“I Live Five Mins From The Beach. I Need To Put A Pool In Immediately” Says Sunshine Coast Homeowner

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

A local Sunshine Coast homeowner has today confirmed that his proximity to one of the nation’s most celebrated stretches of coastline has only strengthened his resolve to spend six figures on a backyard pool.

Despite living a short walk from Sunshine Beach, a suburb marketed almost exclusively for its direct access to white sand and turquoise surf, retired father-of-three Peter Malloy says it simply isn’t enough.

“We’re only five minutes from the beach, but,” said Malloy, gesturing towards the Noosa River from his elevated deck.

“But it’s a hassle, you know? The salt, the sand, the waves, the sharks, the largely overweight and pale Victorian tourists that have zero manners and wander around like chooks. If it’s one thing Queenslanders have, it’s manners. But sometimes you just want to jump in the pool without, you know, having to drive five minutes to nature’s pool, but,”

Malloy, who purchased the $2.8 million Queenslander with uninterrupted river views in 1990 for six navel oranges and bag of Christmas beetles, said the decision to install a pool was less about practicality and more about just having what he wants.

“Every other house in the street has one, but,” he explained.

“You don’t want to be the bloke without a pool. It looks cheap. It’s a saltwater pool, but.”

Local builders confirmed that pool enquiries in coastal suburbs have surged, with many residents seeking salt-chlorinated alternatives to the multi-million-dollar beaches they’ve already paid for.

“People will spend millions to live near the water and then immediately build a smaller, safer version of it in their backyard,” said one contractor.

“It’s a Sunshine Coast tradition.”

Neighbours say Malloy’s pool will likely sit unused for much of the year, aside from when the grandkids come up from Brisbane.

When asked if he’d ever considered simply enjoying the natural wonder located 600 metres from his front door, Malloy laughed.

“Mate, if I wanted to swim in the ocean every day, I wouldn’t have moved to Sunshine Beach, but.”

More to come.