The Sunshine Coast & Airlie Beach

The Sunshine Coast & Airlie Beach

One hour from Brisbane by car to its southernmost point, the Sunshine Coast is a 60-km (37-mi) stretch of white-sand beaches, inlets, lakes, and mountains. It begins at the Glass House Mountains and extends to Rainbow Beach in the north. Kenilworth is its inland extent, 40 km (25 mi) from the ocean. For the most part, the Sunshine Coast has avoided the high-rise glitz of its southern cousin, the Gold Coast. Although there are plenty of stylish restaurants, endearing bed-and-breakfasts, and luxurious hotels, the Sunshine Coast is best loved for its abundant national parks, secluded coves, and charming mountain villages.

More than 970 km (600 mi) to the north, Airlie Beach shares many of the same characteristics as its more southerly coastal neighbors. Like Noosa, Maroochydore, and other beach towns along the Pacific, the town enjoys great weather throughout the year. And since it's very popular with the young adventurous set, who use it as a jumping-off point for trips to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef, its main street is packed with cafés and bars, travel agencies, and hotels.

Glass House Mountains Area

More than 20 million years old, the Glass House Mountains consist of nine dramatic, conical outcrops. These eroded remnants of volcanoes are a spectacular sight, seeming to appear from nowhere out of the ground. They lie along the old main road about a half hour outside Brisbane to the west of the Bruce Highway.

One of the best places to view the mountains is from the Glass House Mountains Lookout. It's accessed via the Glass House Mountains Tourist Route, which begins in the quaint Glass House Mountains Village off the Bruce Highway. From the lookout you can take a short 25-minute walk. Several other longer walks begin from other lookouts and summits (such as Mt. Beerburrum and Wild Horse Mountain Lookout) that are all about 6 km (4 mi) from Glass House Mountains Lookout. For further information, contact Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (07/5494-0150) or Naturally Queensland Information Centre (07/3227-8185).

Montville

This charming mountain village, settled in 1887, is known as the creative heart of the Sunshine Coast, as many artists have made their home here. There are panoramic views of the coast from the main street, which was built with a blend of Tudor, Irish, and English cottages of log or stone; Bavarian and Swiss houses; and old Queenslanders. Shops in town are filled with a browser's delight of curiosities and locally made crafts; art galleries have more serious pieces by local artists.

Maleny

The hinterland village of Maleny is a lively mix of rural life, the arts, wineries, and cooperative community ventures. First settled around 1880, Maleny is now a working dairy town and popular tourist resort that has managed to hold on to its strong community spirit. One place not to be missed is Maleny Cheese (1 Clifford St. 07/5494-2207), a boutique dairy-goods manufacturer where you can watch cheese and yogurt being made. A large number of arts-and-crafts festivals take place here, such as the Scarecrow Carnival in September and the Spring Festival of Color, held in late October.

Eumundi

A walk through the streets of this late-1800s town will take you past the original (and still operational) bank, bakery, museum, and school of arts. Locally brewed beer is on tap at the Imperial Hotel, where memorabilia covers the walls and ceiling.

Tewantin

Originally a timber town, Tewantin is now a relaxed place to go fishing or boating on the Noosa River or enjoy a tranquil riverside dinner.

Noosa Heads

Set along the calm waters of Laguna Bay at the northern tip of the Sunshine Coast, Noosa Heads is one of the most stylish resort areas in Australia. The town consisted of nothing more than a few shacks until the mid-1980s, but then surfers discovered the spectacular waves that curl around the sheltering headland of Noosa National Park. Today, Noosa Heads is a charming mix of surf, sand, and sophistication, with a serious reputation for its unique and evolving cuisine. Views along the trail from Laguna Lookout to the top of the headland take in miles of magnificent beaches, ocean, and dense vegetation.

Sunshine Beach

Ten minutes away from the bustle and crowds of Hastings Street and Noosa Beach, south of the headland and Noosa National Park, is the serene suburb of Sunshine Beach. It's home to a number of good restaurants, a small shopping village, and, as the name suggests, 16 km (10 mi) of beachfront which stretches north to the national park.

Coolum

At the center of the Sunshine Coast, Coolum makes an ideal base for exploring the countryside. It has what is probably the finest beach along the Sunshine Coast, and a growing reputation for good food.

Maroochydore

Maroochydore, at the mouth of the Maroochy River, has been a popular beach resort for years, and has its fair share of high-rise towers. It's draw is excellent surfing and swimming beaches.

Alexandra Headland

The development between Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland, and Mooloolaba is continuous, so you're often unaware of passing through different townships. Alexandra Headland is the smallest of the three and has a very good surf beach.

Mooloolaba

Mooloolaba stretches along lovely areas of beach and riverbank, which are an easy walk from town. The Esplanade has many casual cafés, upscale restaurants, and fashionable shops. You can also stroll to the town outskirts for lovely picnic spots and prime coastal views.

Caloundra

This southern seaside town has nine beaches of its own, which include everything from placid wading beaches (King's Beach and Bulcock Beach are best for families) to bays with thundering surf. The town is much less glitzy than the more touristy Queensland resorts.

Airlie Beach

Although it's not part of the Sunshine Coast, Airlie Beach has a similar feel to many of the Pacific beach towns far to the south. The waterfront Esplanade, with its boardwalk, landscaped gardens, and Saturday-morning crafts markets, is a lively gathering place. So is the main street, which is chockablock with hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops—many catering to the backpacker crowd.

The beachfront, man-made Airlie Beach Lagoon is a popular spot for locals and tourists, and provides a stinger-free swimming enclosure open all day, seven days a week. It is patrolled by lifeguards from 9 to 5 daily and has two adjoining children's pools.