Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Another Great Walk
The stunning Fraser Island World Heritage Area is the location for the sec-
ond of Queensland's six Great Walks (p. 323). To open in June 2004, the
Fraser Island Great Walk
(
&
07/5459 6114;
www.env.qld.gov.au) will pro-
vide a continuous winding track from Dilli Village to Lake Garawongera.
The main trail will be 85km (53-mile) long and take 6 to 8 days to com-
plete, but there are off-shoots which provide short, full day, overnight,
and 2- to 3-day walks. The walk will take you to many of the island's pop-
ular landmarks such as Lake McKenzie, Central Station, Wangoolba
Creek, Valley of the Giants, and Lake Wabby.
3 restaurants; 4 bars; 4 outdoor saltwater pools (heated main pool has water slide for the kids); day/night
tennis courts; Jacuzzi; watersports equipment and fishing tackle for hire; kids' club; game room; tour desk,
babysitting. In room: A/C (hotel rooms only), TV, kitchen (villas only), fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron,
washing machine and dryer (villas only).
8 The Sunshine Coast
Warm weather, miles of pleasant beaches, trendy restaurants, and a relaxed
lifestyle attract Aussies to the Sunshine Coast in droves. Despite some rather
unsightly commercial development in recent years, the Sunshine Coast is still a
great spot if you like lazing on sandy beaches and enjoying a good meal.
The Sunshine Coast starts at
Caloundra,
83km (51 miles) north of Brisbane
and runs all the way to
Rainbow Beach,
40km (25 miles) north of
Noosa
Heads
, where the fashionable crowd goes. There's a wide range of accommo-
dations, from inexpensive motels and holiday apartments to AAA-rated five-star
hotels and resorts.
Most of the Noosa's sunbathing, dining, shopping, and socializing takes place
on trendy Hastings Street, Noosa Heads, and on the adjacent Main Beach. The
commercial strip of Noosa Junction is a 1-minute drive away; a 3-minute drive
west along the river takes you to the low-key town of Noosaville, where Aus-
tralian families rent holiday apartments. Giving Noosa a run for its money in
recent years is the newly spruced up Mooloolaba, about 30km (19 miles) south,
which has a better beach and about 90 great restaurants.
A short drive away, in the hinterland, mountain towns like
Maleny, Montville,
and
Mapleton
lead to the stunning beauty of the
Glass House Mountains,
a
dramatic series of 13 volcanic plugs.
SUNSHINE COAST ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
If you're driving from Brisbane, take the Bruce Highway
north to Aussie World theme park at Palmview, then exit onto the Sunshine
Motorway to Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, or Noosa Heads. The trip takes about
2 hours.
Sunstate Airlines
(book through Qantas) has two or three flights daily (trip
time: 30 min.) from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast Airport in Maroochydore,
42km (26 miles) south of Noosa Heads.
Qantas
flies direct from Melbourne.
Henry's Airport Bus Service
(
&
07/5474 0199
) meets all flights; door-to-door
transfers to Noosa Heads are A$15 (US$9.75) for adults and A$8 (US$5.20) for
kids 4 to 14, one-way. Bookings are not necessary for arrival pickups but should
be made for transfers back to the airport about 24 hours ahead.
