Incredible Things You Can Only Do on the Sunshine Coast

A 10.8-kilometre return journey along Noosa National Park’s rocky headland, the idyllic Coastal Walk offers endless Pacific Ocean views, secluded beaches and swimmable rock pools. The full hike takes about four hours but the first 300-metre-long section to the Boiling Pot lookout is pram-friendly. Feel the sea spray, listen to the crashing waves and scan for whales cruising past on their annual migration (July to November is peak season). Higher up, spot idle koalas and soaring eagles in the canopy.

A hive of Sunshine Coast creativity, Eumundi Markets has been a shopper’s nirvana since 1979. Each Wednesday and Saturday, hundreds of stallholders display their wares beneath giant fig trees in the heritage village of Eumundi, a 25-minute drive south from Noosa. Shop for artisanal crafts, jewellery and clothes, bop along to the live music then make your way to sprawling brewhouse Matso’s for a mango-flavoured craft beer and prawn pizza.

An izakaya-style eatery on the Mooloolaba waterfront, cavernous Rice Boi is fun and frenetic. This neon-lit, graffiti-daubed joint offers Asian street eats such as miso-fried duck-leg bao, pork-and-ginger dumplings and 10-hour coconut braised beef. Nab a spot in the beer garden, gather in the restaurant or hit Rice Boi “Upstairs”, a Japanese dive bar serving the full menu and great-tasting cocktails – try the Ladyboi with Jinzu gin, lychee liqueur, lemon, apple and bitters. Marina views from the lantern-lit balcony are a bonus.

Enjoy everything this stunning region has to offer at Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, a beachfront resort uniquely situated between the ocean and river. Book via Qantas Hotels & Holidays to save up to 45% and you’ll also get daily buffet breakfast for two at Sola Restaurant, welcome cocktails for two on arrival and late check-out until 12pm. Book three nights for two adults from $699 (and earn 2796 Qantas Points).^

Lanai Noosa is a celebration of sustainably sourced local seafood and native ingredients (case in point: the Mooloolaba prawn sanga with lemon myrtle). The award-winning restaurant overlooks the river in Noosaville and bolsters the easy-breezy vibe with its chic Hamptons fit-out and fruity cocktails, including the Lanai-Tai made with Plantation rum, triple sec, passionfruit, lime and orgeat syrup.

Explore Mooloolaba’s canals from the deck of the historical pine ketch Spray of the Coral Coast. Created by First Nations-run Saltwater Eco Tours, the Bushtucker Cruise will have you feasting on smoked barramundi and spiced prawn skewers while learning about the history and culture of the area’s Traditional Custodians, the Gubbi Gubbi.

Part day spa, part day club, Tank Bathhouse combines wellness rituals – there are six soothing magnesium baths and a sauna, steam room and spa on offer – with the indulgence of a champagne bar and restaurant overlooking the Mooloolah River. Soak away your cares and enjoy a deep-tissue massage before dining on Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as citrus-cured kingfish and Fremantle octopus with n’duja.

This is your sign that you need a break. Treat yourself to a relaxing getaway to the Sunshine Coast and you can be unwinding at a trendy day spa in no time. Find great fare deals here.

The 14 luxe villas at Spicers Tamarind Retreat are less than a 10-minute drive from the heart of Maleny hinterland village. Fireplaces and day beds tempt you into relaxation while an in-room massage and dinner at inventive Thai restaurant The Tamarind will have you drifting off to sleep in bliss. To amp up the Zen, hike through the majestic Glass House Mountains, stretch out with sunrise yoga or enjoy a gourmet picnic in the lush seven-hectare grounds.

Suspended between three and 35 metres above the ground, the high-rope courses and 12 ziplines at TreeTop Challenge promise maximum thrills for every adventure level. Balance beams and Tarzan swings add to the fun at the four-hectare rainforest playground located by the iconic Big Pineapple in Woombye, just outside Nambour.

Spread over more than two hectares in the hinterland town of Tanawha, the meticulously clipped hedge maze at Amaze World is fun and challenging for kids of all ages and abilities. There are puzzles and riddles to solve as they navigate the living walls of native lilly pilly as well as a wooden tower to climb when they triumphantly reach the centre. There’s also minigolf, playgrounds, water play and other mazes and puzzles.

From thrilling ziplining adventures to challenge lifesize puzzles, fun for the whole family awaits on the Sunshine Coast. Plan your trip today.

Fall asleep in a plush king-sized bed to the gentle sound of lapping waves at floating eco-villa Oasis Noosa. Laze around on the broad wooden deck, explore the Noosa River with complimentary kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling gear or hop in the rowboat to check out the restaurants and cafés of Noosa’s Hastings Street, a 10-minute walk from the shoreline.

Take a scenic flight over dazzling turquoise water and sinuous coastline in a vintage “warbird” aircraft with Paradise Seaplanes. Choose to soar over the Sunshine Coast’s most spectacular locations including the Glass House Mountains and Mudjimba Island before landing back on the Maroochy River. There’s more high-altitude sightseeing to be had with Oceanview Helicopters, which offers a champagne tour of the region at sunset.

Watch a crocodile being fed, pat a koala and go behind the scenes of a wildlife hospital at Australia Zoo. The conservation park founded by the late Steve Irwin in Beerwah, about an hour’s drive from Brisbane, is home to more than 100 species of finned, furred and feathered creatures. Check in to a rustic eco-cabin at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge after getting up close to some of the country’s most iconic fauna to splash in the infinity pool and slumber while ensconced in nature.

Level-up your Sunshine Coast getaway by sleeping near the animals at one of the best zoos in the world. Start booking this trip of a lifetime here.

You can step directly onto the soft golden sand of Noosa’s Main Beach from the back gate of Netanya Noosa. The penthouse sleeps six and has its own rooftop Jacuzzi from which to soak in the Laguna Bay views, while one-bedroom studios open onto the beachfront pool terrace. The resort’s Providore on Hastings café prepares grab-and-go breakfasts such as bacon-and-egg brioche and you can put together a bespoke hamper of local charcuterie, cheese and accompaniments to enjoy in your room or on the grounds.

Overlooking the 500-metre sandy shore of Lake Cootharaba – Queensland’s largest natural saltwater lake – Habitat Noosa Everglades EcoCamp is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of place, whether that’s booking a glamping tent, gliding through the Everglades on a kayak from Kanu Kapers, or pitching your own tent for the night. Nestled amid 26 hectares in Great Sandy National Park, a25-minute drive from Noosa, Habitat also offers an onsite paddock-to-plate bistro and craft brewery.

Tucked between the up-and-coming township of Peregian Beach and Noosa National Park, boutique hotel Essence Peregian Beach features 32 coastal-chic studios and apartments overlooking the verdant UNESCO biosphere reserve. The beach and a vibrant shopping precinct are a short walk away – but first, a margarita by the swimming pool.

Summer is coming – and that makes a beachside villa one of the best places to be. Start planning your coastal getaway here.

The passionate producers at Woombye Cheese Company have earned plenty of accolades for their signature Truffle Triple Cream Brie, Camembert and Vintage Cheddar. A 30-minute drive inland from Mooloolaba, the farm’s cellar door welcomes visitors on Saturdays for tastings. Gourmands will want to join an exclusive Tasty Tours experience – you’ll get to visit a local distillery and fermentary after getting hands-on at a cheesemaking masterclass.

21 of the Coolest Things to Do on the Gold Coast