Twenty things that will surprise first-time visitors to the Sunshine Coast

From “punk” turtles to trees that cause excruciating pain, the Sunshine Coast certainly has its quirks. But there’s also lots of good stuff. Here’s what to know before you go.

How big it is

Mount Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains in the south.

With a coastline stretching for more than 100 kilometres, the region known as the Sunshine Coast is vast. Spanning from the Glass House Mountains in the south to the Mary Valley near Gympie in the north, it encompasses coastal towns including Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa Heads and hinterland villages such as Maleny, Mapleton and Montville. If you want to explore, brace to cover some large distances, and allow plenty of travel time.

It used to be called the Near North Coast

Before the Sunshine Coast was adopted as the official moniker for tourism promotion in 1966, the region was known as the Near North Coast. Fearing the name meant little to people in other states, local tourism operators, real estate agents and councils collaborated to come up with a more memorable title to entice investment and lure tourists away from the Gold Coast.

It has trees that sting

The gympie-gympie is found from northern NSW to Cape York, and looks like an unassuming shrub from a distance.Credit: University of Queensland

When hiking through rainforests on the Sunshine Coast, beware of the gympie gympie tree, which can cause excruciating pain when touched. Derived from an Indigenous word that means ‘devil’, the pain from skin contact with the tree’s leaves and stems causes a sensation like burning acid that can last for months, and may require hospitalisation.

CoolCabanas originated here

It was while sitting on Noosa’s Main Beach watching people struggle to put up umbrellas on a family holiday that architect Mark Fraser came up with the idea to design an easy-to-erect portable gazebo in 2014. CoolCabanas are now a common sight at beaches across the country, but not everyone is happy about the craze, with some people calling for them to be banned because they take up too much space and block lifeguards’ views.

You can swim with humpback whales

Swim next to these gentle giants with Sunreef Mooloolaba.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

The Sunshine Coast became the first place in Australia you could swim with whales when Sunreef Mooloolaba launched tours back in 2014, with Whale One at Mooloolaba and Noosa Wave Boating Adventures now also offering the experience. You can snorkel alongside humpbacks from July to mid-October, when they pass by on their annual migration – and if you’re really lucky you might even find a pod of dolphins along for the ride.

It has special lights to protect turtle hatchlings

In some parts of the Sunshine Coast, you may find it’s a bit darker than you might expect in the evenings. That’s because Sunshine Coast Council has made concerted efforts to replace traditional bright white lights, that can disorient turtle hatchlings emerging from their nests and send them in the wrong direction away from the sea, with more sensitive lights. You may also see motion-activated street lights and signs asking drivers to turn off their headlights.

The number of craft breweries

Enjoy small batch beer at Brouhaha in Maleny.

Beer lovers rejoice! The Sunshine Coast has more breweries than you can poke a pint at (or a schooner, if you prefer). In fact, there are more craft breweries than anywhere else in Australia per capita. With more than 20 to check out, the options may seem overwhelming, so consider hopping (get it?) on a tour with Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours, Coast to Hinterland Tours or Noosa Brewery Tours.

The number of distilleries

Spirit lovers also abound in these parts, with 11 distilleries open to the public and more to come in the pipeline. Many use ingredients inspired by the tropical surroundings. You can sit on a beanbag on the grass and sip Pineapple Parfait Gin at Sunshine and Sons, located just behind the Big Pineapple at Woombye, try the Roasted Cane Rum at nearby Nil Desperandum, and the Coconut Vodka at Paradise Rum at Warana.

Home to the world’s only UNESCO biosphere reserve cluster

The Noosa River forms part of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve.

The people of the Sunshine Coast have done an excellent job balancing the relationship between humans and the natural world, with UNESCO recognising it with not one, but three biosphere reserves right next to each other. The Noosa Biosphere Reserve was the first to be designated in 2007, followed by the Great Sandy in 2009, and the Sunshine Coast in 2022.

It has a World Surfing Reserve

Enjoy a surf in Noosa National Park.

Noosa has also been recognised for its world-class waves, being named a World Surfing Reserve in 2020 in the wake of a passionate campaign by locals to preserve its coastline. Surfers began descending on Noosa Main Beach in the 1950s, with legendary surfboard shaper Bob McTavish among its first fans. The Reserve – one of only 12 in the world – covers the point breaks from North Sunshine Beach through to Laguna Bay.

