Sunshine Coast
Introduction
The Sunshine Coast is a peri-urban region on the Coral Sea in South East Queensland, about 100 km north of central Brisbane. Its urban area stretches roughly 60 km along the coastline and into the hinterland, from Pelican Waters in the south to Tewantin in the north.
The region's name dates to 1967, when it was defined as the area within the former Shires of Landsborough, Maroochy and Noosa, excluding Bribie Island. Those three shire areas still shape the character of the coast you'll travel through today.
Before you go
The Sunshine Coast is not a single city but a string of towns and suburbs, so it pays to think about which part you want as your base. Caloundra, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and Mudjimba feel more like suburbs, while Maleny, Montville and Beerwah have the character of towns; Coolum Beach and Marcoola sit somewhere in between. Most of the population lives within about 10 km of the coast, where the land is mostly flat, and the region makes an easy escape from Brisbane or the Gold Coast.
The climate is subtropical, so expect warm, humid conditions, and be aware that the area can be hit by severe weather events more typical of the tropics, including cyclones. Inland, the Glass House Mountains rise as Queensland's most iconic peaks, part of an extinct volcanic range and a sacred site for Indigenous peoples, with the Great Dividing Range further west. Visitor information is available near the airport at Mudjimba, in Buderim, and in Caloundra, with others in the hinterland; you can also check the Sunshine Coast tourism website before you travel.
Getting there
Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) sits about 10 km north of Maroochydore and has daily flights to Sydney and Melbourne. For an airport of its size it is well equipped, with ATMs, rental car desks in arrivals, transfer services, and food and shopping outlets; most of the eating and retail options are past security in departures, and there is an outdoor area by the tarmac where you can have a drink before your flight. To reach the coast itself, the Translink (Sunbus) 622 bus runs hourly between Maroochydore and Noosa Junction but stops before the last Sydney and Melbourne flights land. The 620 bus runs later and more often but only stops on David Low Way outside the airport precinct, just over 1 km on foot via Friendship Drive. Change at Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore for points south, or at Noosa Junction for Noosa Heads and Noosaville. Door-to-door transfers cover the whole region but should be pre-booked: Henry's runs north to Noosa and Coolum and keeps a desk in arrivals, while Sun-air runs south to Maroochydore and Caloundra and has no airport presence, so you must call ahead. Taxis are available too.
By car from Brisbane, the run usually takes about an hour, mostly on motorways, though it can be longer depending on your destination. From the CBD, follow the M3 Riverside Expressway, then Hale Street and the River City Bypass, exiting onto the M7 AirportLink Tunnel to reach the A3 Gympie Road, which becomes the M3 Gympie Arterial Road and merges with the M1 Gateway Motorway. From Logan or the Gold Coast, take the M1 Pacific Motorway north and exit onto the M1 Gateway Motorway, which is tolled, before it merges with the Gympie Arterial Road. Once merged, you are on the M1 Bruce Highway for roughly 50 km before entering the Sunshine Coast region; the main exits come about 10 km further on, with Exit 188 onto Caloundra Road for Caloundra, Beerwah, Beerburrum, the Australia Zoo and the Glass House Mountains, and Exit 194 onto the Sunshine Motorway for Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Coolum and Mudjimba. Coaches also run from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and Flixbus serves Mooloolaba on its Brisbane–Cairns route, which is more useful arriving from the north than from Brisbane. Queensland Rail's T1 Nambour/Gympie North line from Brisbane stops at Landsborough railway station, with connecting buses to Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore and Noosa.
Getting around
The Sunshine Coast is a string of coastal towns and hinterland villages rather than one dense city, so how you get around depends on where you're staying and what you want to see. Public transport across the region is coordinated by Translink, which runs trains, buses, ferries and trams throughout South East Queensland under a single ticketing system. Use the Translink website or app to plan a journey with real-time updates; Apple Maps and Google Maps offer a similar experience. Trains on the Queensland Rail line from Brisbane most commonly begin and end at Nambour, with a limited number of services extending to Gympie North. Landsborough railway station is the key rail gateway for the coast, where connecting buses link to Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore and Noosa, and a RailBus also runs between Caboolture and Nambour. There is no metro or tram network here. Buses, operated by Sunbus and Glasshouse Country Coaches, are the workhorse for getting between the coastal towns, connecting Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore and Noosa; Route 622 serves Sunshine Coast Airport, and Routes 600 and 620 run late on Friday and Saturday nights. Hinterland services are more limited: Route 890 runs between Maleny and Nambour via Montville, Flaxton and Mapleton on weekdays only, and Route 891 links Maleny and Landsborough seven days a week. Go cards are not accepted on hinterland qconnect services, so buy your ticket from the driver there.
