3 times a week, and sometimes I even ran up it (well, most of the way up – down is easier). I remember the first time I climbed up it, I was quite surprised… I am not sure why, but I didn’t think it would be so shrubby. I guess from the base of the mountain, the shrubs look so small…
The track to Mount Coolum is accessed from the carpark on Tanah Street West, which branches off the David Low Way and is 800m long. The climb takes between 20-40 minutes depending on your level of fitness, though I have met some super fit people that can do it in 10… I am not one of them.
Once upon a time, the track was quite scant, and it was quite a difficult climb, but over the years it has been improved to accommodate a vast number of walkers that traverse the mountain every day. It is not an easy climb, but it is definitely not the most difficult climb. The track becomes more challenging towards the top where the track makes use of the horizontal rhyolite columns that jut out from the cliffs and become the natural stepping stones that lead the way to the top. The last 100 metres or so is a path through the shrubs, which incidentally are Allocasuarina thalassoscopica, an endangered she-oak that is only found on the slopes of Mount Coolum. I think it is quite special to understand how the unique ecology of Mount Coolum has resulted in its own special footprint – so protect it by making sure that your own footprint does not overshadow it!
My last walk up Mount Coolum was at sunrise. This is a pretty big call, as sunrise and my own sleeping/waking patterns do not go hand in hand, but I woke to my alarm and while we did not make it on top to quite see the sunrise, we were able to appreciate it halfway up. This was quite special in itself as the magical glow and multiple hues of the sunrise reflected against the rocks, creating what was almost a kaleidoscopic patchwork… beautiful!
Once up the top, the sun cast its golden hue over the enormous mound and the coastline beyond, silhouetting shadows and shapes. It is a stunning view of the entire Sunshine Coast, well worth the walk. Ahhh… I must make the effort to get up early more – the sunrise is really quite spectacular!
Just in case you were wondering… Mount Coolum takes its name from aboriginal legend… a young warrior Coolum, whose love, the beautiful Maroochy, had been abducted by Ninderry. A battle ensued and Mount Coolum is Coolum’s body and Mudjimba Island his head. It is a lovely legend of the region’s formation (except for the rolling head bit) and can be found in its entirety here…
http://coolumbusinessandtourism.com.au/explore/mount-coolum/legend/
This story was written by Petra Frieser – Pebbles + Pomegranate Seeds
