Mount Coolum is a mountain in a national park in a suburb of the same name in Queensland, Australia.
Mount Coolum is located on the Sunshine Coast 101 km north of Brisbane. It lies between the Sunshine Motorway to the west, the shoreline to the east, Coolum Beach township to the north and Marcoola township to the south.
Formation
The mountain is a volcanic dome, roughly circular in plan with tall cliffs on the southern side. It rises abruptly from the coastal plain to a 208m peak, resembling the Glasshouse Mountains to the south. Mount Coolum is largely formed from 25 million year old rhyolite which forms regular columns and jointing patterns. A disused quarry occupies the eastern foothills of the mountain.
Climbing Mount Coolum
A 800 m long track climbs Mount Coolum from the east, starting at a carpark on Tanah Street West off David Low Way in the suburb of Mount Coolum. The lower part of the track is deceptively well-formed and gentle but it quickly deteriorates to become very steep, very rough and dangerously slippery when wet.
The walk up and back can be completed in 30 minutes; it should not be started after rain or when rain or dusk threaten. The peak hosts a cage containing an aircraft hazard obstacle light, necessary because of the mountain's close proximity to the Sunshine Coast Airport. On average about 140 people climb to the summit each day.
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