The best things to do on the Sunshine Coast are its patrolled surf beaches, the coastal walks at Noosa National Park, Eumundi Markets, Australia Zoo and the Glass House Mountains. The closest places are about 65 minutes by car from Brisbane and Noosa is about 2 hours, so it suits a day trip or a long weekend.
This guide picks 11 places that have their own Explore SEQ posts, then covers the practical parts: getting around, beach safety, the best time to visit and what to do when it rains.
Things to do on the Sunshine Coast at a glance
Drive times are from the Brisbane CBD, from a routing service with no traffic, rounded up.
| Place | Good for | By car from Brisbane CBD |
|---|---|---|
| Mooloolaba Beach | Patrolled beach with the Esplanade behind it | About 1 hour 25 minutes |
| Coolum Beach | Surf beach with a park beside the surf club | About 1 hour 40 minutes |
| Peregian Beach | Surf beach and Sunday markets | About 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Noosa National Park | Coastal walks and koala spotting | About 2 hours (Noosa Heads) |
| Mount Coolum | A short, steep summit climb | About 1 hour 40 minutes |
| Glass House Mountains | Volcanic peaks and lookouts | About 1 hour 5 minutes |
| Mount Ngungun | A grade 4 summit walk | About 1 hour 5 minutes |
| Eumundi Markets | Wednesday and Saturday markets | About 1 hour 35 minutes |
| Montville | Hinterland village, galleries, Kondalilla Falls | About 1 hour 35 minutes |
| Australia Zoo | A full day with wildlife | About 1 hour 10 minutes |
| GoFly Aviation, Caloundra | Hands-on trial flights | About 1 hour 15 minutes |
Beaches on the Sunshine Coast
Mooloolaba Beach
Mooloolaba Beach is a patrolled beach on the Mooloolaba Esplanade, with parklands, playgrounds and restaurants close by. Point Cartwright headland shelters it to the south, and lifeguards patrol the main beach and the Spit all year. Dogs are not allowed on the foreshore.
Coolum Beach
Coolum Beach is patrolled all year. The lifeguard tower and Tickle Park, which has play and picnic facilities, are next to the surf club, and a boardwalk, cafes and restaurants are close by. Dogs can run off-leash at the northern end of the beach, and Point Perry at Coolum is one of the shore spots for whale watching in season.
Peregian Beach
Peregian Beach is on the Noosa side of the coast and is patrolled. Noosa Council says the eastern beaches, Peregian included, are exposed to more powerful surf, so stay between the flags. Peregian Beach Park holds free markets on the first and third Sunday of the month from 7.30 am to 12.30 pm.
Browse more beaches and the full Sunshine Coast list.
Walks and national parks
Noosa National Park
Noosa National Park is the headland between Noosa Heads and Sunshine Beach. A timber boardwalk runs from Noosa Main Beach around Little Cove to the park headquarters, and a rocky coastal track carries on from there past the National Park bays.
The Hells Gate walk is a 4.3 km circuit that starts near Noosa Heads Surf Club and Hastings Street, with Hells Gate about an hour’s walk from the start. It is graded 3, a formed track with some obstacles. The full coastal walk on to Sunshine Beach is longer, so you can turn back at any bay. Prams and wheelchairs can go as far as Boiling Pot Lookout. Dogs are not allowed, and you might spot a sleeping koala. Noosa Main Beach faces north, is sheltered and is patrolled.
Mount Coolum
Mount Coolum is a short, steep climb: 0.8 km one way from the car park at the start of Jarnahill Drive, off Tanah Street West, south of Coolum. It is graded 4, a rough track that can be very steep with few signs, and the trail notes warn it is steep, slippery, exposed and has many steps. Children need close supervision on the rocky sections.
There is a toilet block beside the car park, but none at the summit. From the top you can see the coastline, canefields and hinterland, Old Woman Island, Sunshine Coast Airport and the Glass House Mountains.
Glass House Mountains
The Glass House Mountains are volcanic peaks about 70 km north of Brisbane, rising above pine plantations, bush and farmland. Mounts Beerburrum, Beerwah, Ngungun and Tibrogargan each have their own access road in the national park. Camping is not allowed in the park, and the Glass House Mountains Visitor and Interpretive Centre has more ideas for exploring.
The Jinibara and Kabi Kabi peoples consider the peaks sacred and not to be climbed, and the Tibrogargan summit route needs rock scrambling skills, so the marked walks and lookouts are the way to see them. Browse more of the area under Glass House Mountains.
Mount Ngungun
Mount Ngungun has a grade 4 summit track of about 2.8 km return, which takes roughly two hours, with views of Tibrogargan, Coonowrin and Beerwah. It is a steep walk, so choose a dry day and start early. Read the hiking tips for South East Queensland before you go.
Markets and the hinterland
Eumundi Markets
Eumundi Markets run every Wednesday and Saturday from 7.30 am to 2 pm, all year, rain, hail or shine, at 80 Memorial Drive in Eumundi. There are more than 360 approved stallholders. The main car park is on Napier Road and is paid; there is also regulated free street parking, so arrive early. Translink route 631 links Noosa, Cooroy, Eumundi and Nambour. Details are on the Eumundi Markets website.
More market ideas are in the guide to the best markets in South East Queensland.
Montville and Kondalilla
Montville is a village in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with art galleries and cafes, including Montville Art Gallery in a 1920s Queenslander and The Edge Cafe on Main Street. Kondalilla National Park is close by: the Falls circuit is a grade 3 track with over 300 stairs, and a grassed picnic area with barbecues, tables and toilets sits about 100 m downhill from the car park.
