Lake Cootharaba is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

on the

Noosa River The Noosa River is a river situated in South East Queensland. The catchment starts in the Como Escarpment near Mount Elliott in the coastal Great Sandy National Park and meanders south through a lakes district around Tewantin. Lakes situated on ...

within the locality of Noosa North Shore in the

Shire of Noosa The Shire of Noosa is a local government area about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The shire covers an area of . It existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it wa ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It is the gateway to the Everglades, a popular tourist attraction for

Noosa The Shire of Noosa is a local government area about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The shire covers an area of . It existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it was ...

, being 20 km away from Noosa. The lake's major access is the town of Boreen Point, as well as the smaller camping-spot of Elanda Point.

Geography

Lake Cootharaba is approximately 10 km long and 5 km wide, at an average depth of 1.5 m. The lake is close to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

but does not drain directly into it. Instead the Noosa River enters from the north via the Everglades Wetlands and exits at the south via a navigable channel to meet the sea at

Noosa Heads Noosa Heads is a coastal town and suburb in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Noosa Heads had a population of 4,484 people. It is a popular holiday destination. Geography The suburb is bounded to the west by Wey ...

12 km to the southeast. The lake is surrounded by the southern section of the

Great Sandy National Park Great Sandy National Park is a coastal national park in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. Geography The park features untouched beaches, large sand dunes, heathlands, rainforests, swamps, creeks, freshwater lakes and mangrove fores ...

to the north, east and south with farming land to the west. To the west of the lake are the locations of

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label=Comasco dialect, Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and ...

, Boreen Point and Cootharaba with the locality of Ringtail Creek to the south-west. To the east and south of the lake is Noosa North Shore.

History

Around 1869, a sawmill began operation at Elandra Point and a company town developed around it. Today the

Mill Point Settlement Site Mill Point Settlement Site is a heritage-listed former settlement at Elanda Point at Lake Cootharaba in Como, Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia. It was built from to the 1940s. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 April 20 ...

is a heritage-listed archeological site. BoreenPoint

Attractions

The lake is a popular location spot for fishing, sailing, canoeing and other water sports. A number of regattas are held on the lake annually and Boreen Point is home to the Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club.

Settlements

Boreen Point is sited on a raised point of land overlooking the western shores of the lake. The village comprises approximately 150 dwellings in a grid system with several hundred additional dwellings on large blocks of land and small farms in the surrounding area. There are two general stores, several art galleries, lakeside beaches and parkland and the historic Apollonian Hotel. The

Council operates a popular camping ground on the lake shore on the southern side of the village. A feature of the camping ground is a sandy beach with shallow water that is a popular swimming spot for families and launching point for sailors.

References

External links

Map of the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park including Lake Cootharaba
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cootharaba, Lake Geography of Sunshine Coast, Queensland Shire of Noosa Lakes of Queensland Tourist attractions on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland