The Sunshine Coast is located on the east coast of Australia in south-east Queensland and is a wonderful place to spend a holiday. Starting 90km north of Brisbane it runs from Caloundra in the south 170km to Rainbow Beach in the north and has some lovely towns and beautiful beaches spread along it. It offers some great surfing, stunning scenery and many hours of sunshine.
North of Caloundra is Maroochy which is actually made up of three towns – Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland and Mooloolaba which is one of our favourite places on the Sunshine Coast. North of there you get to Coolum Beach which is a small but pretty little town and then Peregian Beach which is smaller still but has one of the most beautiful beaches. Next is Sunrise Beach and Sunshine Beach before you reach the more famous and upmarket Noosa and then on to the colourful cliffs at Rainbow Beach.
There is plenty for all the family to do. I’m sure that the kids would be happy to spend plenty of time on any of the beautiful, golden sand Sunshine Coast Beaches but if you can manage to pry them away there is lots to amuse them. What about seeing the sharks in Underwater World in Mooloolaba, going on some of the rides at Aussie World, visiting the crocs at Australia Zoo or getting lost in Bellingham Maze.
For the adrenalin junkies you could try diving with sharks at Underwater World in Mooloolaba or dive the Ex HMAS Brisbane. Alternatively you could go up in a small plane and try some tandem skydiving.
Don’t fancy anything so scary! What about a camel safari on the beach, a little kayaking not too far from the shore or maybe do some rainforest walks in the Blackall Range just inland from the coast.
For those of you who want a more leisurely time you could take a cruise from Caloundra, Mooloolaba or Noosa, take a ride on the steam train which runs from Gympie through the scenic Mary Valley or visit one of the Sunshine Coast Markets. If you want to sample some of the local products you could visit one of the wineries in the region. For local food you could try the Ginger Factory, the Nutworks Macadamia factory or journey up to the hinterland to taste some Maleny cheese.
Perhaps the most amazing activity to do in the area is go whale watching if you are lucky enough to be there between August and November. There are a few companies offering these trips ranging from half to full day adventures.
If you feel you need a break from being on the coast why not spend a day or two in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland amongst the spectacular Glass House Mountains. You can stop at some of the pretty towns such as Maleny or Montville where you can visit some craft shops. You can walk in the rainforest in the Mary Cairncross Reserve or walk to some of the waterfalls in the area.
One longer excursion to do is go to Fraser Island. You can do this in a day especially if you are staying in Rainbow Beach but you need at least two days to do it full justice.