Exploring slow travel-style experiences with kids in Queensland, Australia.
The Sunshine Coast Hinterland was a highlight of our family trip to Queensland, Australia. We’re sharing what we loved the most during our five day stay in this memorable region.
What is Hinterland?
In Australia, the “hinterland” refers to the area lying just inland from the coastal regions of the country. These areas are often more rural, quiet and beautifully scenic. In Queensland, these areas are also mountainous, with volcanic plugs and gentle, green, rolling hills making for quite the contrast with the coast. The forests, farms, waterfalls and small towns of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland are quite different from the bustling cities lining the beaches. Head to the hinterland for a slower, more peaceful pace.
Where to stay
We based ourselves in the quirky, kind-of-lovely little town of Palmwoods. Highly recommend if you don’t require too much in the way of shopping and amenities. Super central to everything you’ll want to do in the region, quiet and featuring a handful of memorable, low-key restaurants, it was perfect for us.
We found an incredible rental place on VRBO nestled in to the bush. We had an entire bottom floor, outdoor kitchen and shower, pool and the best evenings full of starry skies and kookaburra calls. So good.
To me, Australia seems to be a treasure trove of unique, memorable places to stay. Check out some of the cool options on VRBO and see for yourself.
Choosing a rental home over a hotel may seem like a bit of a gamble, but we find it always provides a way to better connect with a place. A slow travel approach to vacation works really well when your entire family can stay together, have a place to hang out in the evenings, and share an easy meal together.
If you’re unsure, check out our article on how to book a great vacation rental home.
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Favorite things to do in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland
Time spent in the hinterland is inevitably full of nature and slow paced small towns. While there are a few major tourist attractions in the area, we were completely content to skip those and just spend the days hiking, walking, swimming, and grabbing easy lunches from small town cafes. If that’s your vacation vibe, then this area will be a dream for you.
Explore the small towns
Maleny, Montville, Kenilworth, Palmwoods & Conondale are all small communities tucked into the rolling hills worthy of an afternoon or lunch break wandering through.
We loved sandwiching a leisurely lunch and coffee break between national parks in the mornings and afternoons. Montville was a favorite for my crew, as it had the most to offer in terms of quirky shops and restaurants.
CC Favorite: Rick’s Garage was our favorite weird and wonderful place to grab food or milkshakes in downtown Palmwoods. Definitely recommend if you’re in for a classic diner feel.
National Park to your hearts content
There are so many options here, and you really can’t go wrong with what you choose. Australian national parks are much smaller in scale than U.S. parks, so it’s easy to drop into one in the morning, choose a trail, then head out to another in the afternoon.
Kondalilla National Park
We did the Kondalilla Falls Trail, which wanders through rain forest and leads to the perfect swimming hole – our perfect day! Make sure to pack bathing suits and towels and get creative with finding a place to change. You really don’t want to miss swimming in a place like this.
Kondalilla is super close to Montville, so pairing these together is a no brainer.
Mapleton Falls National Park
A quick stop for a view and then a hike through eucalyptus forest trying to spot koalas (harder than it sounds) was a great afternoon activity for our crew. Even your kids are tired, the Mapleton Falls Viewpoint is an easy place to get out and explore for a few minutes before heading on.
Booloumba Creek Day Use Area
We parked our car outside of the park and walked in (prepare to cross two small creeks either on foot or with your 4WD) to the Booloumba Creek Day Use Area. Near the camping grounds, you’ll find easy swimming access to the creek. The water is an incredible color and provides refreshing and fun swimming. Our kids loved jumping off rocks and into the deep sections of the creek.
We also did the Gold Mine Track trail that leaves right from the Day Use Area and takes about 2 hours – just enough time to build up a good sweat for the creek swimming.
Booloumba is located inside of Conondale National Park, so there are also other options for hiking.
Glass House Mountains National Park
Head to the Mount Ngungun trail for a short, but rewarding hike to catch some views. Then, head to Maleny and the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve for a picnic, coffee/ice cream break and the rainforest walk that leaves right from the park.
Venturing to the coast
One of the best things about Queensland is the close proximity of hinterland to the stunning coastlines of Australia.
We were constantly struck by the fact that we could be living our best mountain lives one hour, and then be fully immersed in surf culture within 45 minutes.
So, if you’re staying in the hinterland and are missing those ocean views, it’s easy to fix with a quick drive. Total win.
Favorite beaches from the hinterland
Noosa Heads
From our base in Palmwoods, Noosa Heads and Noosa National Park were a quick 40 minute drive. I’ve raved about it in other Australia posts, but this place is a dream. This place is popular for good reason, so expect to spend some time sorting out parking. Arrive early morning or later afternoon to find parking within the national park, which allows four hours of parking time until the evening. Be sure to walk out through the national park trails to access the more remote beaches for those intense Australian beach vibes.
The Noosa Everglades are also supposed to be incredible to access by kayaks, but because of high winds during our trip, all kayaking was cancelled. Would love to go back to take this trip one day.
Bribie Island
Bribie Island is an easy trip with miles of accessible beaches. Head to Bribie if you don’t want to fuss with the parking situation of Noosa. You’ll find ample parking and beach access points, from a guarded section close to the town park, to remote sections to feel all alone within Bribie Island State Forest.
What we didn’t get to…
As always, when you adopt the slow travel approach of trying to truly enjoy each place, you have to leave a few things on the table. If we are lucky enough to find ourselves back in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, these would be first on our list.
Eumundi Markets – supposed to be an incredible set up of artists, food and live music that I would love to see.
Australia Zoo – we didn’t want to pay the price for tickets because we had plans to go to a smaller sanctuary outside of Brisbane later in the trip, but I heard great things about the educational programs and shows from Brisbane locals. I’m sure it would be a fit for kids of all ages.
More National Parks! – there are seriously so many, you could spend weeks traveling, hiking, swimming and deciding your favorites. The parks website is a great place to check in for advisories and alerts regarding the environment – an important thing to be aware of in Australia.
Hoping you’ll consider a slow travel vacation in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland if you’re heading to Queensland this year. It’s a special place your family will truly fall in love with.
More on Queensland, Australia!
