Living in Tewantin

Are you thinking of living in Tewantin? If you are looking to relocate or purchase a Tewantin home or investment property, you need local knowledge about key suburbs and areas, to make the most informed decision that best suits your needs.

Tewantin is a suburb in Noosa shire, and within 10 minutes’ drive from Noosa Main Beach. In the past it has been considered a sleepy older suburb and it was the original settlement in the Noosa region. As one of Noosa’s three major centres today, it has become a highly popular suburb for families due to its affordable home prices, great schools and amenities, riverside position, and great proximity to all that Noosa and the northern Sunshine Coast has to offer.

 

Living in Tewantin

Getting around

The suburb is located between the adjacent suburbs of Cooroibah, Doonan, Noosa North Shore, Noosaville and Tinbeerwah.

Bounded to the west by Tinbeerwah and Doonan, and to the north by McKinnon Drive, to the east by Noosa River, and to the south by Lake Doonella, Tewantin is one of the oldest villages in the northern Sunshine Coast region. It is the gateway to Noosa’s North Shore, and also contains Tewantin Forest which is home to a wide range of mountain biking and hiking trail networks.

In terms of public transport options, bus services are the main public transport available to get around Tewantin (there is no rail infrastructure in the suburb). Visit Translink’s website to see what services are available.

If you’re a cyclist or walker, there are also a range of dedicated bicycle and walking paths (as well as on-road bike lanes) around Tewantin. Tewantin is also known for its mountain bike trails and hikes which are located across the area.

Tewantin (and the Noosa shire) is unique in that it has no traffic lights, so if you’re getting around by car you will quickly become accustomed to the many (many!) roundabouts in this beautiful sprawling neighbourhood.

Tewantin is approximately:

• 137 km to Brisbane (1 hr, 45-50 minute drive)
• 49 km to Maroochydore (40 minute drive)
• 40 km to Sunshine Coast Airport (35-40 minute drive)

Weather

As with the rest of the Sunshine Coast area, Tewantin and Noosa areas are renowned for their mild climate and amazing weather almost all year round. Tewantin has an average annual temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). In winter, the temperature can drop to 10 degrees Celsius overnight but generally the daytimes are still warm.

 

Shopping

Tewantin’s key shopping precincts include:

• Poinciana Avenue (Woolworths, BWS, bakeries, pharmacies, boutiques and various other small retailers)
• Tewantin Marina (boutique shops and cafes / restaurants)

Nearby Noosaville has its own shopping precincts which are within 5 – 10 minutes’ drive of Tewantin – particularly Noosa Village (Woolworths, etc), Aldi on Weyba Road and Noosa Civic.

 

Activities and community support

 There are around 300 community groups across Tewantin and Noosa as a whole and many of these are in Tewantin so whatever your interest – be it sport, recreation, art, hobbies, etc – there is likely to be a community for you to be part of!

Liveability

Liveability means what a place is like to live in. Research was undertaken by Noosa Council in 2021 into what Tewantin community members valued most about their neighbourhood and rated about their neighbourhood (The Liveability Index). Tewantin, Cooroibah and Tinbeerwah scored 69 / 100 on the liveability index (out of a national average of 68 / 100).

Demographics  (source: 2021 ABS )

• Population – 10,538
• Median age – 51
• Owner 70% / renter 30%
• Family 69 % / Single 31%

 

Property in Tewantin

As a regional community, Noosa’s Council has worked hard over many years to keep Tewantin and the broader Noosa area unique with a village feel. So in Tewantin, like other parts of the Noosa Shire, there are no high rise buildings beyond 2-3 stories, limited new land supply and development is also restricted compared with other Council areas.

Tewantin’s key residential neighbourhoods include:

• Old Tewantin
• Noosa River Heights
• Noosa Outlook
• Noosa Parklands
• Lake Cooroibah township
• Noosa Banks
• Goodchap estate
• Hilton Terrace

Each of these residential neighbourhoods within Tewantin have their own unique characteristics, demographics and benefits / disadvantages. So when looking to buy your Tewantin investment property or own home, it is worthwhile to find out from a local first about the specific neighbourhood you’re looking at and what it’s like to live there, before you buy.

 

Median property prices in Tewantin 

 

As of January 2023, here are a sample of properties at selected price ranges:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Properties in Old Tewantin are often in greater demand. As the name implies, this is the original part of Tewantin, with wide streets, good sized blocks, a lot of character homes and importantly proximity to the river, Poinciana Avenue as well as the North Shore. You will often see properties promoted as “old Tewantin” due to the appeal of this pocket of the suburb.

 

Buying a Tewantin property to short term let

If you’re buying an investment property in Tewantin, you need to be aware of Noosa Council’s Short Term Accommodation rules.

In February 2021, Noosa Council passed a new Local Law for Short Term Accommodation (STA) which affects investors who intend to Airbnb their property. The Council requires short stay and home hosted accommodation property owners to lodge an application for using residential properties for AIRBNB or short term rentals unless identified as exempt.

To determine if you can operate, or continue to operate short stay letting from the property you are planning to purchase you first need to determine in what town planning zone your property is located in. Further information is contained in the following links:

https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/short-stay-letting

Noosa Local Law

 

Schools / Education in Tewantin

If you’re a family with young / school aged children and looking to move to Tewantin, knowing which schools are best for you to look may be one of your first priorities.

Here are links to key schools around the Tewantin and Noosaville region to consider:

There are other public and private schools in suburbs such as Cooroy, Eumundi, Peregian Beach, Coolum, Buderim, etc. If you plan to move to Tewantin, it is worthwhile to be aware of the travel times to and from these areas.  For example, Tewantin to:

• Eumundi is 17 km which takes around 15-20 minutes each way via the Eumundi- Noosa Road (80km per hour speed limit)
• Cooroy is 13 km which takes around 15 minutes each way via the Cooroy Noosa Road (80km per hour speed limit)
• Peregian Beach is 20 km which takes approximately 25-30 minutes each way on the busy Sunshine Motorway (100km per hour speed limit) / David Low Way (70km per hour speed limit)
• Coolum Beach is 21 km which takes approximately 25-30 minutes each way on the busy Sunshine Motorway (100km per hour speed limit) / David Low Way (70km per hour speed limit)
• Buderim is 40 km which takes around 45-50 minutes each way via Sunshine Motorway

While these travel times don’t seem huge at the outset, locals who do that commute back and forth twice per day along those busy roads to get their children to and from school do comment that it can become frustrating and too time consuming.

If you would like further help purchasing a home or investment property in Tewantin or want to know more about this suburb, please get in touch with Home Scouts, your local Tewantin Buyers Agent.