Six drives worth doing — from the laid-back coastal strip between Caloundra and Noosa, to the winding hinterland roads that climb through rainforest to waterfalls, ridge-top villages, one of Queensland's most beloved bakeries, and a quiet lake hidden behind the hills above Cooroy.
The most straightforward Sunshine Coast drive, and the one that gives you the best feel for how the coast is strung together — each beach town with its own character, separated by headlands, river mouths and National Park. You could rush it in an hour and a half, or take the whole day stopping at every beach. The second approach is considerably better.
Caloundra — Kings Beach & Golden Beach
Start at the southern end of the coast. Kings Beach is a protected surf beach with a heritage ocean pool — one of Queensland's finest. Golden Beach and Bulcock Beach face the calm, tidal Pumicestone Passage rather than the open ocean, and are worth a short detour for the views across to Bribie Island.
Mooloolaba Esplanade
The Coast's most popular café and restaurant strip, right on the beach. Grab a coffee and walk the foreshore. The underwater world of SEA LIFE Mooloolaba Aquarium is here, and whale-watching boats depart from the harbour in season (June–November).
Cotton Tree, Maroochydore & Alexandra Headland
Cross the Mooloolah River into Maroochydore — the Coast's commercial hub — and continue through Cotton Tree (a long, grassy foreshore park popular with families) to Alex Headland, where a small point break draws surfers and the elevated lookout gives a good view up and down the coast.
Coolum Beach
A quieter beach town built around a south-facing bay with a decent beach break. Mount Coolum — an isolated volcanic dome — rises dramatically behind the town and is climbable (steep, ~45 min return, outstanding coastal views).
Peregian Beach & Marcus Beach
Two of the Coast's most low-key villages. Peregian's main street is a handful of excellent cafés, a good bookshop and a weekly Sunday market. The beach here is long, uncrowded and backed by pandanus palms — the classic Sunshine Coast beach aesthetic.
Noosa Heads
End at Hastings Street, Noosa's main drag. Walk up through Noosa National Park to the headland for the coastal views, or wind down at one of the restaurants overlooking the river or beach. Noosaville and the river are a short drive further — worth it for the Sunday market and the riverside café culture.
Tip: The inland road (David Low Way / Sunshine Motorway) is faster; the beachside route via Nicklin Way and David Low Way stays closer to the water and is where all the good stops are. Use Google Maps and choose the coastal road at each junction — it's worth the extra minutes.
Route 2
The Hinterland Villages Loop
The classic Sunshine Coasthinterland drive — from the valley markets of Eumundi through the winding Blackall Range road to a string of ridge-top villages with sweeping coastal views, artist studios, tea rooms and lookouts. The range road itself is the main event: narrow, shaded, climbing steadily with glimpses of the coast through the trees, and the characteristic smell of eucalyptus and damp rainforest soil after rain.
Eumundi
Start here, especially if visiting on a Wednesday or Saturday for the famous markets. The town has a good craft brewery, several cafés and the kind of slow, artisanal pace that sets the tone for the rest of the drive. Take Eumundi-Kenilworth Road west out of town to begin the climb.
Mapleton
The first hinterland village on the Blackall Range. Small and unhurried — a pub with range views, a bakery and the start of Mapleton Falls National Park. The short walk to Mapleton Falls (600 m return) is well worth the stop: a 120-metre plunge into a rainforest gorge, best in the morning before the light swings away.
Flaxton
A blink-and-miss-it village between Mapleton and Montville, but it holds one of the hinterland's nicest garden restaurants and the trailhead for the Kondalilla Falls circuit — a beautiful 2.7 km loop through sub-tropical rainforest to a waterfall and a deep, clear swimming hole.
Montville
The hinterland's most visited village, perched on the range rim with views east to the coast on clear days. The main street is lined with galleries, boutiques, chocolate shops, tea rooms and the odd antique store — it can be busy on weekends but has charm in spite of itself. Stop at the lookout at the southern end of the village.
Maleny
A working dairy town that has retained a more genuinely local character than Montville. Good cafés, an excellent independent bookshop (Mary Ryan's), a craft brewery and the spectacular Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World nearby. The view from McCarthy's Lookout on the edge of town — across the Glasshouse Mountains and the coastal plain — is one of the best on the range.
