Visit 9 Beautiful Places in Nature on the Sunshine Coast

There is so much to see on the Sunshine Coast, but sometimes the most beautiful and tranquil parts of nature are overlooked. Here, you’ll find a selection of the best parks, waterfalls, and zoos that showcase nature on the Sunshine Coast.

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A car is necessary to navigate this vast area easily.

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All prices and times were accurate when this information was written or updated; however, please verify the details on the websites before your visit.

Popular Spots on the Sunshine Coast

Noosa National Park

There are 15km of walking tracks here in the Noosa National Park, which will keep you busy all day.

The most popular track is the 10.8km return coastal track, which takes you to beaches that are inaccessible by car. On this walk, you might catch sight of dolphins and humpback whales between June and November.

How To Get Here

You can access Noosa National Park by keeping to the right of the beachfront at Park Road, Noosa Heads. It’s a 900m drive down to the car park and information centre.

Mt. Coolum

You must be physically fit to complete the 1.6km return walk up Mt. Coolum.

It doesn’t take long on this track for the stairs to start, and they don’t get any easier as you go up. I haven’t gone to the top, maybe a third of the way, as there isn’t any barrier or handrail, and I’m not good with heights, and it’s so open. The steps are uneven, and I get very uneasy on winding, bumpy, exposed steps. Be aware of your limits.

The views from the top are supposed to be 360° over the Sunshine Coast, from the beach to the hinterland.

How To Get Here

The car park to the Mt Coolum summit walk is located at Jarnahill Drive, off Tanah Street W, which is off David Low Way.

Buderim Falls

This walk on the Sunshine Coast has a great reward at the end: the rock pool at Buderim Falls, a popular swimming hole. Also known as Serenity Falls, this walk features two tracks leading to the falls: Harry Lane, off Upper Lindsay Road, and Quorn Close, located at the lower end of Lindsay Road.

The Harry Lane entrance has a large car park. This is also where Harry’s on Buderim, the fine-dining restaurant, is located.

The track gets a bit off-road and will be hard to get through if there has been a lot of rain, as you have to clamber over rocks in the water.

Your reward at the end is the falls and the cool waters of the swimming hole on a hot day.

The Quorn Close entrance has a small car park, but it is a quicker walk than Harry Lane. Only a 15-minute walk on this track takes you down an incline and some natural rock stairs.

You cross the Serenity Bridge, which has excellent views of the falls. There isn’t much water coming off these falls (unless there has been heavy rain), as Buderim is a hill and not particularly high. However, it is a beautiful place to visit, especially for families.

How To Get Here

The upper entry point is via Quorn Close, which runs off Lindsay Road at the top of Buderim. This takes you directly onto the Forest Loop Circuit. If you want to walk through the Bushland, Harry’s Lane is the best option, which is off Lindsay Road.

SeaLife Sunshine Coast, Mooloolaba

Like other Sealife’s around the world, Sealife Sunshine Coast offers you the chance to get up close with marine animals.

There are 11 hands-on, educational exhibits here. From Tidal Touch Pools to the Seahorse Sanctuary and Seal Island, there is something for everyone here.

To get an even better view of these animals, take a walk through the Ocean Tunnel and see sharks, rays and all types of fish float over the top of you.

Talks, Experience and More

Click here to find the talk times to learn more about the marine animals here. Also, do you want to come face-to-face with a shark or swim with a seal or penguin? You can find more information on that and more from that link as well.

Hours

Hours depend on school holidays, so check the schedule at the time you want to visit.

Closed ANZAC Day (25th April) and Christmas Day.

Prices

Click here to find the admission and experience prices for your visit.

If you buy a Merlin Unlimited Access Pass for 12 months, you will also have access to these 8 attractions in Sydney, Melbourne, Mooloolaba and Auckland, New Zealand:

• Madame Tussauds Sydney
• WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
• 4 SEA LIFE aquariums – Auckland, Mooloolaba, Sydney and Melbourne.
• LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Melbourne
• Sydney Tower Eye

How To Get Here

SeaLife Sunshine Coast is located at Mooloolaba Wharf, where you will find plenty of free parking for 4 hours. It’s a 5-minute walk from Mooloolaba Beach at the southern end.

