If your idea of heaven is going on driving day trips, then Coolum at the Beach is a really great spot to base yourself while you explore this beautiful area of the Sunshine Coast.

To give you some ideas of the drives you can take from Coolum Beach and inspire you to find more - here are two fabulous driving destinations in the hinterland to add to your list:

Montville and Maleny
Dominating the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast are the Blackall Ranges, named after the second Governor of Queensland, Samual Blackall. And nestled in the hinterlands, just 40km south-west from Coolum is the historic town of Montville with scenic Maleny a further 20km south.

Spend your day in Maleny pottering around the local art galleries or craft stores, wander around the stunning Botanic Gardens and partake in an Aviary Tour, hike up to beautiful Kondalilla Falls, dine in one of their many excellent restaurants, and end the day with a visit to the popular Maleny Cheese Factory.

In Montville, visit the Clock Shop – an awesome display of 100’s of old clocks, the fabulous Maleny Chocolate Co. where they make handmade treats, visit the local pottery studios or drive on up to Lake Baroon Pocket Dam and have a lazy picnic.

The Mary Valley
The Mary Valley is tucked in behind the Blackall Ranges. Just 20km west of Maleny, you can drive up from your Coolum accommodation to the Mary Valley through Conondale, where the headwaters of the Mary River start. This is a beautiful part of the country with a long winding drive through scenic pine forests, rocky crags and rich farming lands.

Then cruise on up through Kenilworth and on to Gympie – a pleasant 70km drive through some of the most stunning country in the south-east.

Kenilworth is a small country town with a population of around 300. So take a break here and taste the locally made and award winning cheese and yogurts from Kenilworth Dairies, pop into the historical museum or take a bush walk through the forest reserve with its deep gorges, mountain streams and waterfalls.

If you are in Kenilworth during Easter then celebrate the Cheese, Wine and Food Festival with the locals or do something really different and go to the Kenilworth Show and Rodeo in September.

Once at Gympie, visit the Gold and Mining Museum and pan for gold, ride the Mary Valley Rattler, or swim in the Mothar Mountain rock pools.

These are just some of the scenic drives you can do on your Coolum Beach holiday.

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The scenically abundant Sunshine Coast Hinterland and the charming towns of Maleny and Montville are a must do day trip from Coolum. With an average elevation of 450m, the cooler temperatures in the hinterland offer a cool change from the coast.

Maleny, Montville and surrounding areas, consist mainly of lush green farmlands and are rich with skilled artisans. The arts and crafts in both villages are an art lover’s delight.

Maleny

Maleny boasts a great variety of restaurants, cafes and fine dining options, both in the town and on its outskirts. But there is also the Maleny Dairies that sell a great range of products and have a cafe with drinks and snacks. They also have a large grassed area for the kids to play and offer farm tours and factory rides. Then there's Maleny Cheese Boutique Cheeses that is a popular place to buy all sorts of different cheeses and yoghurt products. They currently have 19 cheeses and 12 yoghurts on offer.

Enter the Big Barrel, home to Maleny Mountain Wines and MacLeod Brewing Company. The 8 metre high wine barrel show room offers wine and beer tasting as well as an all day bistro menu filled with local produce from the hinterland region. They also have a lovely garden setting that offers wonderful views of the Glass House Mountains.

Take a stroll around Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve walking trails, comprising of 55 hectares of subtropical rainforest overlooking the Glass House Mountains landscape. The Reserve is a living museum of diverse plant and animal life and is located just outside the town of Maleny.

Montville

Montville is Maleny’s sister town, and the more shopping orientated of the two, with its main street lined with a wide variety of shops. Its location on the range overlooking the Sunshine Coast, makes it a popular place to stop and take photos or have a picnic lunch.

Maleny and Montville are located 50kms west of Coolum in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Ask our friendly reception staff for driving directions and suggestions for things to do and see in this scenic region.

Plan your Sunshine Coast holiday with us here at Coolum At The Beach located an easy 50 metre stroll from the beautiful azure waters of Coolum Beach. Select from an array of accommodation with one, two or three bedroom apartments or luxurious three or four bedroom villas in a resort setting.

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Peregian Beach Square is a lush, intimate local haunt that maintains its ‘village’ roots but with a modern ‘boho’ edge that will definitely become ‘the’ discovery of your Sunshine Coast holiday.

You’ll not see Peregian Beach appearing on many ‘must see’ tourist maps. Discovering the place can be a challenge with local directions following the lines of “... south of Noosa but if you keep driving and hit Coolum beach, you’ve gone too far.” However, once you unearth this hidden gem, it will be an ‘X’ on your map.

In the 1960’s the square was a swimming pool and the current shape of the square owes its origin to the pool. And just like the pool its still a favourite place to visit for locals and Sunshine Coast holiday makers alike.

The local community is alive and thriving, the square exudes a genuine warmth and friendliness. Wanderers should be warned that too long in this small slice of Eden may end in a ‘sea change’ - not always a bad thing :).

So, what to expect when meandering through the square? Well there really is something for everyone. Food, fashion, arts and craft. Here’s some of our favourite ways to spend a lazy half day at Peregian Beach Village Square.

Best Peregian Beach Restaurants
The range of cuisine and international eats here is humbling. This multicultural melting pot produces some of the best Thai, Aussie Cuisine, fresh seafood, Sushi, baked goods and pizza on the Sunshine Coast.

