Many people think of Sunshine Coast as the artistic heart of Queensland. A place that allows one to immerse in its culture and find the peace and tranquillity it has to offer.
Sunshine Coast is home to painters, artists, glass artisans, potters, timber and stone carvers and precious metal craftworkers. It is therefore no wonder that the city is filled with an array of galleries, craft and antique shops, featuring unique art from some of the country’s best artists. Some of the more established galleries can be found in the villages of Montville, Maleny, Flaxton and Mapleton. The town of Noosa is also emerging as a popular artist town.
Apart from artists, Sunshine Coast is home to aspiring writers, musicians, producers, directors and theatre and television performers. The smaller, quaint villages in the city have a more free-spirited lifestyle, and the streets are lined with massage, spa and aroma-therapy treatment centres. Australia’s premier Artisan market, the “Eumundi Markets” are also located in Sunshine Coast.
The city also has several museums, libraries, cinemas and heritage sites that offer plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself and explore the enriching culture of the Sunshine Coast.
The “Ettamogah Pub” is situated in Sunshine Coast and is famous for being the “most photographed” pub in the whole country. The Word “Ettamogah” literally translates to “Place of Good Drinking” in native aboriginal.
Sunshine Coast has one of the most favourable climates in Australia, with an average of seven hours of sunshine per day and warm temperatures year-round. The cool ocean breezes offset any humidity that could build-up during the warmer months, and the coldest months don’t ever reach the “extremely cold” status, as experienced by most other major cities in Australia.
It is usually wet and humid in Summer and cool and dry from Winter through Autumn, with clear-blue skies. Storms are rare, and typically occur in the late afternoon or evenings. The city is also known for experiencing the most amount of sunshine in the region, hence its name “Sunshine Coast”. Most of the city’s rainfall occurs during the first few months of the year in Summer, with a yearly average rainfall of 300mm. The ocean temperatures are around 26 degrees during summer and remain pleasant at around 19 degrees during winter, offering great opportunities for swimming all-year round.
Spring (September – November) temperatures range between 13-25 degrees Celsius and continues to be clear and sunny.
Summer (December – February) temperatures range from 17-28 degrees Celsius. Sunshine Coast does not experience heat extremities unlike other Australian cities, with cool ocean breezes providing relief and protection from excessive heat.
Autumn (March – May) temperatures range between 13-25 degrees Celsius and is the season when the streets are adorned with red-leafed maple trees, camellias and sweet-smelling azaleas.
Winter (June -August) temperatures range from 7-22 degrees Celsius.
Approximately 3000 International students enrol in Sunshine Coast’s higher education institutes each year. A new campaign called “Study Sunshine Coast”, is expected to increase this number by over 20% over the next five years.
The Sunshine Coast has several top-ranking Universities, and other private Colleges and TAFE’s, which offer plenty of opportunities for International students. The University of Sunshine Coast, CQ University, and TAFE Queensland provide International students with a range of outstanding study options and diverse career opportunities.
The Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE continuously looks for partnership opportunities with local companies, to provide opportunities for recent graduates to find appropriate jobs in the city. Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE is also looking to foster partnership opportunities with local companies to ensure that an adequate supply of freshly skilled graduates are available to satisfy the demands of future labour requirements of companies in the city.
Some of the key study areas offered by Sunshin Coast higher education institutions include Business, Arts, Social Sciences and Science.
There are many types of student accommodation options available for International students, ranging from on-campus accommodation, private rentals, homestays, group accommodation and double or triple apartment accommodation. Many of the accommodation facilities are located close to the education institutes, public transport systems, shopping centres and health providers, to make it more convenient for the students to get around.
A recently introduced initiative, called “Study Sunshine Coast” was launched in joint collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Council and the Regional Education and Research Industry taskforce. It includes a STUDY SUNSHINE portal, which helps to better promote the city’s educational offering to both domestic and International students. This initiative has been identified as a key outcome of the Education Research Industry Investment Plan. The portal has an integrated social media drive which helps to increase engagement and bring in visitors to the website, along with targeted promotional campaigns. Current university students help in promoting the campaign by using the hashtag #StudySunshineCoast when posting on their social media profiles.
Employing over 13,000 persons, the Education sector in Sunshine Coast is expected to become the second largest employer in the region by 2033. The Education sector contributed approximately $700 million to the Sunshine Coast economy between 2013-2014. Key Initiatives like the Sunshine Coast Hospital, the Maroochydore CBD and the International airport expansion is expected to create better opportunities and career pathways for future students.
Universities in Sunshine Coast
TAFE’s in Sunshine Coast
There are many opportunities for students to find part-time or casual jobs while studying in the retail, hospitality, tourism and administration sectors in Sunshine Coast.
One way to find jobs is to polish up your CV, dress smartly and speak to the Managers at establishments like restaurants, cafes and bars, and find out if they are hiring. Establishments along Ocean Street, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Esplanade, Cotton Tree, Buderim, Bulcock Street and Caloundra are great places to look for work.
The Sunshine Coast University hospital which opened in 2017 has also provided several job opportunities in healthcare, administrative and support staff.
Internships: There are several opportunities to find both paid and unpaid internships in Sunshine Coast, that will help you gain required knowledge and skills in your chosen field of study, helping you in your future career path. Some internship opportunities available in Sunshine Coast are:
The Sunshine coast’s Future Careers program, provides opportunities in the following sectors:
How to find work
