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Day Trips from Sunshine Coast: Hinterland to Islands

Explore Sunshine Coast day trips: kayak the Noosa Everglades, visit hinterland villages like Maleny, hike Glass House Mountains, or island-hop Moreton Bay.

By Sunshine Coast Daily · Published 25 July 2026

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Queensland Rail ICE 157 stabled at Nambour Rail Station Sunshine Coast P1110380. Photo: John Robert McPherson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Sunshine Coast's day-trip geography benefits from the region's position between the Moreton Bay islands to the south, the Fraser Coast and Fraser Island to the north, the Glass House Mountains and Sunshine Coast hinterland to the west, and the offshore reef and diving opportunities to the east. The hinterland villages of Maleny, Montville, and Mapleton are among Queensland's finest scenic day-trip destinations, and the Noosa Everglades is one of only two everglades systems in the world.

Noosa Everglades and Lake Cootharaba (60 minutes north of Maroochydore), the Noosa Everglades (part of the Great Sandy National Park) and Lake Cootharaba provide the Sunshine Coast's most unique natural day trip, with the kayak and canoe trails through the paperbark and tea-tree canal system of the Everglades, the Noosa Biosphere Reserve ecology, and the Harry's Hut camping and picnic area providing an extraordinary wetland wilderness experience accessible from Boreen Point on Lake Cootharaba's western shore.

Glass House Mountains (30-45 minutes south), the Glass House Mountains National Park provides the Sunshine Coast's finest volcanic geology day trip, with the summit walks of Mount Ngungun (the most accessible full summit, 1.5 hours return), Mount Beerwah (the most challenging of the regularly climbed peaks), and Mount Tibrogargan providing extraordinary views across the Sunshine Coast landscape. The Glasshouse Country orchid and tropical plant nursery culture and the Beerburrum heritage township add to the day-trip program.

Eumundi Markets and the hinterland (30 minutes west of Noosa), the Eumundi Markets (Wednesday and Saturday) are Queensland's finest artisan markets and provide the Sunshine Coast's most popular single-destination day trip for visitors, with over 300 stallholders selling handmade crafts, fresh produce, art, clothing, and specialty food in the historic Eumundi township. The Maleny and Montville hinterland drive (an additional 30-40 minutes west of Eumundi) adds the mountain views and hinterland café culture to the markets day trip.

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