A 50-cent flat fare applies to any journey regardless of mode or distance, with a limit of three transfers; the main exception is an Airtrain journey to or from Brisbane Airport, which is priced separately, and travelling without a valid fare can result in a fine. You can pay by contactless credit or debit card (Mastercard or Visa, including cards in a digital wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay) by touching on and off each mode of transport — trains and trams have fare gates or distinctive pink validators, while buses and ferries have validators to touch as you board and alight, and failing to touch off results in a fixed fare. A go card is available at train station ticket counters, busway and tram fare machines, and selected newsagents and convenience stores; it requires a deposit, can be topped up at the same locations, calculates fares automatically and keeps a travel history, but refunding the deposit and remaining credit can be a hassle. Paper tickets are sold at train station ticket counters and fare machines and at busway and tram fare machines. Visitors may find the "go explore" pass useful for unlimited daily travel on Sunshine Coast buses, while the "go seeQ" pass covers three or five consecutive days of unlimited travel across South East Queensland including Airtrain services; discounted fares also exist, including off-peak travel on weekdays, weekends and public holidays, and reduced fares for children and seniors.
Car is by far the easiest way to see most attractions in a short amount of time or at your own pace. Larger car hire companies may offer relocations to Brisbane Airport or the Gold Coast, and there are major national renters with services at the airport as well as local independents. Three major roads traverse the region: the Bruce Highway (M1), a full motorway with exits serving the region; the Sunshine Motorway / Emu Mountain Road (SR 70), which is only partially a motorway and links Sippy Downs, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Pacific Paradise, Mudjimba, Coolum and on toward Noosa — at Mooloolaba take the Nickelin Way Interchange exit to stay on the motorway, or you may end up on busy urban streets; and State Route 6, a series of roads running through the population centres rather than around them, convenient for going directly from one town to another without using motorways. If you're arriving from Brisbane, the drive is usually mostly on motorways, though it can take longer depending on your destination. Taxis are operated by Suncoast Cabs, with accessible taxis available and secure ranks with marshals on weekends at Maroochydore (Ocean St), Mooloolaba Esplanade and Caloundra (Minchinton St); ride-hailing services such as Uber are available around the clock, and a taxi from the airport to Noosa can be expensive, so compare options before you commit.
Walking works well within a town centre or along the beachfront but is not a realistic way to move between towns. If you're staying in Maroochydore, Mooloolaba or Caloundra you can often walk to shops, cafés and the beach from your accommodation, but you'll need a bus, car or taxi for anything beyond that. Small bagged bikes (up to 90cm x 70cm x 36cm) are allowed on buses and some trains, while larger bikes are permitted on off-peak trains only; surfboards and bulky items are carried at the driver's discretion, so avoid peak hours. Most public transport is accessible, with low-floor buses with ramps, mobility scooter spaces, and accessible train stations with lifts, ramps and hearing loops. As a matter of etiquette, arrive about five minutes early, check the destination sign, raise your hand to signal the driver, and touch on and off with your go card; carry a concession card if you're entitled to reduced fares. For real-time information, use the MyTransLink app or the TransLink Journey Planner.
From Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY), north of Maroochydore, rental car chains are located in arrivals and door-to-door transfers are available across the whole region but should be pre-booked. Henry's operates north to Noosa and Coolum and has a desk inside arrivals where you can check availability on the next shuttle; Sun-air operates south to Maroochydore and Caloundra but has no presence at the airport, so you'll need to call to arrange a pickup. By public transport, the 622 bus services the airport terminal hourly between Maroochydore and Noosa Junction, though it stops before the last flights arrive from Sydney and Melbourne; the 620 bus runs later and more frequently but only stops on David Low Way outside the airport precinct, roughly a kilometre's walk from the terminal — walk along Friendship Drive out of the airport, turn right onto David Low Way and continue the short distance to the stop. Change at Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore for points south, or at Noosa Junction for Noosa Heads and Noosaville.
