22 ways to do the Sunshine Coast on a student budget

Own joggers? Good! Because that’s all you need to climb the Sunshine Coast’s lofty peaks – Mount Coolum, Mount Ngungun, Wild Horse Mountain Lookout, and Mount Cooroora. Although they may look appealing to the ultra-adventurous, the local Indigenous people ask that you don't scale Mount Tibrogargan or Beerwah, and stick to the treks around their base. 

If you’re up for more epic adventure, lace up for a section or the entirety of the Sunshine Coast Great Walk, which promises 58.8kms of walking wonderland broken up with camping spots along the way.

2. Find balance on a SUP

For $25 well spent, head to Cotton Tree and stand-up paddleboard along the Maroochydore River with Ocean Addicts. If you want to shake up your SUP session, you can also take your weekly meditation ritual to its very own floating studio with Ocean Addicts’ SUP yoga.

After an hour on the water, you’ll be in good stead to follow the walkway to Picnic Point and around to discover Chambers Island where you can have your own tropical island moment, free of charge.

3. Learn to surf

The Sunshine Coast is blessed with more than a few incredible surfing spots (check out this surfing guide for the best places to catch a wave). So naturally, you’ll want to get in there and see what all the fuss (and fun) is about.

If you’re just starting out, let the Sunshine Coast’s soft waves become your training ground. To learn the tricks of the trade, check out these surf schools. A two-hour beginner’s surf lesson will set you back no more than $70.

If you’re really serious about surfing, instead of splurging on a new board, you can pick up a near-new second hand surfboard for a price comparable to hiring one. This option will keep your hip-pocket happy, and your new toy will become a great souvenir that inspires you to get out on the water every chance you get. 

4. Play ping pong

A little friendly competition always lends itself to a good time. Rather than being cooped up indoors, the Sunshine Coast prefers to play outside. At Cotton Tree, you’ll find not only free ping pong tables by the water, but basketball too.

5. Spend the Night(s) on Ocean

For a first course of live music and a second course of cheap street food, check out Nights on Ocean in Maroochydore.

This evening market takes over Ocean Street every first Friday of the month and you can grab anything from BBQ sliders to chicken katsu bao, and all for less than what the average visitor would spend on breakfast on this sunny coastline.

6. BBQ and boat

You probably thought the last thing your budget could afford you was a trip out on a boat. But it can. Jump onboard a BBQ Boat (yes, it comes with a built-in barbecue) and cruise along the Noosa River.

With a group of up to 11 friends, a packet of snags and a full esky, you can power up your 25 horsepower, 4 stroke engine floating party-deck. You don’t even need a boat licence.

Feel like kicking on in Noosa? Then check out this local’s guide.

7. Pick your own strawberries

If your idea of a fun day out revolves around food, then head to Palmview to taste the freshest strawberries of your life. Strawberry Fields has been in the Carmichael family since 1980, and every day during picking season (June to November) it opens up its strawberry patches for the public to experience the true meaning of paddock to plate.

Strawberry Fields embraces the phrase “go your hardest” with its approach to strawberry picking. The only thing you’ll pay for is what you pluck off the plant. Although, you may want to set aside a few dollars to try their famous traditional homemade ice-cream.

Pack a picnic too and enjoy it in the manicured gardens. 

8. Forage the markets

Why shop when you can forage? The biggest art and craft markets in Australia, the Eumundi Markets are a bargain hunter’s dream. Open every Wednesday and Saturday, you can find everything at this eclectic mix of stalls, from vintage fashion to one-of-a-kind pieces and straight-from-the-farm produce.

Don’t have a car? Catch the 631 from Noosa and get delivered right to the door.

9. Lose yourself in a National Park

When you’re looking to get naturally refreshed on the Sunshine Coast, national parks are a good place to start. With everything from hikes with a view (Noosa National Park) to driving on sand (Great Sandy National Park), you can choose your own adventure within these national parks on the coast: Condondale, Kondalilla, Mapleton Falls, Noosa, Glass House Mountains, and Cooloola.

10. Discover the waterways on a jet-ski

The world looks better on the back of a jet-ski, especially when cruising the racetrack of canals with Caloundra Jet Skis. Hop on board to snake your way through 60km of narrow mangrove-lined canals, which put you in the heart of the Pumicestone Passage Marine Park.

Expect to see dolphins, dugongs, turtles and lots of birds as you make your way closer to the Glass House Mountains on horsepower-back.