Wildlife HQ and the Big Pineapple

Wildlife HQ is another great little zoo on the Sunshine Coast, located where the Big Pineapple is in Woombye. If you take in the zoo, Big Pineapple, and Treetop Challenge, you can spend all day in this area.

With only 200 animals, you won’t need all day to visit, but it can take 2-3 hours if you take your time.

You have a small train, which goes up to the Big Pineapple from a couple of stations at the zoo.

The Big Pineapple’s new attraction for the adventurous is the TreeTop Challenge, a high rope and zipline course through the bush.

There are about 120 activities across the 2km course, with challenges including a 120m zipline. The course will take around half a day to complete. PLEASE NOTE: BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL.

The car park is at the Big Pineapple, and you take the train to the zoo.

Wildlife HQ Hours

• Daily
  • 09:00 am–04:00 pm Last entry 3:00 pm
• Closed Christmas Day

Wildlife HQ Night Tour

Friday and Saturday nights at 6.30 pm for 1 hour.

Train Hours

• Daily
  • 09:00 AM–04:00 pm Last train at 3:30 pm

Big Pineapple Hours

• Daily
  • 09:00 am–04:00 pm

Prices

Click here for more prices.

Night Zoo

Click here for more prices.

How To Get Here

Wildlife HQ Qld is located at 76 Nambour Connection Rd, Woombye. You will see the Big Pineapple, and this is where the car park is. Signposts will direct you off the highway.

Kondalilla Falls

Kondalilla Falls is a very popular walk, not only on weekends but also during the week.

You’ll need moderate fitness for this walk in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, especially if you want to go to the very bottom of the falls. The walk from the car park to the picnic grounds is steep and downhill, but at least it is sealed.

The sealed path goes nearly to Picnic Creek, with a lovely view from the path before you start to head up.

The path goes up some stairs, then it’s a slight to no incline to the 300 steps down to the rock pool and the bottom of the falls. You can take a slight detour to view the valley or wait until you get to the rock pool.

You can either walk back up the 300 steps or take the path down to the bottom of the falls. If you’ve returned to the steps to take the left path down, you’ll have views of the falls.

Once you reach the bottom, you can return to the other side as this circular track returns to the rock pool. You can take a break here before tackling the 300 steps back to the track, eventually taking you back to the car park.

The Kondalilla Falls circuit is 4.7km long, and you should allow 2.3 hours. Hopefully, along the tracks, you’ll see some of the local wildlife that calls this place home.

How To Get Here

Kondalilla Falls car park is small, but you can park along Kondalilla Falls Road leading up to the park. Signposts on Flaxton Drive mark the turn-off so you won’t miss it.

Gardner’s Falls

Gardner’s Falls is not a challenging walk, just a lovely stroll beside the Obi Obi Creek for 400 metres in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

Calmer pools are safe for kids as long as parents keep a close eye on them. At the falls, there is a deeper waterhole, which is popular with teenagers and adults.

The track ends at the drop, but if you are confident about going “off-road”, you could scramble beside the waterhole.

The car park isn’t huge and will fill up quickly on the weekend. You could bring a picnic to one of the many sites along the Obi Obi River.

How To Get Here

An excellent car park is at the end of Obi Lane, off Landsborough Maleny Road.

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve

The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Rainforest Discovery is a 55-hectare subtropical rainforest that is great for families of all ages.

BBQs, picnic tables, and parkland are available, or you can visit the Mountain View Cafe to enjoy lunch or a snack. Remember to put your rubbish in the bin or take it home.

Above the Cafe, you can enjoy views over the Glasshouse Mountains. It is accessed from either the stairs or a lift.

A gold coin donation will allow you to enter the rainforest through the interactive gallery. Here, you can learn about the area’s geology, fauna, and flora.

There are no steep inclines and only a couple of stairs now and then to negotiate. Some areas have boardwalks helping to protect the fragile environment.

Keep an eye out in the undergrowth for Pademelons and all the birds flitting about the branches. Also, watch out where you’re stepping, as snakes and lizards may be on your path.

Rainforest Walks

• 7.00 am – 6.00 pm daily. Locked daily after sunset.

Rainforest Discovery Centre Hours

• Open daily
  • 09:30 am–03:30 pm
• Closed Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Mountain View Cafe Hours

• Daily for Breakfast and Lunch
• Monday-Friday
  • 08:30 am–04:30 pm
• Saturday-Sunday
  • 08:00 am–05:00 pm
• Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

How To Get Here

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is located at 148 Mountain View Rd, Maleny. You will have signposts at the turn-off, and you can’t miss the park entrance with a large car park that fills quickly on the weekend.

Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World

The Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World are just eight minutes from the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Rainforest Discovery Centre.

Over 18 acres of beautiful gardens, with ponds and viewpoints across the Glasshouse Mountains, are available for you to wander around freely.

The park is steep in parts, but if you have mobility issues, you can hire a buggy to get around.

When you have finished walking around the gardens – or maybe when you arrive – there are three aviaries to walk through.

Guided tours take you through these huge aviaries with the birds flying freely around you.

Birds big and small are on show, but be prepared for them to land on you. If you wear jewellery, especially earrings, it’s best to take it off before the birds do. These cheeky feathered friends will use their beaks to rip any earrings from your lobe for themselves.

After seeing the birds, you can continue around the gardens or enjoy a snack at the cafe, which has views across the Glasshouse Mountains. You could also bring a picnic to one of the many gazebos or the parklands.

Hours

• Open 7 Days a week
  • 09:00 am–04:30 pm
• Closed Christmas Day

Aviary Tour Times

• 10:30 am
• 11:30 am
• 01.00 pm
• 02:00 pm
• 03:00 pm

Additional tours may be added during peak holiday periods.

Prices

For entry prices to the Gardens, Aviaries and Farm Friends, click here.

How To Get Here

Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World is located at 233 Maleny Stanley River Rd, Maleny. It is a hidden entrance and a long, steep driveway to the car park at the bottom.

Australia Zoo

Back down the mountain in Beerwah, you’ll find Australia Zoo.

Australia Zoo is home to the Crocodile Hunter and Crocodiles. You’ll see the Crocodiles performing in the Crocoseum and the birds in flight show.

Shows are timed during the day, so you can see all the animals here, including Otters, Tigers, and everyone’s favourite, the Koalas, up close and awake.

It’s an easy walk around 1000 acres, where you can explore animals from all over the world. The zoo has been divided into zones: Africa, Wetlands, Bindi’s Island, walk-through exhibits featuring Kangaroos and Koalas, Snakes, and the Tiger Temple.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital is in the car park. You can see the operating theatres, recovery areas, and animals there.

Hours

• Daily
  • 09:00 am–05:00 pm

Bedtime for some animals is 4.30 pm.

Prices

For prices, check their website here.

How To Get Here

Australia Zoo is located at 1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah. Signposts line the road from the Bruce Highway to the door.

You can easily drive from Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, or the Gold Coast and park in a large car park.

You can arrive by train and alight at Beerwah Train Station. The Australia Zoo shuttle meets most trains.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoy visiting these natural attractions on the Sunshine Coast and taking a break from the city to explore the hinterland.

Caution

Queensland is the world’s skin cancer capital, so always bring sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses, even in winter. Don’t forget your water.

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Links

If you’d like to read more of my blogs about Australia, you can find them at the following links: Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Camping, and Silo Art. If you’re after New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or Photography, you can click on their links.

Travel Resources

• All-in-One Travel App—Klook is for all your travel needs, from tickets to attractions to sim cards to fast-track through customs and immigration.
• Flights & Accommodation—You can search for the cheapest flights and accommodation using AviaSales, Booking.com, or Tripadvisor.
• Car Hire—In Australia, you can use Budget Car Rentals Australia or Avis Car Rentals Australia or in New Zealand, Budget Car Rentals New Zealand or Avis Car Rentals New Zealand.
• Camper & RV Rentals—Want a quieter pace exploring Australia and New Zealand in your own accommodation? Jucy Rentals and Star RV Rentals will give you an unforgettable travelling experience.
• Travel Insurance is the number one thing to pack when you’re travelling. Cover-More Australia, Cover-More New Zealand, EKTA, Travel Insurance Master, and Insubuy provide insurance coverage during your travels.
• Attractions—buy before you leave home with these great sites: Big Bus Tour, Get Your Guide, GoCity and Viator.
• SIM cards—Try Airalo, the world’s first eSIM store, which solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving travellers access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards).
• Power Stations—Bluetti Australia Power Stations are your choices for sustainable, eco-friendly power on the road or at home.

• If you’re interested in learning more, try my Travel Links and Resources page.

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