What driving in Maroochydore involves
A busy centre
Most of Maroochydore's shopping is in the CBD around Horton Parade and Sunshine Plaza, and the old Horton Park golf course is becoming a new city centre called Sunshine Central. RACV counts heavy stop-start traffic among the reasons a car may need servicing more often.
Motorway interchanges
The Sunshine Motorway has interchanges at Maroochy Boulevard, Maroochydore Road and Bradman Avenue before it crosses the Maroochy River. Most of its traffic runs in a single lane each way, and Wikipedia notes congestion at most interchanges in peak hours.
When the streets flood
The Maroochydore CBD has recorded floods in the last 30 years, and the canals at Maroochy Waters help with flood relief. RACQ's rule is simple: if it's flooded, forget it. Water deeper than the bottom of the car door can float a car away.
Cars left at the airport
Sunshine Coast Airport is just north, at Marcoola. A car left parked while you're away can come back to a flat battery; RACT says cars left unused tend to see their battery fail sooner.
Has the car been in floodwater?
Don't try to start it. RACQ says cranking a flooded engine can draw water in, and because water can't be compressed, the engine hydraulic locks and can bend its rods and valves. A flooded hybrid or electric car should only be towed to an authorised repairer.
Call your insurer first. An uninsured owner should contact a mechanic, and RACQ warns that water in the brake system can stop the brakes working, so the car needs checking before it goes back on the road.
Our take
If the car has been through a flooded street, even briefly, we'd have the brakes and fluids checked before trusting it again. And if it's about to sit at the airport for a fortnight, we'd have the battery tested before leaving it there.