Introduction

Sunshine Beach is in the heart of Sunshine Coast, a 100km stretch of white sandy beaches on the coast of Queensland.  Once known as Golden Beach, Sunshine Beach is a popular spot for Noosa visitors as it is renowned for it’s incredible surf and sand, stylish boutiques, eateries and easy access to golf courses and tourist attractions.  As the key destination for any surfing safari, this wide-open beach hosts a variety of banks for an endless day at the beach.

Sunshine Beach has something for everyone be it the beach lover, the shopaholic or the family who wants to simply spend some good quality time together, there is something on every corner to make a perfect holiday and escape from the daily grind.  This travel guide offers daily itineraries that suit your interests and needs as well as a collection of information on the delightful destinations that attract visitors from all over the world. 

Shopper’s Paradise

Hastings Street at Noosa Heads is right at your doorstep.  Anyone who’s been to Sunshine Beach has been to Hastings Street for great boutique shopping, comfy bistros, and fine dining.  It’s a promenade of exclusive and interesting shops that display a choice of quality attire that is arguably Australia’s finest.  Hasting Street reflects a village lifestyle away from the city where people are friendly and personable.

Just a 30 minutes drive from Sunshine Beach is the Eumundi Market. It is one of Australia’s leading tourist attractions and is held every Saturday and Wednesday of the year come rain or shine. The towering fig trees give shade to the wide walkways where over 500 merchants display their wares.  There is an abundance of handmade and crafty items as well as organically grown produce.  The Eumundi market is a great place to stroll around and learn about the local artisan work, get some souvenirs for friends back home, and take time for a bite to eat at one of the restaurants.  It’s an international smorgasbord of good eats be it Asian, Mediterranean or classic and fusion Australian cuisine.

Good Eats

After a day at the beach it’s time to head out for dinner and Sunshine Beach has something to offer for everyone’s unique taste. Duke Street has loads of little eateries where you are sure to find something that suits your liking.  Alegria Restaurant and Bar offers Mediterranean and modern Australian meals.  If you’re wanting something a little lighter, try the deli at Café Stella or at Sunshine Foodstore also on Duke Street.

Want an evening on the beach where you can sit, relax, and enjoy the evening sea breeze?  Then go no further than Berado’s on the Beach.  This quaint little bistro is a towel-length away from the sand.  The ambiance is casual so no worries about ridding yourself of the sweat and sand you’ve accumulated through out the day.  Go to Berado’s and enjoy the modern Australian cuisine while watching the evening waves roll along the shore.  The menu is ever changing, and the chef, Shane Bailery, knows how to provide light coastal cuisine using top quality local produce and seafood to quench your holiday palate. 

If you’re ready to hit the hot spots of Hastings Street, then head to Berado’s Restaurant Bar, same owner, same food but with a more elegant touch. The white decor, lush potted orchids, perfectly starched white canvas-covered chairs, taupe and white-striped cushions on the banquettes, suggest a refined tropical elegance.  The menu details everything from entrees, mains up to a seven-course indulgence that is sure to add a kilo or two, but well worth it.

If it’s not seafood you’re after, then head to Ma’Mensa Italian Restaurant, it’s Noosa’s favourite.  The menu relies on the traditional roots of Italian cooking and they’ve got ravioli to die for!   The décor is quite rustic with big tables, a rock wall and wrought iron finishes. It features home made pasta, suckling pig and saltimbocca as well as more contemporary dishes plus thin crust pizzas.

Another favorite is the Lazuli Blue Café.  Established in 1992, it’s a very popular place for locals and visitors. Famous for its 6.00AUD ‘bacon and eggs’ deal, it also offers an extensive breakfast menu.  The cafe also offers other meals including Caesar Salad, gourmet sandwiches and toasted Turkish breads. My drink of choice at Lazuli Blue Café is their spicy Bloody Mary with morning brunch; it’s well worth it!

A Water Wonderland

Hit the Beach and go the Surf Club at the patrolled Sunshine Beach that is open year round to assure safe swimming for you and your family.  Take a surfing class, try parasailing or wind surfing.  At the Surf Club there are weekly raffles, live music in the evenings and a complementary courtesy bus five days a week.  The award-winning Blue Water Restaurant is your best bet for delicious seafood alfresco.  You can eat inside the club, or make a booking for the West Deck to enjoy the magnificent views of the ocean.

There are plenty of water sports to partake in while staying at Sunshine Beach.  Of course there is surfing, but don’t forget about the other favorites such as wake boarding, kitesurfing, and windsurfing.  In Noosa, there are great school that offer different locations based on your needs and/or skill level.  The people at Freeriders Kiteboarding will most likely start you in Lake Weyba if you’re a beginner.  In the lake, the water is waist deep at about 2-3 kms, so it’s great for practicing as the area isn’t affected by the tide.  Another great spot they teach in is at Pumicestone Passage. The people at Freeriders instruct under a permit system on the beach and sandbars that can only be accessed by a support boat.  It’s a great spot because it’s away from other beach and water users and it is open to most wind directions.

For those of you who like snorkeling and scuba diving Jew Shoal at Laguna Bay is one gem you can’t miss.  Jew Shoal is an immense reef complex of canyons and bommies as well as an 11-metre pinnacle.  Sea stars, feather stars, hermit crabs and brittle stars are just a handful of the invertebrates that make up the coral gardens.  Swim through the caves with rugged rocky outcrops and gutters that are covered with coral.  You will also come across butterflyfish, globefish, rabbitfish, soapfish, the sweetlip and bream as you explore this beautiful shoal. 

