Embrace your inner foodie with this road trip through Noosa and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Day One

Morning

Commence your foodie road trip through the Sunshine Coast Hinterland on the coastline. It’s the beaches for which this region two hours north of Brisbane have become famed. No trip here is complete without bidding hello to Noosa’s Main Beach, a family-friendly sand strip where surfers, swimmers, and sunbathers congregate. It’s best to start your day with breakfast at Bistro C, the iconic beachfront establishment just metres from the sand.

Afternoon

Take a stroll through Noosa National Park, keeping an eye out for koalas along the way. Work up a sweat making your way to the lookout dubbed Devil’s Kitchen, where you can take in an outstanding view of Alexandra Bay, Sunshine Beach, and beyond. On your way back into town, quench your thirst with a beer at the historic Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club.

Evening

Enjoy the bright lights of Hastings Street, and the cluster of award-winning fine diners which reside in this region. A foodie road trip through the Sunshine Coast Hinterland can’t omit a visit to the sophisticated venues which have long flocked here, like the sustainable seafood at Season, or Whisky Boy for an afternoon bite. Fancy something a little more casual? Make way for Somedays Pizza instead. Rest your head for the night at Fairshore, with apartments right on the sand.

Day Two

Morning

Get your caffeine fix at the Padre Flagship in Noosaville, before you begin your journey through rolling hills that surround the beaches of Noosa. The Sunshine Coast Hinterland has become a popular destination for foodies thanks to it bursting at the seams with edible opportunity.

Like those in Kin Kin, the quaint town 40 minutes drive from Noosa Heads, that was born from timber farming but today has much more to do with dairy. Drop by the Kin Kin General Store while in town, the home of a hearty restaurant and farm shop Black Ant Gourmet where an array of condiments, dips and ready-made-meals sit.

Afternoon

Spend your afternoon driving your way around the combination of waterways and produce-rich properties that call this place home. After a lengthy drive you’ll no doubt be feeling thirsty - whet your whistle at Pomona Distillery, the small-batch business specialising in artisan spirits that’s made a home for itself in the historical Pomona Bakery.

Evening

Tuck yourself into the Noosa Hinterland for the night with a stay at Mayan Farm Kin Kin. On this 100-acre working property you’ll find a central pavilion sleeping up to eight, alongside two self-contained suites, all surrounded by a large variety of roaming livestock, from cattle, to sheep and muscovy ducks. Each individual villa has been constructed from rammed earth and recycled timbers including railway sleepers, old bridge timbers.

Day Three

Morning

Head south, jumping aboard the Blackall Range Hinterland Drive, a road which weaves through the townships of Montville, Mapleton, Cooloolabin, and Maleny along the way. Make a pit-stop in Maleny where eateries are bountiful, and include the likes of coffee haven Shotgun Espresso. An all-day breakfast and lunch menu will greet you here, alongside a deli cabinet rich with sandwiches and baked goods, not to mention the Campos coffee.

Afternoon

For lunch why not make a picnic, utilising the creations of the local region. Drop by Maleny Dairies to grab yourself some fresh milk, cream or yoghurt and take a tour of the grounds. Not the fromagerie which forms a part of Maleny Food Co back in town, neighbouring the overflowing shelves of health food store Maple Street Co-Op Society Ltd.

Evening

This foodie road trip through the Sunshine Coast Hinterland would do you a disservice by not mentioning local favourite Brouhaha Brewery. After opening in 2016, this small scale beer specialist boasts not only a brewery, churning out its creative takes on ale, but a brewpub in which you can try them for yourself. Sink a Maleny Lager, or a Strawberry Rhubarb Sour, with a side of pub grub.