Glass House Mountains & return
Descend from Maleny via the Steve Irwin Way (Landsborough Maleny Road), stopping at the Glass House Mountains lookout on Old Gympie Road for the full panorama of all eleven peaks. From here it's a straightforward run back north along the Bruce Highway to wherever you started.
Tip: Do the loop anticlockwise (coast → Eumundi → Mapleton → Maleny → Glass House) so you finish with the descending range views in front of you rather than behind. The late afternoon light on the Glass House peaks driving north makes for a good ending.
Route 3
Waterfalls & Rainforest
A full day dedicated to the hinterland's waterfalls and natural swimming holes — the route that rewards the most on the first really warm day of the year, or after a week of rain when the falls are running hard. Most of the falls are on or just off the Blackall Range road and can be combined into a single loop. See the Waterfalls & Swimming Holes guide for full trail details at each stop.
Gardners Falls, Maleny
Start early — the most popular swimming hole on the range. A broad, shallow series of cascades over basalt rock with a deep pool at the base. Busy in summer but a short walk from the road, and the water is usually clear and cold. Arrive before 10am to beat the crowd.
Kondalilla Falls, Flaxton
The hinterland's most dramatic waterfall — a 90-metre drop through subtropical rainforest. The circuit walk is 2.7 km with a steeper scramble to the base pool. Worth the effort: the falls run year-round and the swimming hole is one of the most beautiful on the range.
Mapleton Falls
A 120-metre cascading waterfall visible from a short walk just off the Mapleton township. More viewpoint than swim — the valley is too steep to access easily — but the scale is impressive after rain. A great five-minute stop.
Alatai Falls, Mapleton Forest Reserve
Less visited than Kondalilla and worth seeking out. A series of smaller cascades and a quiet rock pool in shaded forest, reached by a short trail from the Mapleton Forest Reserve carpark. Often has the place to yourself on weekdays.
Baroon Pocket Dam & Lookout
Not a waterfall, but a good final stop. The dam wall lookout above Lake Baroon looks west into the forested hills toward Kenilworth country — a wide, still view that's especially good in the late afternoon gold. There's a picnic area below the dam wall where a short walk follows the creek into the reserve.
After rain: Waterfalls run hardest in the days following significant rain. The hinterland receives most of its rainfall November to March, so the wet season falls are spectacular — but trails can be slippery. Good shoes with grip are worth it.
Route 4
The Kenilworth Donut Run
A beloved local tradition — the drive out through the Mary Valley to Kenilworth, home to one of Queensland's most quietly famous bakeries, is a rite of passage for Sunshine Coast residents and a very good half-day out for visitors. The destination matters, but so does the road: the valley drops away from the hinterland range into open cattle country, the highway narrows to a two-lane thread through farms and state forest, and there's a particular quality of stillness to the Mary Valley that the coast doesn't have.
Yandina or Eumundi — head west
Pick up Eumundi-Kenilworth Road from either Yandina (off the Bruce Highway) or Eumundi township. The road climbs briefly through cane fields and hobby farms before dropping into the valley proper. About 45 minutes to Kenilworth from the coast.
Lake Baroon lookout (optional detour)
A short detour south off the main road adds a good elevated view across the dam and forests — worth five minutes if you haven't done Route 3.
Conondale
A tiny settlement in the valley — a pub, a handful of houses, cattle properties hemmed in by national park. The Conondale National Park trailheads are here for those wanting a short bush walk before arriving at the bakery.
Kenilworth Bakery
The reason for the drive. The Kenilworth Bakery has been operating since the 1950s and has developed a reputation across South East Queensland for its old-school filled donuts — custard, jam and cream, made to a recipe that hasn't changed in decades. The pies and sausage rolls are also excellent. There is usually a queue. There is always a car park full of motorcycles and families. It is exactly what it should be.
Kenilworth town & cheese
Kenilworth is a small dairy town in the Mary Valley — the valley's rich basalt soils have been grazing country for over a century. Kenilworth Dairies produces award-winning cheeses from local milk and is worth a visit if open. The Kenilworth General Store stocks local produce. Walk along the Mary River behind the main street before heading back.