Lake Baroon (Baroon Pocket Dam), between Montville and Maleny, has picnic tables, free barbecues and a playground. Browse more of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
Wildlife and something different
Australia Zoo
Australia Zoo is on Steve Irwin Way in Beerwah, about 70 minutes by car from Brisbane. It is open 9 am to 5 pm every day except Christmas Day, parking is free and you can bring your own food (no glass or alcohol). Pets are not allowed. A free shuttle runs between Beerwah train station and the zoo, and ticket prices are on the Australia Zoo website.
GoFly Aviation, Caloundra
GoFly Aviation runs hands-on trial flights from Caloundra, and within a minute of take-off you are over Golden Beach, Pumicestone Passage and Bribie Island. Bookings are through its website or by phone on 07 5341 8125 (9 am to 1 pm).
Getting around the Sunshine Coast
A car is the easiest way to link these places. They run from the Glass House Mountains in the south to Noosa in the north, and the hinterland is about 45 minutes’ drive from the beaches. Sunshine Coast Airport is at Marcoola, about 15 minutes from Maroochydore and 30 minutes from Noosa, and major car rental companies operate there. Heading up with kids? See the tips for long car trips with kids.
Trains and buses
- Train: the T1 Nambour / Gympie North line stops at Glass House Mountains and Beerwah stations, and major stations further north include Landsborough, Nambour and Cooroy. For the beaches, buses take over: route 615, for example, runs from Landsborough station to Mooloolaba.
- Route 600: Caloundra to Maroochydore via Kawana and Mooloolaba.
- Route 615: Maroochydore station to Landsborough station via Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba and the university.
- Route 620: Maroochydore station to Noosa Heads via Mount Coolum, Coolum Beach, Peregian Beach and Sunshine Beach.
- Route 631: Noosa to Nambour via Cooroy and Eumundi.
Check times on the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30 before you head out.
Beach safety on the Sunshine Coast
Always swim between the red and yellow flags. Lifeguards are provided by Surf Life Saving Queensland and funded by Sunshine Coast Council, and patrol times and locations vary by season and beach.
- Patrolled all year: Mooloolaba Main Beach, Mooloolaba Spit, Coolum Beach, Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland, Kawana, Kings, Dicky, Discovery, Mudjimba and Twin Waters.
- Seasonal or holiday patrols: beaches such as Marcoola, Yaroomba, Happy Valley, Currimundi and Maroochy River Mouth, so check before you go.
- Noosa: Noosa Main Beach, Sunshine Beach and Peregian Beach are patrolled, and Sunrise Beach and North Peregian Beach have seasonal patrols.
- Unpatrolled: beaches such as Buddina, Moffat, Shelly, Warana and Point Cartwright. Council states Point Cartwright Beach is not safe for swimming.
Surf Life Saving Queensland says rips are a leading cause of coastal drownings. Stop before you enter the water, look for the flags and any warning signs, and judge whether you can handle the conditions. Do not go in alone, and keep a close watch on children.
What the flags mean
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red and yellow | Swim between these flags |
| Yellow | Caution, possible hazards |
| Red | No swimming |
| Red and white | Evacuate the water |
Best time to visit the Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast has a humid subtropical climate, with some rain in every month. Daytime highs average about 28 to 29 degrees from December to February and about 21 to 22 degrees from June to August. February is the wettest month on average and September the driest.
Whale season is the best-known reason to go in winter. Humpback whales are watched from June to the end of October, from shore at Point Perry (Coolum), Point Cartwright, Moffat Headland, Alexandra Headland and Dolphin Point Lookout in Noosa, or on a boat tour from Mooloolaba and other departure points. Visit Sunshine Coast has a whale watching guide.
Rainy-day things to do on the Sunshine Coast
- Australia Zoo: it stays open rain, hail or shine, and umbrellas and ponchos are sold on site.
- SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium: an 80 metre ocean tunnel, a little blue penguin colony, a seal presentation and a touch pool at Mooloolaba. Opening hours and tickets are on the SEA LIFE website.
- Eumundi Markets: they run rain, hail or shine, so pack an umbrella and go early.
- Montville: galleries such as Montville Art Gallery and cafes with hinterland views suit a wet afternoon.
Leave the Mount Coolum and Mount Ngungun climbs for a dry day.
More to explore
- Things to do on the Gold Coast – the next region south, with its own beaches, wildlife parks and hinterland.
- Markets in Brisbane – for a market day before you head north.
- Noosa – everything on the site in the Noosa region.
Quick answers
How far is the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane?
The closest places in this guide, the Glass House Mountains and Australia Zoo, are about 65 to 70 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD. Mooloolaba is about 1 hour 25 minutes and Noosa Heads about 2 hours.
Can you get to the Sunshine Coast by train?
Yes. The T1 Nambour / Gympie North line stops at Glass House Mountains and Beerwah, with Landsborough, Nambour and Cooroy further north. Buses then link the stations with the coast; route 615, for example, runs from Landsborough station to Mooloolaba.
When are Eumundi Markets on?
Every Wednesday and Saturday from 7.30 am to 2 pm, rain, hail or shine.
Are Sunshine Coast beaches patrolled?
Many are, including Mooloolaba, Coolum, Noosa Main Beach and Peregian. Some patrols are seasonal, so check BeachSafe and swim between the red and yellow flags.
When is whale watching season on the Sunshine Coast?
From June to the end of October, when humpback whales migrate past the coast.
What can you do on the Sunshine Coast when it rains?
Australia Zoo stays open in the rain, SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium at Mooloolaba is a wet-weather option, and Montville has galleries and cafes. Save the summit walks for a dry day.
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