6 Best Sights in Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland

Made famous by the late Steve Irwin, this popular, 110-acre park is home to all manner of Australian animals: koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, snakes, wombats, lizards—and, naturally, crocodiles. There are also otters, lemurs, tigers, red pandas, and a giant rain forest aviary. Daily shows feature crocs, birds of prey, koalas, and more. There are also plenty of extras that let you get up close and personal with the residents, including petting and hand-feeding red pandas (A$99), getting cozy with cheetahs (A$69) and rhinos (A$99), or cuddling a koala (A$49). Get around the park on foot or try the free hop-on, hop-off mini-trains. Private guided tours and Segway adventures (A$60) are also available.

The big attraction of this area is the twice-weekly Eumundi Markets—the best and largest street market on the Sunshine Coast, and one of the largest in Australia. More than 600 stall holders gather along Memorial Drive in the picturesque town of Eumundi to sell arts, crafts, clothing, accessories, and fresh and gourmet produce. Buses run to Eumundi from Noosa and other Sunshine Coast towns on market days, when the town swells to near-cosmopolitan proportions. Live musicians, poets, and masseurs keep the crowd relaxed.

The Sunshine Coast's colorful Aussie World amusement park features several games rooms, a hall for "Funnybone Flicks," and a bustling fairground with 30-plus rides, including bumper cars, a retro merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, roller coaster, log ride, minigolf—even a sideshow alley. Admission is cheap, the "old school" carnival vibe is fun and friendly, and the park is far less crowded than its Gold Coast equivalents. An eclectic range of specialty stores are also housed within the complex, as well as the iconic Banana Bender Pub: a quirky, much-photographed watering hole full of kitsch Australiana and classic Aussie pub meals.

With its swimming hole, 295-foot waterfall, picnic grounds, and walking trails, Kondalilla National Park is a popular local attraction. Three bushwalks begin near the grassy picnic area: Picnic Creek Circuit, Rock Pools Walk, and the Kondalilla Falls Circuit. They're all rated easy to moderate and range from 2 km (1 mile) to 5 km (3 miles) in length. The Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk (58 km [34 miles]) is accessible from the Falls Loop track, and links with parks farther north. Download maps from the Queensland Government Parks and Forests website. Camping is not permitted within the park.

One of the area's most popular picnic spots, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is 5 km (3 miles) southeast of Maleny at the intersection of the Landsborough–Maleny Road and Mountain View Road. The 130 acres of subtropical rain forest shelter an array of wildlife that includes bandicoots, goannas, echidnas, wallabies—and even pythons. There are two easy walks and a A$4.7-million Rainforest Discovery Center offers interactive displays, as well as sensory experiences and exhibits. Eat in the café (serving fair-trade coffee and homemade cakes) or at picnic tables for magnificent views of the Glass House Mountains.

This legendary Queensland establishment goes far beyond its original factory-door sale of ginger. You can still take a 40-minute guided tour of the world's only publicly accessible ginger processing plant. A café and shop sell ginger in all forms—incorporated into jams, cookies, chocolates, ice cream, wine, and herbal products. There's also a train trip and a boat ride, a miniature rain forest for kids, a live beehive tour that includes a honey tasting, and plenty of shops to browse. Just up the road, you'll find the beautiful Yandina Historic House.