Return via Mapleton & the range
Rather than returning the same way, take the Mapleton-Kenilworth Road back east — it climbs steeply through open forest to the Blackall Range at Mapleton, joining the hinterland village loop if you want to extend the day, or dropping back to the coast via Nambour.
🍩 The donuts: The Kenilworth Bakery opens early and the famous filled donuts often sell out by midday on weekends. Get there before 11am or go on a weekday to be safe. There is nowhere else to get quite the same thing.
Route 5
North to the Cooloola Coast
The drive north from Noosa into the Cooloola section of Great Sandy National Park is the closest thing the Sunshine Coast has to a genuine wilderness road trip. The sealed road ends at Noosa North Shore and the beach begins — and from there north it's either 4WD on the sand or a short hop by 4WD ferry across the Noosa River. The Cooloola Coast is the 45-kilometre stretch of undeveloped beach between Noosa and Rainbow Beach, backed by coloured sand cliffs, freshwater lakes, wallum heathland and the vast quiet of national park.
Noosa North Shore ferry
The Noosa River ferry at Tewantin carries vehicles across to Noosa North Shore — a quiet, undeveloped beach community on the park's southern edge. The ferry runs daily and costs a few dollars per vehicle. From the north shore, the beach drive begins.
Teewah Coloured Sands
About 15 km north of the ferry, the cliffs behind the beach reveal layers of coloured sand — ochres, creams, rusts and deep reds stained by mineral deposits over millions of years. Pull over and walk up the beach for a closer look. The colours are most vivid in morning and late afternoon light.
Lake Poona
A small perched freshwater lake behind the dunes, a short walk from the beach. The water is tea-stained by tannins but crystal clear — an excellent swim stop. It sees far fewer visitors than the famous lakes on K'gari.
Rainbow Beach
The township at the northern end of the Cooloola Coast, perched above the beach on a ridge of coloured sand. A small, friendly town with excellent fish and chips, a good bakery and the departure point for the Inskip Point ferry to K'gari. The view from the cliffs above the main beach — the coloured sands, the surf, the vast flat blue of the Pacific — is genuinely spectacular.
Carlo Sand Blow
A short walk from Rainbow Beach township leads to the Carlo Sand Blow — a large, active sand dune that has migrated inland over the centuries and now sits above the township. The dune is accessible via a 1.2 km walk through forest, and the view from the top across the Cooloola wilderness and coastline is one of the best-kept secrets in the region.
4WD required: The beach drive from Noosa North Shore to Rainbow Beach requires a 4WD with a national park vehicle permit (available online through Queensland National Parks). Tyre pressure should be reduced to around 20 PSI for sand driving. The route is only suitable during low tide — always check tide times before setting out. If you don't have a 4WD, Rainbow Beach is also accessible by sealed road via Gympie (~2 hours from Noosa).
Route 6
Pomona, Cooroy & Lake MacDonald
A quieter, unhurried half-day loop through the inland foothills just west of Noosa — the kind of drive that rewards those who aren't trying to tick off major attractions. The towns of Cooroy and Pomona sit in the gentle hill country between the coast and the main Blackall Range, and have a different, more workaday character to the tourist villages further south. Lake MacDonald, the reservoir that supplies Noosa's water, is tucked into the hills above Cooroy and rewards the short detour with real stillness — a wide, glassy lake ringed by eucalyptus forest, with almost nobody else there.
Cooroy
The natural starting point for this loop, a 25-minute drive inland from Noosa. Cooroy is a working hinterland town — unpretentious, with a good main street, a Saturday morning market and the striking Old Butter Factory, now repurposed as an arts and community space. The Cooroy Mountain Smoke House is worth a stop for smoked meats and local produce. From Cooroy, take Lake MacDonald Road south-west out of town toward the dam — it's only about 6 km.
Lake MacDonald
The reservoir opens up suddenly at the end of a leafy road — a large, peaceful body of water backed by forested hills, with a picnic area and boat ramp at the southern end. There's no swimming (it's a drinking water catchment) but the quiet here is its own reward. Walk the short track along the foreshore, watch for herons and cormorants working the shallows, and take a few minutes to simply sit. On a still morning the reflections are exceptional. Return to Cooroy the same way and continue north toward Pomona.