If money is extra tight, you can go on the tour for half the price simply by hopping on the back of your guide’s jet-ski.

11. Head out on a camping adventure

The words camping and budget travel go together like sausages and bread, which is exactly what you’ll be cooking up on the barbecue on this camping adventure. For little more than $6 per person, you can camp in national parks across the Sunshine Coast.

For the scenery of K'gari (Fraser Island) at a fraction of the cost, book a campsite at Double Island Point or Inskip Point.

Or, if you don’t have a tent and swag, check out this accommodation guide where you can still bag a bed bargain without resorting to tent pegs.

12.  Go fishing

Nothing tastes as good as the dinner you catch yourself – and with a hand reel and a bag of bait, you can have plenty of fish fun on the Sunshine Coast.

Head to the boardwalk at Bulcock Beach in Caloundra for the best chance of catching your cook – think bream, whiting, flathead, which are best served dusted in flour with a squeeze of fresh lemon. 

13. Explore waterfalls

Sunshine Coast isn’t short on spectacular waterfalls. The journey to them is half the fun. Winding through lush rainforest and towering eucalyptus forests with native birdlife as your soundtrack, the stresses of exams and assignments will quickly leave your mind. This free amusement can take you from Gardners Falls in the south to Mapleton Falls in the north.

14. Get your Ninja Warrior on

Bli Bli Aqua Park is one of the most entertaining cheap things to do for students on the Sunshine Coast. Best enjoyed with a group of friends, it’s a guaranteed good time full of laughs.

Bounce, jump, slide – it’s all about making it to the other side of this inflatable amusement park without falling in. All it costs is $20 for 50 minutes of fun.

15. Race around on go-karts

Hairpin bends, chicanes and Mario Kart-inspired race names and calls are guaranteed when go-karting at Big Kart Track. You pay by the 15-minute interval so you can buy as much fun as you can afford – putting you in the driver’s seat for adventure.

Got some spare change? Battle it out in the arcade room afterwards.

16. Pour your own beer

Australia’s first pour-your-own-beer venue needs no further introduction when it comes to brews on a budget. You’ll find Taps at Mooloolaba a stone’s throw from The Esplanade.

To really make your budget stretch far, go there on a Wednesday. You can’t beat Taps’ 50-cent wings - for price and taste!

If you’re a craft beer connoisseur, discover the local talent at these Sunshine Coast breweries.

17. Ride mountain biking trails

For a breath of fresh air, take a short drive up to the Noosa Hinterland countryside. Then, swap four wheels with two and saddle up for self-guided mountain biking trails in the Noosa Trail Network. The best part? It’ll cost you nothing at all to experience this mixture of hard and soft trails. 

18. Support local

Pick up thrift shop threads and cheap plants for your pad at the Fisherman’s Road Market, held every Sunday from 6am to noon. With apparel and accessories out the front and organic fruit and veggies towards the back, this market in Maroochydore has up to 128 stalls on any given weekend.

You’ll walk away with more than just a few hidden treasures and bargains, too; the feelgood vibes that come from knowing you’re supporting the Lions Club of Mooloolaba - who run the markets - will stick with you long after you’ve gone home.

19. Lead a horse to water

For not just your standard trail ride, canter through the salt water at Lake Weyba, just west of Noosa with Noosa Horse Riding. The trail ride hugs the bends of the Noosa River, with stunning views to Noosa Heads, Sunshine Beach and down to Noosa National Park.

This unspoilt section of the national park isn’t just a popular hangout for adventure-goers; you might also spot stingrays, kangaroos and goannas as you gallop along. 

20. Get together for a BBQ

If you don’t have space for a friendly gathering at your place, make use of the council’s free barbecues along The Esplanade at Mooloolaba. With a purse-friendly packet of sausages and a supermarket pre-made salad, you’ll be cooking with gas.

21. Travel off-road

Four wheels and a sense of adventure is all you need to pack if you want to see the sand highway and coloured cliffs of Rainbow Beach.

From a five-minute jaunt just to see the cliffs, to five days making your way up the coast, this Great Beach Drive is an off-road oasis. Be sure to check out this guide before discovering this sandpit.

22. Chill by the beach

A daily dose of vitamin D is good for your health (both physical and mental). And there’s no better place to soak up some sun and completely relax than on one of the Sunshine Coast’s many beaches. There’s 60km of coastline to cocoon you in its golden sand embrace.

Looking for the best beach? We've got you with this post.