Kin Kin is a village of about 850 people (844 at the 2021 census) in the Noosa Hinterland, and it is worth the drive for its country pub, its first-Sunday market and the trails that run through the farmland around it. It sits between Pomona and Gympie, on the Noosa Country Drive.
The village is small, so plan around the opening days below. Most things are open from Thursday to Sunday.
Kin Kin Hotel and The Woodshed
The Kin Kin Hotel is a country pub in the village. It serves coffee and house-made French pastries in the morning and pub lunches from midday. Visit Noosa lists it as open Thursday to Sunday, but its two pages give different hours, so check before you leave.
The Woodshed is the pub’s signature restaurant, led by head chef Oscar Holgado. It serves locally sourced, fire-cooked dishes.
The Memorial School of Arts, the former post office and the Kin Kin Sawmill, which is still operating, are all on the heritage list.
Kin Kin Market
The Kin Kin Market is held on the first Sunday of each month and is organised by the Kin Kin Community Group. Visit Noosa describes food, coffee and creative stalls. If you can only come once, aim for a first Sunday. The Kin Kin Art Fair is another event held on various weekends through the year.
Shops, baths and the black ant
Kin Kin Depot is a homewares and gift shop in a weatherboard cottage, selling locally made candles and jewellery. Visit Noosa lists it open Thursday to Sunday, 9 am to 4 pm.
Kin Kin Spring Bathhouses offers two-hour soaks in spring-fed baths on a hillside overlooking the countryside, in one of two private bathhouses. Check the bathhouses’ own page for prices and bookings.
A giant black ant statue stands in the village. The name is most often explained as meaning plenty of black ants.
Trails around Kin Kin
The Noosa Biosphere Trails are a network of tracks across farmland and forestry, and many pass through Kin Kin. They are open to walkers, horse riders and mountain bikers. A 25 km social ride, a revival of the old Great Kin Kin Horse Race, uses the Noosa Trail Network from the Kin Kin Showgrounds to Tablelands Lookout near Cooran and back.
The Kin Kin Arboretum is 2.5 km south of the village.
Facilities in the village
- Public toilets and a playground beside the Memorial School of Arts Hall
- Tennis courts behind the hall
- A skate park and public camping on the oval behind the Country Life Hotel
- Public toilets, a barbecue and a shelter at Wahpunga School Park
A short history of Kin Kin
Timber-getters arrived in the late 1870s, and the district later became a farming community built around small crops and dairy. Kin Kin State School opened on 26 May 1909. A weekly mobile library stop is still held at the school.
The creek that runs past the village has flooded badly more than once. The highest recorded flood was on 2 April 2009, and the village had its wettest month on record in February 2022, with about 1,160 mm of rain. If heavy rain has fallen, check road conditions before you drive in.
The old Great Kin Kin Horse Race ran from 1980 until the last carnival in 2004. Today it lives on as the 25 km social ride on the trail network, described under trails above. The village is small, so it stays a quiet place outside market days.
Planning your visit
- How long: A half day covers the pub, the depot and the market.
- Best time: The first Sunday of the month, for the market.
- What to bring: Cash or a card for the market stalls, and good shoes for the trails.
Getting there and parking
Kin Kin is about 150 km from Brisbane, a drive of about 125 minutes by car, and about 30 km from Gympie (about 35 minutes by car). No public transport was confirmed, so plan on driving. Parking on Main Street was not confirmed.
Nearby
- Cooran – the next village along, close to Tablelands Lookout.
- Pomona – a hinterland town to the south.
- Lake Cootharaba – the lake, for camping and water.
Browse more in Noosa and Scenic drives. Details can change, so check Visit Noosa before you go.
You might also like
- Cooroy – galleries and cafes.
- Eumundi Markets – a well-known market.
- Toogoolawah (Somerset Region)
Quick answers
Where is Kin Kin?
In the Noosa Hinterland, between Pomona and Gympie, about 30 km from Gympie and 150 km from Brisbane.
When is the Kin Kin market?
The first Sunday of each month, run by the Kin Kin Community Group.
Is the Kin Kin Hotel open every day?
No. Visit Noosa lists Thursday to Sunday, so check the hours before you go.
Can you camp at Kin Kin?
Yes. There is public camping on the oval behind the Country Life Hotel.
Why is it called Kin Kin?
The most widely held explanation is that the name means plenty of black ants.
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