Here are our Peregian Beach dining recommendations: For long lazy lunches and memorable moments shared with friends head to 'Bask'. 'Hand of Fatima' serves up a tasty breakfast that will keep you coming back and if you feel like spoiling that someone special try 'Pitchfork Restaurant' for a modern Australian cuisine that will tempt you to lick the plate clean, or 'Periwinkle' for French Mediterranean inspired cuisine.

Peregian Beach Coffee
The humble flat white has been perfected at Peregian Beach Square and the scattered cafes offer a great vantage point to see a ‘typical day’ unfold. Watch as surfers make their way from the waves and head into the square to grab a quick bite, grab a cup to go and play in the park with your family or find the shade of a tree and master the art of deep relaxation.

Peregian Beach Shopping
The Peregian Beach Village Square also has a well deserved reputation for boutique shopping. From modern wares to perfectly adorn any home, to one-of-a-kind children clothes and unique pieces from local designers. Update your style and get the look!

Peregian Beach Markets
If you’re holidaying during the first and third Sunday of the month, you’re in luck. The Peregian Beach Markets are a great experience for locals and visitors alike. Find the perfect knick-knack for someone special or pick up some local flavour with organic produce.

Thinking of visiting? Peregian Square is an easy 10 minutes drive from your Coolum at the Beach apartment or villa.

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Hit the road and enjoy a Sunshine Coast scenic drive along the stretch of coastline that extends for 60 kilometres, or into the lushness and greenery of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

There are plenty of options with spectacular scenery, golden sandy beaches and estuaries, thundering waterfalls, ancient rainforests and diverse wildlife to see. Scenic Sunshine Coast day trip itineraries include:

Sunshine Coast Coastal Strip

Head south and drive all the way down to Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast Motorway and check out this family friendly town boasting six spectacular beaches. Spend the morning strolling along the boardwalk that fringes the beaches, stopping for coffee at a cafe or a picnic in one of the beachfront parks.

Jump back in the car and get on Nicklin Way that takes you all the way to Mooloolaba and Maroochydore, where you can check out the beautiful beaches, stop for lunch and maybe drop a line in the Maroochy River.

Once you leave Maroochydore turn onto David Low Way and head back to Coolum, but don’t stop yet, as there are plenty more beaches and beach towns to be explored north of Coolum. There’s Peregian Beach, Marcus Beach, Castaways Beach, Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Beach, until you reach the resort town of Noosa Heads. You can easily wile away several hours here in this trendy little town.

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve

Just outside of Maleny in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is a remnant of the rainforests that once covered the Blackall Range, The Reserve is a living museum of diverse plant and animal life which will delight with its tranquillity and beauty. The forest is home to a wide array of Australian flora and fauna and is perfect for bushwalking. Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is located at 148 Mountain View Road, Maleny, a distance of 51 kilometres from Coolum.

Maleny & Montville

One of the most popular day trips is to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and the charming towns of Maleny and Montville. With an average elevation of 450m, the cooler temperatures in the hinterland offer a cool change from the coast.

Maleny, Montville and surrounding areas, are mainly lush green farmlands and are rich with skilled artisans. There is a huge arts and crafts industry in both villages that is a big drawcard to the area, with galleries, markets and shops selling the unique pieces of art.

Kondalilla National Park

Head out to the scenic Blackall Range and the Kondalilla National Park. The park is named after the spectacular Kondalilla Falls, where Skene Creek drops 90 metres into a rainforest valley.

Kondalilla, an Aboriginal word meaning 'rushing waters', describes this park's waterfall during the summer wet season. More than 107 species of birds have been seen in the park, and 70 species of reptiles and 32 species of frogs have been recorded from the Blackall Range.

Here you can take a hike on one of the several short walking tracks provided in Kondalilla National Park, 40 kilometres from Coolum.

The Glass House Mountains
For some of the most dramatic mountain scenery, discover the scenically abundant Glasshouse Mountains, 57 kilometres south west of Coolum. The scenery will unfold before your eyes as you drive into a series of 14 mountains, including Mt Tibrogargan, Mt Beerwah Mt Coonowrin and Wild Horse Mountain. Stop off at the Visitor and Interpretive Centre then head out on a series of walking trails with scenic lookouts such as the Glass House Mountains Lookout Circuit, Trachyte Circuit and Wild Horse Mountains Track. Or for the adrenalin junkies there are rock climbing adventures at Mt Tibrogargan and Mt Ngungun.

Mapleton National Park Forest Drive

Mapleton National Park is 49 kilometres west of Coolum. Take a drive to the northern end of the Blackall Range, to a forest reserve that is responsible for protecting diverse forest species such as bunya pines, tall open blackbutt forests and piccabeen palm groves.

On your way through Mapleton Forest Drive, stop at Poole’s Dam and take a walk to the top of the waterfall to get a beautiful view of the forest valley. There are a number of short walks (400 to 800m) in the National Park. The Forest Drive ends at Point Glorious where you will be treated to a spectacular view of the coastal area and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

The Sunshine Coast region boasts lots of opportunities to get out on the road on a scenic day trip. Drive along the coastal or mountain roads, and take in the breath taking views.

Discover more of the Sunshine Coast on a scenic day trip!

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