The Most Wonderful Things To Do In Noosa, Queensland

Noosa was one of my favourite places to visit on the entire east coast of Australia. It’s home to stunning beaches, national parks and one of only two everglades in the world. If you’re looking for inspiration ahead of a visit, you’ll find it here in my guide to the most wonderful things to do in Noosa.

My wife and I visited so many beautiful places during our nine month road trip in Australia yet whenever anyone asks me what my favourite place was I’m always drawn back to Noosa; an effortlessly stunning destination on the East Coast.

Located on the Sunshine Coast, around 140km north of Brisbane, Noosa features white sand beaches with their own micro-climates, a headland so gorgeous it’s a national park, one of only two everglade systems in the world and a laid-back atmosphere that makes it extremely welcoming for visitors. Add in Noosa’s tropical climate with year-round sunshine and warm temperatures, it’s not hard to fall in love with this place.

There are so many great things to do in Noosa that I’ve attempted to cover the highlights here to help you plan your trip whether you’re a budget backpacker on a road trip or flying in for a luxurious break.

THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO IN NOOSA

NOOSA NATIONAL PARK

Without doubt, the best thing to do in Noosa is to spend time in the beautiful Noosa National Park; all 4,000 hectares of it. The national park covers the headland (and then some) and incorporates various different walking trails. We set out in the morning to tackle the 5.2km return coastal track to Hell’s Gates; past Tea Tree Bay Beach, Dolphin Point Lookout (yes, we saw dolphins) and the infamous Fairy Pools. Keep your eyes peeled for koalas and, between July and Novermber, humpback whales during their annual migration.

Honestly, Noosa National Park is so breathtaking that I would recommend visiting Noosa if only to walk the coastal tracks here!

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MAIN BEACH

Any trip to Noosa wouldn’t be complete without spending time on Main Beach, chilling out and enjoying its own micro-climate where the temperature here is often a few degrees higher than on Hastings Street. You can learn to surf here too or, if you’re basically a kid like me, you can just splash about and swim around!

HASTINGS STREET

Hastings Street is the beating heart of Noosa filled with boutique shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels. It’s where nearly every visit to Noosa begins (especially if you park at Lions Park) and you’ll find something for everyone here! I loved strolling up and down Hastings Street, popping in whichever store look my fancy (Noosa Longboards was my favourite) before planning our next move either to Noosa National Park or Main Beach. Also a great place for an ice cream!

FOOD & DRINK

Now that I’ve mentioned Hastings Street, the main strip in Noosa, we might as well talk about the food and drink scene here. Many of the best places to eat in Noosa are situated on Hastings Street given just how accessible it is. Cafe Le Monde is a Noosa institution (having been here since 1986) for brunch and coffee, Bang Bang Noosa serves up high quality Asian food and El Capitano for pizzas. There are plenty of places to grab an ice cream too to help you cool down. You can grab a good drink pretty much anywhere in Noosa but Miss Moneypenny’s comes recommended and you can definitely grab a cold beer in Noosa Surf Club with beachfront views.

NOOSA EVERGLADES

Within the Great Sandy National Park is the Noosa Everglades, one of only TWO everglades eco-systems in the world (the other being in Florida, USA). If you get chance when you’re here then you cannot miss a trip into the Everglades. It was on my bucket-list to kayak through the tropical wetland system but we were on such a limited budget we couldn’t afford to. It remains one of my biggest regrets when visiting Australia and hopefully one day I can tick this off. Don’t make my mistake; it honestly looks incredible.

EUMUNDI MARKETS

Eumundi Markets are a must-see when heading to Noosa. You’ll find them around 20km south west of Noosa Heads and, every Wednesday and Saturday, the crowds pile in to browse stalls upon stalls featuring local crafts, artisan produce, clothing as well as food and drink. Bear in mind the market is absolutely huge so it could easily fill a morning but you can’t complain if you grab a great coffee and plenty of goodies! Emma still wears an anklet with a little turtle on that we bought from here!

THE BIG PINEAPPLE

As we drove around Australia, we made a point (as I’m sure so many others do) of stopping and photographing as many of Australia’s famed ‘Big Things’ and, not too far from Noosa, you’ll find the Big Pineapple. It’s a Big Pineapple, there’s not much else to say really is there!

There is a park there where you can pay for a treetops adventure among other things if that takes your fancy.

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AUSTRALIA ZOO

A little further afield, 70km to the south, but still well-worth visiting during your time in Noosa is the world famous Australia Zoo. By the time we visited Australia Zoo, we were pretty zoo-ed out to be honest. We’d visited Melbourne Zoo, Dubbo Zoo and various other animal sanctuaries whilst travelling north so felt a little despondent with planning another trip to a zoo. However, Australia Zoo is an icon for good reason. This is Steve Irwin’s zoo and for me growing up he was an absolute hero. I am so glad to this day that we didn’t skip Australia Zoo; honestly the best zoo I’ve ever visited and the crocodile show in the Crocoseum was legendary.

Tickets are $69.95 for adults, $44.95 for children and entry is free for under 3’s.

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WHERE TO STAY IN NOOSA

When we visited Noosa we were, quite unfortunately looking back now, on a strict budget during our attempted lap of Australia in our campervan. That meant we were always on the look-out for free camp spots and we found that one around a 20 minute driver away the other side of the A1. For up to date information on the availability of free camps, we used the WikiCamps app.

However, now that we would be able to return with a little more money in our bank accounts, we would certainly be looking for the best places to stay in Noosa and both Peppers Noosa Resort and the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort are right up our street.

Well, after all that, hopefully you’ve been able to draw some inspiration and I’ve helped with planning your trip to Noosa. I loved Noosa so much and I know for a fact my wife would move to the area given half a chance. Either way, I’m sure we will be returning in the future looking for more of the best things to do in Noosa.

If you have any thoughts or recommendations yourself, please let me know in the comments below.

WHERE NEXT?

Ok, let’s be honest, it’s taken me long enough to find the time to publish guides covering my time in Australia. Now though, the majority of them are linked below, so wherever you’re heading you’re likely to find what you need below!

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