Where to stay
Where you sleep on the Sunshine Coast depends largely on whether you want sand between your toes or a ridge-top view over the hinterland. The coastal strip around Caloundra, Alexandra Headland and Maroochydore is the place for beachfront resorts and apartment-style stays. In Caloundra, options include the Watermark Resort on the waterfront with its own fishing jetty, Ocean Views Resort near Bulcock Beach, Rydges Oasis Resort at Golden Beach with rooms ranging from spa rooms to self-contained villas, and ULTIQA Shearwater Resort, which offers free breakfast and parking. Rumba Beach Resort is a resort-style hotel with a pool and restaurant within walking distance of Bulcock Beach. At Alexandra Headland, Oaks Seaforth Resort provides a pool, gym and barbecue areas, while The Sebel Maroochydore puts you on the beach with views over the water, river and hinterland. Maroochy River Resort & Bungalows offers self-contained family cabins with a private boat ramp, kayaks and tennis. For budget travellers, Banyandah Towers is a waterfront apartment block on the Maroochy River with good amenities but no air conditioning, and Caloundra City Backpackers and Suncoast Backpackers Lodge cover the hostel end of things.
Inland, the hinterland towns of Maleny, Montville, Mapleton and Witta are the domain of bed and breakfasts, cottages and eco-stays. Around Maleny you'll find Bamboo Retreat, a secluded forest-ridge studio with a private garden and outdoor hot tub, the historic Maleny Lodge with its winter open fire, Maleny Hills Motel beside rainforest, and Roseville House, a federation-era B&B on a lookout with ocean and mountain views. Mapleton Springs B&B offers a solar-heated infinity pool, spa and sauna, while Lillypilly's Country Cottages overlook Lake Baroon and offer massage and reflexology. Wittacork Dairy Cottages sit on a working dairy farm above Lake Baroon, where you can watch cows being milked and walk private rainforest tracks. Campers and caravanners are well served by Lilyponds Holiday Park at Mapleton, with cabins, a pool and camp kitchen, Ocean View Caravan Park at Landsborough with air-conditioned cabins and coastal views, and Crystal Waters EcoPark near Conondale, which has powered and unpowered sites plus bunkhouses. QCCC Mapleton is a large conference and camping facility with pools, a climbing wall and a canoeing lake.
Food & drink
As a seaside city, the Sunshine Coast takes its seafood seriously, and you'll find fish and chip shops in every reasonably sized centre along the coast. Maroochy Waters Seafood in Maroochydore is a classic Australian fish and chip shop with a twist: it sits by the river rather than the beach, and also serves burgers and wings if you'd rather skip the fish. For fine dining, Fish on Parkyn in Mooloolaba pairs a water view with a menu that is almost entirely seafood, yet still offers a surprisingly good range of vegetarian options. Tides Waterfront Dining at Bulcock Beach in Caloundra also looks out over the ocean and emphasises local southeast Queensland seafood, backed by a good wine list. Further inland, The Terrace Seafood Restaurant of Maleny brings fine-dining seafood to the hinterland mountains, an unusual combination in Australia.
