In a far cry from the packed crowds and pumping DJ sets of the Gold Coast, schoolies on the Sunshine Coast say they are looking for a laid-back vibe.
School leavers at Mooloolaba are trading hangovers for wholesome daytime activities and swapping the schooners for smoothies, reflecting a trend among young people towards drinking less.
Dakota Hedberg from Toowoomba said she was reading a self-help book and enjoying keeping it quiet with her mates for their end-of-school celebrations.
"We were just reading that together, watching the sunset, it was really cute and wholesome," she said.
"Then I was reading again … had a nap and I did some stretching.
"We've been meeting up … having little beach parties and getting to know each other and just talking."
Red Frogs founder and director Andy Gourley said school-leavers who had chosen the Sunshine Coast as their schoolies destination were typically looking for a more laid-back celebration.
But he said anecdotally, he had also noticed a big change in schoolies' habits across the board.
"The culture has shifted. Amazingly, it's nothing like our day, probably 40 to 50 per cent aren't big drinkers these days," Mr Gourley said.
"We notice this in the cafes. Back in the day at schoolies locations, cafes would be empty, it'd be like a ghost town.
"Now, they're full of schoolies doing their smashed avo and lattes."
Sunshine Coast Police said there had not been any schoolies-related issues in the region and it was great to see school leavers enjoying the lifestyle the coast had to offer.
So why the shift?
A 2021 study in the European Journal of Public Health found adolescent alcohol consumption had declined in almost all high-income countries, including Australia.
The study noted concerns for the future, health consciousness, social media and binge drinking not being seen as "cool" anymore as some of the potential reasons for the drinking decline.
Kelise Beaver from Toowoomba said schoolies wanted to have fun but also to feel up to going out and meeting new people during the day.
"I think they like to explore throughout more of the day, they care more about doing other things and don't want to waste a day being hungover," she said.
"I think everyone just takes it slower these times."
Savannah Nicholls said she had hoped for more parties, but was having a good time and was looking forward to a night off the drinks.
"I did want to go the Gold Coast, I have to admit that," she said.
"But it was cheaper down here, so we decided to come here and it's still pretty fun."
For most of the class of 2022, there were no regrets on taking a more relaxed approach.
"I like being away from that stuff, like you hear at the Gold Coast, there's heaps of drugs and fights and stuff, and that's probably why I enjoy being here a bit more," Ms Hedberg said.
"It's a bit more laid-back and we're just cruising around and meeting people."
Brisbane school leavers Daniel Edwards and Gabe Goodchild agreed.
"I thought the Gold Coast was probably going to be a bit too out there, so we just came up here to have a chill, fun time with our friends," Mr Goodchild said.
"We'll probably head to breakfast tomorrow morning, get some nice food," Mr Edwards said.
Schoolies welcomed by local tourism bodies
Visit Sunshine Coast chief executive Matt Stoeckel said schoolies visitors were coming to the coast for the right reasons.
"We know that we attract a lot of young ones who want to come up here and just relax, connect, get among nature [and] spend time with their friends," he said.
Mr Stoeckel said he could see good growth potential for accommodation and tourism providers to target the laid-back schoolies cohort.
"That market of people that want to come up here and really explore the destination, and those that are aligned to our values," he said.
"The schoolies do bring in economic benefit to the region, [they're] spending at restaurants, bars, accommodation, tours, experiences, so it's a great injection for us."
