The Sunshine Coast, or the Sunny Coast as it's colloquially known, is a peri-urban area and a holiday city comprising of several settlements in South East Queensland. It has a population of around about 400,000, making it Queensland's third largest settlement behind Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and the ninth in Australia. If the Sunshine Coast had to be described in six words, it'd be "budget alternative to the Gold Coast".
Renowned for its relaxed approach to Queensland life, the Sunshine Coast is famous for its uncrowded white sand beaches and green scenery. Stretching for nearly 70 km (43 miles), the Sunshine Coast falls within the Sunshine Coast Council's jurisdiction and provides for a great (and popular) escape from Brisbane, or the Gold Coast. The city is also a holiday spot even for Queenslanders and the Sunshine Coast is a great place to relax, unwind and taste the amazing local produce. One notable difference from other cities is that the Sunshine Coast is not one city, but rather a series of towns and cities that make up the settlement.
Translink is responsible for all trains, buses, ferries and trams in South East Queensland and regional urban buses. The website and app can be used to plan a journey, including full navigation and real time updates. Apple Maps and Google Maps provide a similar experience. A 50-cent flat fare applies to any journey, regardless of mode or distance, with a limit of 3 transfers. The only exception is an Airtrain journey to or from Brisbane Airport which costs $22.30 (June 2025), with a 15% discount for booking online. Refer to the website for other discounted fares.
1 Caloundra Lighthouses, 3 Canberra Terrace, Kings Beach. Two lighthouses both quite historic (at least, in Queensland terms), that were designed to light up the passage to the North-West channel. There's a volunteer organisation that manages the lighthouse, and on occasion, you can pay $2 to go to the top. (updated May 2022) 2 Eumundi Museum, 73 Memorial Dr, Eumundi (corner of Gridley Street and Memorial Dr), ☏ +61 7 5442 8762. Tu–Sa 10AM–3PM. A local history museum with many old photographs of historical Eumundi, Indigenous artifacts from the region, old documents etc. There is also a small art gallery, but behind the museum.
Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk. 58 km walk through the Blackall Ranges, starting from Lake Baroon near Montville. Subtropical rainforest, tall open eucalypt forest and picturesque waterfalls. Entire walk takes 4 to 6 days. Call ☏ +61 13 13 04 to book campsites, which have water, toilets and platforms. (updated Jun 2025) Sunshine Coast Skydivers. Go Karting. Maleny Community Centre, ☏ +61 7 5499 9033. Maple Street right in the centre of town. Movies, plays, weekly Sunday markets, annual May Maleny Arts and Crafts Fair and many other activities. Information centre open daily (updated Jun 2025) Maleny Dairy Tours, ☏ +61 7 5494 2392. 70 McCarthy's Road.
As befits a seaside city, seafood is very popular and there are many fish and chip shops around in every reasonably population centre situated along the coast. Though the Sunshine Coast is a budget destination, everything in the Sunshine Coast is still very pricey if you're on a budget, and while you could certainly get away with a meal under $20 per person, if you add starters, dessert or soft drinks to your meal, it will certainly cost more than $40.
Caloundra RSL, 19 West Terrace, ☏ +61 7 5491 1544. Winner Queensland Club of the Year for the 4th time (Clubs Queensland Awards). Winner Best Food Venue in Queensland for the 5th time (Clubs Queensland Awards). (updated Jun 2025) The Barn on Flaxton (Country Cafe), 445 Flaxton Drive (4 km north of Montville), ☏ +61 7 5445 7321. 8AM to 5PM. Home baking is their specialty – Home baked apple pie, scones, quiche or chunky beef pie with garden salad. (updated Jun 2025) 1 Maleny Hotel, 6 Bunya St, Maleny, ☏ +61 7 5494 2013. Su–Th 10AM–9PM, F Sa 10AM–10PM. A small bar with a beer garden. Cocktails start from $15, while there is a good range of all kinds of wines.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Sep, Sunshine Coast typically sees ~23°C daytime highs and 4 rainy days.
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