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The lure of the Sunshine Coast resort area, population of about 60,000, is obvious but it still punches above its weight when it comes to attracting the big names for a holiday or home investment.
Movie superstars including the Hemsworth brothers, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman previously made Noosa a must-do for holidays.
Sporting stars like Cameron Munster, Dawn Fraser and Ash Barty have all had their brush with Noosa’s lifestyle.
And entrepreneur Richard Branson, singer Justin Bieber and even Prince Harry have had stays in paradise.
Then there’s former Aussie cricket captain Michael Clarke’s infamous getaway at Noosa.
Or the time U2 band members were ejected from a local club for their attire (read more below).
So why exactly has the resort area become not just a hotspot for holiday-makers but also homeowners and investors?
noosa poll
Between March 2020 and April 2022, according to CoreLogic, property value in the region rose 60 per cent, adding about $525,000 to the median value.
But the love affair is nothing new – as Pamela Lindon, then of Lindoni’s restaurant on Hastings Street, explained in 1997.
“I think it has become more attractive for those people because they can get a degree of privacy here,” she said.
These are some of the big names who love Noosa >>>
KEVIN RUDD
The controversial former prime minister, along with his wife, businesswoman Therese Rein, bought a Pat Rafter-built beachfront house for $17 million in 2020.
Going back to 2007, Mr Rudd explained his love for the region as the couple kept an eye on a $3 million home in Tingira Crescent.
“We liked the house and were interested in whether we could buy it one day,’’ Mr Rudd said.
In December 2021 richlister Ms Rein cashed in on investments in Noosa, selling multiple blocks in a row for more than $10m and buying two more homes for more than $8m.
In 2021 Mr Rudd was comically confused for an Uber driver while in Noosa.
Meanwhile former prime minister Tony Abbott was swarmed by crowds in 2015 when he went for a stroll along the boardwalk before being snapped once again in 2016 when surfing at Tea Tree Bay.
KARL STEFANOVIC
Long before his public bust-up with Michael Clarke, the...