Brisbane to Airlie Beach road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
Brisbane to Airlie Beach road trip: The Sunshine Coast
The Brisbane to Airlie Beach road trip continues through the Sunshine Coast region. Here, the beach towns such as Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Noosa have most appeal. Click through for separate guides, although if picking just one, go for visually stunning Noosa.
Things to do in Noosa include surfing at Little Cove, shopping on Hastings Street, or finding koalas in Noosa National Park.
For other activities, try going on a cruise through the Noosa Everglades, a whale-watching tour, a surfing lesson or marine life-viewing from a speedboat.
Top Noosa accommodation choices include Seahaven Noosa, Habitat Noosa and Sofitel Noosa.
12 fantastic Sunshine Coast experiences to book now
- Taste coffee and ginger, do rainforest walks, and visit the best lookouts on a highlight-packed hinterland tour.
- Take a serene Noosa Everglades cruise along the mirror-like waterways – or canoe through the Everglades.
- Learn to surf at a Sunshine Coast surf school – or try paddleboarding instead.
- Combine sight-seeing and thrills on a fast boat tour.
- Go e-mountain biking on the downhill trails of Tewantin National Park.
- Kayak with dolphins as part of a beach 4WD tour.
- Explore the Sunshine Coast from above on a seaplane flight.
- Take an indigenous cultural tour – with bush tucker tasting.
- Visit the region’s best craft breweries and distilleries on a drinks tasting tour.
- Go jetskiing through the gorgeous Pumicestone Passage.
- Taste wines, cheeses and chocolates on a hinterland food tour.
- Watch migrating humpbacks on a whale-watching cruise.
Stay close to the highway, however, there are still a handful of attractions. Such as the Aussie World theme park near Caloundra and Buderim Falls in Buderim.
Meanwhile, Yandina rustles up Asian cooking classes at Spirit House, walking tracks on Mount Ninderry, produce-tasting at the Ginger Factory and a photo-perfect swim at Wappa Falls.
The Yandina Markets are also here, but the Eumundi Markets are a better experience.
Click for the next section: Gympie and Rainbow Beach attractions.