Saving the best for last, it’s the Noosa Marina on the Noosa River.  They offer Noosa’s largest assortment of marine and nautical based activities.  They have specialists that can take you diving amongst the marine life or discover dolphins during a kayaking trip.  There are boats for hire if you want to go on a fishing trip and escorted tours that can take you to the best spot for fish and crabs.  Take the family on a majestic river cruise or take an adrenalin charged wave-jumping ride!

Golf Courses

The Sunshine Coast is a golfer’s paradise; with 300 days of sunshine a year it’s perfect weather for the die-hard golfer.  Sunshine Beach has championship courses designed by legends such as Australia’s own Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones Junior.  For the more casual golfer there are also various public courses such as regional and par 3 courses in the area that offer great value games.

The Noosa Springs championship golf course is surrounded by Noosa National Park and a beautiful rolling landscape.  It was recently awarded the prestigious UDIA National Presidents Aware as the best development in Australia.  This resort course is perfect for a golfer’s holiday.

The Tewantin Noosa Golf Club was the pioneer of golf in the Noosa area.  Situated in the centre of Noosa Shire, this regional golf course club boasts an attractive 18-hole course and welcomes all standards of players.

The Noosa Par 3 golf course is a great place to get your game in shape before heading to some of the more fancy courses in the area.  You can play all 27 holes for under 20$, but be sure to call ahead as it can get busy.

Beyond the Beach

There is a plethora of activities to take part in around the Sunshine Beach area.  You and your family will love the family fun-park at Aussie World.  There are 30 rides and game, such as dodgem cars, a roller coaster, the classic swinging ship and the second largest Ferris wheel in the southern hemisphere.  There are also plenty of activities for the little ones.  They can go for a spin on the cups and saucers, the mini railway, or the carousel.  After a day at Aussie World, be sure to go to the Ettamogah Pub located right next door.  This famous pub claims to be the most photographed pub in the world.

The Ettamogah Pub is based on an old Aussie cartoon from the 1950’s and it pays tribute to all things quintessentially Australian.  The word “ettamogah” is Aboriginal for “place of good drink,” and this impressive quirky building with a 1927 Chevy truck perched on its roof is a tourist attraction for the whole family.  After a day at Aussie World with the kids, grab some dinner at the pub and mom and dad can have a drink while the kids read the cartoons and explore the crevices of this fun rest stop. Aussie World and the Ettamogah Pub is just a 15 minutes drive from Sunshine Beach.

For you nature lovers you’ve got to go to Noosa National Park.  It features stunning coastal scenery and provides a vital refuge for native wildlife including the koala, glossy black cockatoo, ground parrot and wallum froglet.  Some of southeast Queensland’s most picturesque coastline can be seen in Noosa National Park.  The park includes the popular scenic headland at Noosa Heads, parts of Lake Weyba, Emu Mountain and coastal lowlands extending south towards Coolum.

Who can go on holiday without a glass of Australian wine?  There are two wineries just a stones throw from Sunshine Beach.  The Eumundi Winery and Vineyard is just 2km from the Eumundi Market making it a perfect stop after an afternoon of shopping.  The winery showcases 12 vineyard wines and 100 other premium Australian wines by the glass, bottle, or takeaway.  The Barambah Ridge Cellar and Wine Bar is right on the boardwalk at Noosa Harbour Marine Village.  Here you can enjoy premium Queensland wines in the relaxed waterfront setting of the Noosa River.

Day Trip Itineraries

Beach Lovers Itinerary

• Hit the surf to ride the early morning waves
• Brunch at Café Stella on Duke Street
• Take an afternoon kiteboarding class
• Head to Jew Shoals for relaxing snorkeling after a day on the surf
• Shower up and head to dinner at Me’Mensa.  After such an active day it’s time for a hearty carbonara pasta.

Shopaholics Itinerary

• Early breakfast at Lazuli Blue Café at Hastings Street
• Do some window-shopping on Hastings Street
• 30 minute drive to Eumundi Market.  Get some hand-crafted souvenirs for the family and of course, a little something for yourself.
• Head back toward the beach and stop at Barambagh Ridge Cellar and Wine bar for wine tasting and nibblies.  Be sure to have a look at the Harbourside Markets.
• Be back at the beach by sundown for dinner at Berado’s Bistro

Family Fun on a Budget Itinerary

• Take the kids for an early morning swim and grab a coffee and pastry at Sunshine Foodstore while dad gets in a quick game of golf at Noosa Par 3.
• Picnic lunch at Noosa National Park.  You can spend hours here exploring Lake Weyba and Emu Mountain.  Who will be the first to spot a koala?
• On your way back to the hotel stop at Noosa Marina.  You and the family can partake in some fishing by yourselves or with a coach. Be sure to look at the boats along the enormous 40 metre pontoon berth.
• Have a poolside seafood barbecue at your hotel using the catch of the day from the Marina. 

How to Get There

The sunny Sunshine Coast of Australia is one hour’s drive north of Brisbane.  Sunshine Beach is in the heart of it all, between the Caolundra Coastal Pathway and Fraser Island.  It’s central location guarantees a good time for kids, mom dad, and all friends and family.