The Sunshine Coast is a coastal region of Australia located in South East Queensland, north of the Queensland capital of Brisbane.
A distinctive feature of the Sunshine Coast is the Glass House Mountains which were named by Captain Cook in 1770. The region was popular with runaway convicts in early white settlement history and later developed a thriving timber industry. Gold prospecting is also a big part of the region's history.
Sunshine Coast starts just north of Brisbane and continues north along the Queensland coast until the magnificent Cooloola National Park. There are some great places to visit along this section of coastline, and some splendid National Parks which you can enjoy.
Winters are mild and summer is provided with cool sea breezes. The Sunshine Coast certainly earns it's name with there being plenty of sunshine all year round.
A couple of popular attractions include Australia Zoo, which is home of the famous Terri and Bindi Irwin as well as plenty of animals, and Underwater World, which hosts a wide range of underwater creatures.
Heading north from Brisbane you will reach Caboolture, which is a small dairy town. Caboolture features several pretty lakes and parks, including the Centenary Lakes.
There are a couple of interesting and historic places to visit near here. The Abbey Museum offers various historical artifacts, while the Caboolture Historical Village hosts a number of historic buildings set within a beautiful bushland setting.
Continuing north along the Bruce Highway, you will drive through the spectacular Glass House Mountains. The Glass House Mountains features spectacular landscape scenery, as well as offering a number of fantastic walking trails.
Once you are past the Glass House Mountains, you can turn off of the highway and drive along the pretty coastal road, starting at Caloundra. Caloundra is a pleasant holiday destination, offering a couple of interesting museums, as well as some great beaches. There are some really good fishing spots around here, and if you enjoy windsurfing a good place to go is Bulcock Beach and Pumicestone Passage for various water activities.
Further north past Kawana Waters are the triple towns of Alexandra Headland, Maroochydore and Mooloolaba which make up the Maroochy region. North again, past Coolum Beach is Noosa which is popular amongst surfers.
North of Noosa are 50km of glorious beaches, called the Cooloola Coast. The beaches are backed by the Cooloola National Park (also called the Great Sandy National Park), and there is a small track running all the way through the park from Tewantin to Rainbow Beach. Along the route you will pass Lake Cooroibah and Boreen Point along the way, both offering a small selection of accommodation in perfect, relaxing settings.
You should also travel inland from the coast, visiting the beautiful Sunshine Coast Hinterland. There are some fabulous National Parks which you can visit, and some spectacular waterfalls and mountainous landscape.
Featured Sunshine Coast Activities
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30 Minute Tiger Moth Joy Flight(EX302) (Tiger Moth) Have you always dreamed of jumping into a cockpit of a vintage tiger moth? Your dreams will become a reality as we take you on a flight of a lifetime in our vintage Tiger Moth DH82. During your 30 Min...
Glider Flight at 3500 Feet over the Tangalooma Wrecks(EX337) (Gliding) The Glider Flight at 3500 Feet over the Tangalooma Wrecks will take you on a magnificent journey over the Tangalooma Wrecks. During your gliding adventure you will also take in some beautiful landscap...
Glasshouse to the Hinterland Gliding Flight(EX341) (Gliding) Catch a birds eye view of the of the beautiful Sunshine Coast's hinterland as we take you on a spectacular gliding adventure. With the Glasshouse to the Hinterland Gliding Flight we will cruise past M...
Queensland DVD (Queenslands South East - Land of Scenic Wonder)
Purchase the DVD that portrays Queensland's South East including footage of Fraser Island, Glass House Mountains, Blackall Range, Montville, Mount Tamborine and Springbrook's unforgettable rock bridge.
Taking you through the tree tops in Lamington where the thick, green roof shades; the mysterious underworld of the forest floor. On to Noosa, a haven of stunning national parks and brilliant waterways. Plus the amazing coloured sands of Teewah and Rainbow Beach.
PLEASE NOTE: The Queensland travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for Queensland Holidays can be found on the main Queensland Holidays location guide.
