Mooloolaba

Forget the crowds on the Gold Coast and discover hip and friendly Mooloolaba, with its expansive, unspoilt, sunny beaches in the heart of Queensland's sparkling Sunshine Coast. Enjoying both protected waters and surf beaches, the beach resort is a mecca year-round, with about 300 days of sunshine. Home to a large port and fishing fleet, Mooloolaba is a popular spot for both sailors and holidaymakers. The atmosphere is casual, and designer fashion blends with a pervasive laid back attitude and casual beach attire.

Queensland's Sunshine Coast draws vacationers looking for more laid back charm than the high-rise fast pace of the Gold Coast. Only 100km (62 miles) north of Brisbane, it's popular with city dwellers as a quick getaway, or reef divers who visit the offshore sunken HMAS Brisbane. Families enjoy Queensland's cleanest beaches, while the young and active crowd enjoy lazing on the beach, strolling the cosmopolitan-style esplanade, or surfing the waves. During winter the southern snowbirds migrate north for a taste of fresh seafood, tropical fruits and sunshine.

Mooloolaba is one of Queensland's best kept secrets, a delightful beach community 100km (62 miles) north of Brisbane in the heart of the Sunshine Coast of Australia.

The town sits on a spit of land between the Mooloolaba River and pristine surf beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Inland are rainforests, tall pines and small villages dotted throughout the countryside enroute to the spectacular Glass House Mountains.

Wide, white sandy beaches and aquamarine waters are great for swimming, body or board surfing or just lazing under a hot Australian sun. Patrolled swimming areas are marked by lifesaving flags. The Esplanade running along the beachfront is abuzz with coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques. Joggers and sightseers begin the day at sunup under cloudless blue skies. Mooloolaba has been voted cleanest beach on Queensland's coast in recent years. Best surfing is 10 minutes up the road at Alexandra Heads.

Test your mini-golf skill at Top Shots (corner Maroochydore Road and Allora Drive, Maroochydore), or get an adrenaline charge on go-karts or the Bungy Bullet at Big Kart Track (Glass House Mountains Tourist Drive, Landsborough). The Aussie World FunPark features Australian icon Ettamogah Pub, plus many theme park rides (Frizzo Road, Palmview). Experience the ultimate wildlife adventure at the Australia Zoo, home of the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin (Glasshouse Mountains Tourist Route, Beerwah). Find your way out of the unusual star-shaped English-style Bellingham Maze (Tanawha-Tourist Drive, Tanawha), then relax over a Devonshire Tea of scones, jam and clotted cream with a pot of brewed tea.

Offshore is great wreck diving at the sunken HMAS Brisbane, or whale watching from mid-July to November. Sunset dinner cruises feature fresh-caught seafood on balmy evenings under Southern skies.

Mooloolaba's beaches are clean and safe, patrolled in flagged areas by surf lifesavers. Enjoy beach walks, fishing tours, swimming, surfing, snorkelling and jet-skiing. UnderWater World Oceanarium, at Mooloolaba Beach's Wharf complex (Parkyn Parade), is Queensland's largest aquarium, showcasing over 25,000 sea creatures. Slip into scuba gear to swim with the sharks or seals, or follow the moving walkway through the acrylic glass tunnel with sharks and tropical fish swimming on all sides. The Mooloolaba Harbour River Canal Cruise departs from the wharf and passes some of Australia's most expensive real estate.

Sunshine Plaza Shopping Centre, a 15-minute bus ride to neighbouring Maroochydore, offers the whole range of shops, from designer stores to swimwear, food court and movie theatres (corner Horton and Maroochydore Road, Maroochydore). Fashion boutiques, galleries and speciality stores are found in local Mooloolaba resorts and along the Esplanade, featuring jewellery, giftware and designer clothing.

The Spit area bordering the harbour is popular prowling for singles on weekends. The Wharf Tavern (still called Friday's by locals) (Parkyn Parade), is sexy and sophisticated, and the town's party mecca. Zink's (77 The Esplanade) is the perfect start for dinner and cocktails, then partygoers can hit the dance floor at Vibes (Beach end of Brisbane Road).  Zachary's (17 Brisbane Road) is a trendy spot serving late night pizza and drinks.

Flanking the surf beaches is Mooloolaba's Esplanade, perfect for alfresco dining at the great array of restaurants or coffee shops. Local two-storey Mooloolaba Surf Club (The Esplanade), one of the oldest surf clubs in Australia, is a great lunch or dinner spot on the beachside deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Mooloolaba is a fishing port, so fresh seafood is readily available. A cheap meal of the Aussie favourite, fish 'n' chips, can be bought at the wharf and eaten on benches on the beach dunes.

Choose from award-winning Italian fare to Zink's Bar & Restaurant (77 The Esplanade, Mooloolaba), famous for its tapas and Spanish salsa.

Local bus service links Mooloolaba with neighbouring towns. Mooloolaba's activities are walking distance from most accommodation. Many attractions in the region offer free shuttles from the wharf area. Trains and buses connect the Sunshine Coast with Brisbane.

Take a day trip to Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island and a World Heritage site. Explore its inland rainforests and coloured deserts by 4-wheel drive, swim in crystal-clear freshwater lakes, and discover its diverse ecosystem and abundant wildlife.

Tour Queensland's fertile hinterland to the spectacular Glass House Mountains, a series of steep-sided eroded volcanic plugs rising dramatically from the surrounding plain. Ideal for hiking or abseiling. Tropical fruits, vegetables and macadamia nuts grow abundantly in the region.

Indulge in the ultimate pampering treat at The Waterfall Day Spa (The Landmark Resort, Mooloolaba) (website: www.waterfalldayspa.com.au), with the Chocolate and Roses Retreat spa package (imagine a Hungarian chocolate body wrap!). Or go for an adrenaline rush on a deep sea fishing charter, as you haul in the big one that won't get away, with Mooloolaba Reef & Game Charters (33 Jessica Boulevard, Minyama).

Brisbane International Airport (BNE)
Maroochydore/Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY)