Living on the Sunshine Coast
If you already live on the Sunshine Coast, you know what the others are missing—a world-class lifestyle destination, complete with a world-class university experience to match.
Why sacrifice that lifestyle to study? USC’s Sippy Downs campus gives you the best of both worlds. It is centrally located to all the Coast has to offer, from the white-sand beaches, to the eclectic range of cafés, restaurants and entertainment venues, to the people themselves—warm, open and welcoming.
There’s very good reason more than 3 million people visited the Coast in 2008 *—from the serenity of the hinterland’s old-growth rainforests, to the glitz of the tourist strips at Noosa and Mooloolaba, the Sunshine Coast lifestyle is nothing if not diverse.
But the Sunshine Coast is not all sun and surf. The region is now home to around 300,000 people and as the population base expands, business and employment opportunities follow. As the Coast’s industries diversify, so do the career choices—USC graduates are increasingly able to study and forge their career in one of the country’s most popular lifestyle destinations.
Sunshine Coast facts
Population: more than 300,000
Location: 90 kilometres north of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane
Features: warm weather all year round, relaxed lifestyle, natural beauty
Temperatures: 17°C–28°C in summer (December–February), 7°C–22°C in Winter (June–August)
Attractions: the region has a variety of attractions and offers visitors a range of experiences:
- surfing beaches, national parks and sporting facilities
- restaurants, nightclubs and art galleries
- World Heritage-listed Fraser Island
- UnderWater World
- Australia Zoo
Events: the Sunshine Coast is home to sporting and cultural events that attract visitors from around Australia and the world. Events held on the Sunshine Coast include:
- Noosa Festival of Surfing
- Mooloolaba Triathlon Festival
- Sydney to Mooloolaba Yacht Race
- Coolum Kite Festival
- Noosa Triathlon and Multi Sport Festival
- Australian PGA Championship
- Noosa Jazz Festival
Airports: Sunshine Coast airport (20 minutes' drive from Maroochydore CBD), Brisbane international and domestic airports (1 hour's drive from Sunshine Coast)
Directions to the University: for directions on how to get to the University of the Sunshine Coast campus, refer to the road map or download the print version of the Sippy Downs road map (PDF 113KB). The University is accessible from both the Bruce Highway and the Sunshine Motorway, and regular bus services run between a number of Sunshine Coast locations and the University campus.
For further information
Sunshine Coast photo gallery
Tourism Sunshine Coast website
Tourism Queensland website