What are the best things to do in Noosa, Queensland?

The best things to do in Noosa, Queensland, include surf schools, kayaking on the waterways, shopping on Hastings Street and koala-spotting in the Noosa National Park.

Noosa, Queensland, is arguably the best beach town in Australia. As with many Australian beach towns, Noosa’s initial appeal comes as a surf spot. Near the top of the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane, Noosa has several beaches facing in different directions. Noosa Main Beach faces north-east, Little Cove Beach faces north-west, Sunshine Beach faces south-east. And so on.

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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.

Things to do in Noosa, Queensland: Surfing lessons

This means that there’s almost always good surf at one of them, and local surfers are often out at dawn making the best of the conditions. Learning to surf is, unsurprisingly, one of the best things to do in Noosa. There are several surf schools offering lessons for beginners. These include Merrick’s, Surfdancer and Go Ride A Wave.

But Noosa isn’t just about the beaches. It is built around a maze of crocodile-free waterways, which look fabulous, especially when the sand bars are exposed.

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Cruise the mirror-like waterways of the Noosa Everglades – a glorious glide through stunning natural landscapes.
4WD along the beaches – AND kayak with dolphins on a day tour full of easy adventure.
Take a dolphin-watching safari down the Noosa River.
Have a go at kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding or waterbiking.
Take a tasting tour of the local craft breweries and distilleries – find out how the locals have devoted themselves to quality.
Get standing on your board by the end of a beginners’ surfing lesson.

Noosa waterways — The winding waterways are part of what makes Noosa special. If picking a caravan park in Noosa, you want to be near the water. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Things to do in Noosa, Queensland: Kayak hire

These waterways are ideal for exploring by kayak, stand-up paddleboard or boat. There are several watercraft hire outlets, but probably the most convenient is Noosa Heads Boat Hire at the back of the Sofitel Resort. An hour’s kayak hire costs $20, although prices vary by size of vessel and length of hire. If you fancy a paddleboard instead, but haven’t a clue what you’re doing, SUP Noosa offers lessons.

Noosa is a strange agglomerate of several smaller towns. Noosa Heads around Noosa Main Beach is the glamorous end where attention tends to focus. Further down the Noosa River, Noosaville is a little more family-focused, while Tewantin has a strange mix of budget, wild and high end luxury.

Noosa Heads is home to most of Noosa’s restaurants, plus one of Australia’s most famous shopping streets. Hastings Street is lined with fashion and designer beachware stores. The Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort and Seahaven Noosa are also here.

If I can do just one thing in Noosa, what should it be?

The Great Beach Drive – a four wheel drive adventure up Teewah Beach towards Double Island Point – is fantastic on its own. To go kayaking with dolphins as part of the same trip makes for a genuinely superb day out.

Take it as a massive personal recommendation – the Great Beach Drive plus Kayaking With Dolphins day tour should be at the top of your Noosa wishlist.

Things to do in Noosa: Noosa National Park

The Noosa Heads section of the Noosa National Park lies just to the east of Hastings Street. There are some fabulous walking tracks here, some stringing together a series of coastal lookouts, others heading inland where the koalas sleep in the trees. Little Cove beach is near the park entrance, while the Laguna Lookout is to the south.

Other things to do in Noosa include chilling out in the Noosa Botanic Gardens.

There’s also a selection of day tours. One of the best heads up the Noosa River into what is known as the Noosa Everglades. You can explore the forests and lakes by boat or kayak, or go glamping at Habitat Noosa.

Another excellent option is the Great Beach Drive. This involves a 4WD tour along Teewah Beach to Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach after crossing the river on the Noosa North Shore Ferry. There’s a good chance of spotting whales and dolphins along the way.

Sunshine Coast hinterland

You don’t really need a tour to visit the Sunshine Coast hinterland from Noosa. Good options include the Kondalilla National Park in Montville, Gardners Falls in Maleny and, on Saturday mornings, the massive Eumundi Markets

The drive from Brisbane to Noosa takes just under two hours, while the Noosa to Hervey Bay drive takes around two hours and 15 minutes. Accommodation options include Noosa caravan parks, apartments and plush resorts. The Noosa weather is at its best in September.

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