Beyond seafood, the coast and hinterland offer plenty of Asian options. In Coolum Beach you'll find Coolum Thai Spice and Hanami, the latter serving budget Japanese and Korean food. Maroochydore has Pum's Kitchen for Thai with plenty of prawn dishes, and Giddy Geisha for Asian-fusion plates and cocktails spanning Japan to Indonesia. Wurtulla's Thai Lotus puts the emphasis on local seafood, while Tasty Thai in Caloundra and Sang's East Asian Cuisine at Alexandra Headland (a budget BYO) round out the Thai and East Asian choices. For Indian, try India Today in Caloundra, where the tandoori chicken is a filling choice. Italian appears in two guises: Da Marino in Maleny, where many dishes come with barbecue sauce in a very Australianised style, and Cappriccios in Maleny, a fully licensed pizza restaurant with southern Italian variety. In Maleny you can also visit Colin James Fine Foods for gelati, an extensive cheese range and a gluten-free-friendly cafe, or King Ludwig's for German cuisine, Bavarian beers and views of the Glasshouse Mountains. Dicky Beach Surf Club serves classic and modern Australian food with an emphasis on local ingredients, and Harry's On Buderim offers modern Australian cooking with rainforest ingredients, local seafood and a good vegan menu in a heritage building on the edge of Buderim Forest Park. Spice Bar in Mooloolaba serves Asian-fusion meals, though be warned that the "Large Plates" are genuinely large. Budget travellers should note that even a meal under a modest amount per person can climb quickly once you add starters, dessert or soft drinks, and mid-range restaurants can easily push your bill higher still.
What to see and do
History and heritage are spread across the region rather than concentrated in one spot. In Caloundra, the historic Caloundra Lighthouses were built to guide ships through the North-West channel, and a volunteer group occasionally opens the tower for climbs to the top. Point Cartwright Lighthouse at Buddina, a much later automatic tower, marks the same channel entrance and can be viewed from the outside. Local history museums at Eumundi, Landsborough and Maroochydore hold old photographs, documents, Indigenous artefacts and military memorabilia, while the Maleny Light Horse Museum commemorates the Queensland Mounted Infantry and the Australian Light Horse. Sunshine Castle at Bli Bli, though not genuinely ancient, is modelled inside on a European medieval castle, and Buderim House is a heritage-listed homestead.
For wildlife, Australia Zoo at Beerwah is the best-known drawcard, while Wildlife HQ Zoo at Woombye focuses on Australian wildlife, and Sea Life Sunshine Coast at Mooloolaba offers seal shows, shark swims and an ocean tunnel. Aviation enthusiasts can head to the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra Aerodrome, which also runs a flight simulator. Art lovers will find the Caloundra Regional Gallery, the small Landsborough Galleries, a contemporary gallery attached to a framing shop at Coolum Beach, and the University of the Sunshine Coast Art Gallery. For views, Howells Knob Lookout takes in the Glass House Mountains and offshore islands, and Witta Lookout surveys the Conondale Valley and ranges, especially at sunrise and sunset. Elsewhere, Baroon Pocket Dam and Lake Baroon are set up for picnicking, swimming, fishing, sailing and canoeing, with rainforest and gorge bushwalks nearby; the Big Pineapple at Woombye packs in retail, a train ride, crops, a macadamia factory and wildlife gardens; and the Buderim Ginger Factory at Yandina is a ginger-themed park with a cane train and boat ride. Crystal Waters Ecovillage at Conondale, a permaculture community, runs markets, festivals and courses, while the quiet timber towns of Eudlo and Palmwoods reward a wander, the latter with a wooden boardwalk lined with piccabeen palms. Serious walkers can tackle the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk, a multi-day route through the Blackall Ranges starting near Montville, passing rainforest, eucalypt forest and waterfalls, with campsites that must be booked ahead.
Festivals & events
The Sunshine Coast hosts a couple of events worth timing your visit around. The Woodford Folk Festival takes place in December, while the Maleny Arts and Crafts Fair falls in May.
Three days in Sunshine Coast
Day one: Start in Caloundra at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast, then follow the coast north through Maroochydore and Mooloolaba. Continue to Mudjimba and Coolum Beach, with Marcoola along the way, before finishing in Noosa. The Coral Sea stays in view for much of the drive, and the beaches are the main draw.
Day two: Turn inland from the coast. Head to Buderim, then on to Landsborough and Beerwah, where the Glass House Mountains rise out of the landscape. Continue into the hills to Maleny and Montville, both set in the green country of the Great Dividing Range. The air here is cooler than on the coast, and the views back toward the sea are wide.
Day three: Use the northern end of the coast as your base. Noosa and Tewantin sit near the river and the national park, while Pelican Waters and Bribie Island lie to the south. If you are flying out, Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) is close by, with connections to Sydney and Melbourne. ATMs are easy to find in the larger towns, so you can travel without carrying much cash.