Pomona
A small railway town 10 minutes north of Cooroy that has retained its original character almost completely intact. The main street is a single block of timber shopfronts — a bakery, a couple of cafés, a general store and the crown jewel: the Majestic Theatre, which opened in 1921 and is now the oldest operating picture theatre in Australia still showing silent films. Friday nights are silent movie nights with live piano accompaniment — one of the most genuinely atmospheric nights out in the hinterland. Even if you visit mid-week, the building itself is worth a look.
Pomona market & surrounds
A Saturday morning market sets up in the park beside the town hall — smaller than Eumundi but with good local produce, plants and handmade goods. The area around Pomona is farming country: macadamia orchards, ginger farms and cattle properties. The road north out of Pomona toward Kin Kin is particularly scenic — open views across rolling green hills that feel nothing like the coast 20 minutes away.
Kin Kin (optional extension)
Continue 15 km north of Pomona along the Kin Kin Road to reach Kin Kin — one of the region's most tucked-away villages, a scattering of timber houses, a pub and the Kin Kin General Store, which stocks local honey, jams and coffee. The drive through is the point as much as the destination: the road winds through farmland with wide views east toward the coast. Return via Pomona and Cooroy to close the loop, or continue west toward Gympie if extending the day.
Friday night tip: The Majestic Theatre's silent film nights run most Friday evenings — check the schedule at majesticpomona.com.au and book ahead in winter when they fill up. Combine with an early dinner in Cooroy or Pomona and you have a genuinely memorable evening out that most visitors to the Sunshine Coast never discover.
Planning Your Drive
The hinterland routes (2, 3 and 4) are best April to October when the days are cooler and clearer — the range view from Maleny across to the Glass House Mountains needs a low-humidity day to be at its best
Waterfalls run best after rain, so the wet season (November–March) delivers bigger cascades — trade the clear skies for roaring falls
The Blackall Range road is narrow and winding — allow more time than Google Maps suggests, and slow down for the bends; cyclists use the road regularly
Fuel up before heading to Kenilworth or the Cooloola Coast — services are limited once you leave the main highway corridor
Sunday markets align well with both the coastal strip (Noosaville, Peregian, Eumundi alternate Sundays) and the hinterland (Maleny, Mapleton, Montville in season)
All six routes can be combined over a 3–4 day trip from a single Sunshine Coast base — coastal one day, hinterland the next, Kenilworth or the Pomona loop the morning after
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Waterfalls in Detail
Trail lengths, swimming conditions and the best time of year to visit every waterfall in the hinterland — all in one place.
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Glass House Mountains
The volcanic peaks make a natural bookend for the hinterland loop — history, Dreaming stories and the hike options for each peak.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best road trip from the Sunshine Coast?
The Hinterland Loop is the most popular road trip from the coast — drive up through the Glass House Mountains, follow the ridge through Maleny, Montville, Mapleton and Nambour, stop at lookouts and waterfalls, and return via the Bruce Highway. The full loop takes 4–6 hours including stops. For a longer trip, head north to Noosa and the Cooloola Great Sandy Region, or south through the scenic hinterland to Brisbane via the D'Aguilar Range.
How far is the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane?
The Sunshine Coast is approximately 100 kilometres north of Brisbane. The drive takes around 1 hour 15 minutes via the Bruce Highway to Caloundra, or closer to 1 hour 30–45 minutes to reach Noosa. The Sunshine Coast is also accessible by train to Nambour, with connecting bus services to the coast, making it an easy day trip from Brisbane or a weekend getaway.
What day trips can you do from the Sunshine Coast?
Excellent day trips from the Sunshine Coast include Fraser Island (K'gari) via Rainbow Beach (2.5 hours north), the Whitsunday region for a longer drive, Montville and Maleny in the hinterland (45 minutes inland), the Glass House Mountains National Park, and south to Brisbane (1.5 hours). The Noosa Everglades day tour from Noosa Heads is also a popular full-day excursion without needing to leave the region.