Buses are free on weekends

Unfortunately, it doesn’t apply to the whole region, but in the Noosa Shire buses are free on weekends and during the Queensland school holidays. The state-first council initiative, which began with a trial in 2022, aims to get people out of their cars and onto public transport. The Translink services cover routes in Tewantin, Sunshine Beach, Sunrise Beach, Noosa Heads, Parklands, Noosa Junction, Noosaville, Cooran, Cooroy and Pomona.

Its first white inhabitants were convict castaways

Before European settlement, the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Peoples had lived in the region now known as the Sunshine Coast for up to 30,000 years. The first white people to inhabit the area were three convict timber getters who were shipwrecked there in the early 1820s and helped by the local Indigenous people. Other escaped convicts from Moreton Bay are also believed to have lived with various tribes over the years.

It has a giant pineapple

The famous Big Pineapple.

Getting a selfie in front of the 16-metre-tall fibreglass pineapple replica that was built in the hinterland town of Woombye in 1971 is a must. The tourist attraction is set on a 170-hectare property which also boasts a TreeTop Challenge high ropes and zipline course and a zoo, Wildlife HQ, where you can see Queensland’s only sun bear. It also hosts an annual music festival, and there are plans to add a craft brewery, water park and accommodation.

And a giant maze

Get lost at Amaze World.

They’re a dime a dozen on the grounds of palaces and stately homes in England, but mazes are a decidedly less common sight in Australia. The Sunshine Coast, however, is home to one such challenge. Kids especially will love navigating their way to the viewing deck in the middle of the Bellingham Hedge Maze at Amaze World in the hinterland town of Tanawha, and seeing trolls, unicorns and dragons come to life via the augmented reality app you can download along the way.

You can ride a steam train there

The Sunshine Coast is one of the few places in Australia where you can step back in time and take a ride on a historic steam train. The Mary Valley Rattler departs from the heritage-listed Gympie Railway Station and passes over the Mary River and past dairy farms on a three-hour return journey to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Amamoor, which has a general store and post office beside a windmill.

It’s home to one of only two everglades in the world

Noosa is home to one of just two everglades in the world.Credit: Tourism Noosa

The only everglades in the world outside Florida – and the only ones without alligators – lie around 40 minutes’ drive north of Noosa Heads. The still, reflective waterways of the Noosa Everglades can be explored via a guided kayak or boat tour from Boreen Point or Elandra Point. The eco-system is a twitcher’s dream, with more than 140 bird species recorded there, including azure kingfishers, white-breasted sea eagles and red-headed robins.

It has Australia’s first underground automated waste collection system

Garbage trucks are a thing of the past in the Maroochydore CBD, where rubbish is instead sucked out of the city by a series of high-tech underground vacuum pipes. Sunshine Coast Council installed the country’s first underground automated waste collection system in the groundbreaking Maroochydore City Centre greenfield development, which is being built by the Walker Corporation.

It has wheelchair-friendly beach mats

An access mat ensures everyone can enjoy the beach.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland.

The Sunshine Coast has quite literally rolled out the welcome mat for people with disabilities, with several beaches featuring non-slip matting that facilitates access for wheelchair users. People riding mobility scooters and parents pushing prams can also benefit from the Mobi-Mats, which can be found in front of the surf club at Noosa Main Beach year-round, and at Coolum Beach and Mooloolaba Beach on weekends and public holidays from September until May.

There are ‘punk’ turtles that breathe through their bottoms

The Mary River turtle is a sight to behold.

Known for the algae that grows on their heads – leading to them being called ‘punk’ turtles – the endangered Mary River turtle is a sight to behold. As well as their striking appearance, the reptiles extract oxygen from gills in their rear ends. They’ve even attracted the attention of Hollywood star Cate Blanchett, who voiced a Mary River turtle puppet in a campaign by the Wilderness Society to save ‘ugly’ animals.

Scooters are abundant

As you would expect in one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations, finding a parking spot at the beach in summer can be a nightmare. To combat this, many locals ride scooters around town instead, especially in Noosa. You can join the cool kids by hiring two-wheeled transportation from Scooter Mania. Ride share e-scooters can also be hired at selected parking hubs along the coast.

The writer was a guest of Visit Sunshine Coast and Visit Noosa.