Sunshine Coast Must Do List
Noosa! Noosa is always a favourite with its summery beachside vibe, boutique shopping and incredible food destinations. Not to mention the world class surf breaks! While the dining and shopping is amazing, it is actually the wild side of Noosa that is my favourite. I highly recommend putting on your walking shoes and spending at least a morning meandering through Noosa National Park. There is over 15km of highly accessible walking tracks throughout, taking you along rugged clifftops with unforgettable coastal views and down through beautiful secluded beaches and coveted surf points. If you are lucky you might spot the trifecta; Koalas, Whales and Dolphins and bonus points for turtles in the surf too!
After you have had your exercise, refuel at one of the incredible places to eat (my favs are Raw and Rice for the best Poke bowls or Locale for something fancy), then take some time to browse the boutiques along Hastings Street. There is everything from your favourite fashion chain stores and international designers to locally made artworks and homewares. After your retail therapy fix, celebrate (or commiserate the credit card) with a cocktail with a beachfront view at one of the handful of bars that run literally right along the sand.
Night Quarter! If you love live music, Night Quarter is a newly opened precinct that is a festival every weekend! The food alone is a reason to go, all the best street eats among five stages of live entertainment. There are also carnival rides, themed bars and if you jump on their website they often have major concerts or community festivals lined up. NightQuarter is completely family friendly (apart from the 18+ areas) and you can even take your dog! Open every weekend year round in Kawana, Fridays and Saturdays from 4-10pm for night markets, and monthly Sundays 12-7pm for sunny Sunday vibes, food, bars, vintage and designer markets.
Eumundi Markets! Established way back in 1979 The Original Eumundi Markets is the biggest and the best artisan market in Australia. Renowned for its locally made artisan treasures there’s no other market quite like it. Open on Wednesdays and Saturdays expect to pack in a full days adventuring. The markets are huge, and an experience in and of itself. Once you hit market overload (and you might) go take a wander down Memorial drive- the main road of Eumundi. Its a beautiful quaint old country town filled with local cafes, bookshops and independent stores. And has the best pub lunch you will find on the Coast. I always consider it a well earned beer.
Climb a mountain! If you are really eager you could rise before dawn and make your way up the summit of Mount Coolum. It takes about 30/40 minutes return and you will be rewarded with a most spectacular sunrise and 360 degree views of the entire coast! Or, just do like me and sweat it out mid morning. While the hike up this 25 million-year-old volcanic dome may take a degree of fitness or tenacity (although to be fair I have seen children do it in thongs), it is a local institution and a permanent smoothie truck is at the bottom to refresh you stat. Closer to Treehaus is Mt Ninderry, which is also a beautiful 1 hour hike. Less well known the track isn’t as busy, nor as well established but is also dog friendly. If climbing mountains turns out to totally be your vibe head south to hike one of the 11 peaks of the Glass House Mountains. With a myriad of walks for all levels of climbers, these ancient ranges are still spiritually significant to Aboriginal Traditional Owners, capturing the magic of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
Drink Beer! And Gin! The Sunshine Coast has seen an insane number of incredible breweries and distilleries popping up in recent years. Neighbours with Treehaus, we love Teralla, just up the road and the perfect winter (and summer!) activity, head to the taproom, order a tasting paddle and settle in for a cosy afternoon. Teralla has food trucks and live music and is completely family and puppy friendly! There are loads of award winning spots dotted over the coast and in the hinterland. Many of them have onsite restaurants (think: Mooloolaba prawns, towering burgers and pizzas), plus live music, so you can really make a day of it. I also really love Pomona Gin Distillery for award winning high quality gin tasting and a beautiful lunch. There are even tours and craft beer trails you can take soo you can sip your way around the region without having to dive!
Hinterland Day tour! Drive inland to discover beautiful Montville and Maleny. Head to Maleny Dairies for a tour of the farm and factory. Little ones can visit the baby calves in the paddock while you settle in on one of the picnic benches with a delicious cheese platter, or bring some back to Treehaus to have on the deck at golden hour. Maleny National Park and Mary Cairncross scenic reserve are two beautiful spots to walk. And be sure to save enough time to wander down the main road of Montville, which feels like you a European ski town!
Eat Prawns in Mooloolaba! The beautiful white sand Mooloolaba beach unfurls along a sheltered sandy spit, which means low, manageable waves and many metres of shallow water. Explore the Esplanade, and there are a host of cosmopolitan restaurants and bars a few streets in from the waterfront. Back down at the spit you can order prawns directly off the trawler at the Fish Markets and eat the worlds best, literally right off the boat.
Whale watching! This year more than 22,000 humpbacks are expected to make the migration north from Antarctica starting in about March, arriving in Queensland by June and returning south from September to November. The Humpbacks migrate to the warmer northern waters which provide perfect temperatures to give birth to their calves in the sheltered waters of Queensland’s coastline. There are many tour companies that offer Whale Watching tours, or even get in the water (wetsuit supplied of course!) letting you get up close and personal with these majestic creatures!
Australia Zoo, The Home of the Crocodile Hunter! Watch the jaw dropping croc show, hand feed kangaroos and cuddle a koala! Steve Irwins Australia Zoo in Beerwah is world famous. The park was initially opened in 1970 by his parents Bob and Lyn Irwin. Much like his famous offspring, Steve grew up around the zoo’s crocodiles. The money made from Steves massive hit television show went back into the zoo, turning it into the sprawling, world-class zoological attraction it is today. The park is owned by Steve’s widow Terri and holds more than 1,200 animals over 1,000 acres.
There are crocodile and bird demonstrations at the 5,000-capactiy “Crocoseum”, a Rainforest Aviary with 150+ birds, Sumatran and Bengal tigers at the Tiger Temple, the 12-acre “Elephantasia” and a whole precinct for South-East Asian species like Komodo dragons and Asian small-clawed otters.
Retail Therapy! The coast has some really fun shopping opportunities. I would send serious shoppers to Hastings street and Peregian Square, for some beautiful boutiques with great fashion choices outside of the chain store world. But I would be amiss to go past the good old Sunshine Plaza. Receiving a $400 million dollar upgrade in 2019, its multi endless wings and floors full of everything from your David Jones and Myers, to my favourite little Noosa chocolate factory and Mecca! As far as malls go, the Sunshine Plaza is a great one as its situated over a little river with a dining precint that allows you to soak up the vitamin D while you rest your feet. There is also a large cinema and food court and even an iconic Treetop challenge! It is an excellent way to spend a rainy day on the Coast.