Stay a little longer and discover another side of the Sunshine Coast
If you’re travelling Queensland’s Pacific Coast Way north from the Gold Coast or Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast is one of those places where it is worth giving yourself a little more time.
Australia Zoo, Mooloolaba, Noosa and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland are all within easy reach. But rather than seeing the Hinterland in an afternoon and moving on, why not unpack for a few nights and make Montville your base?
Turn inland towards the Blackall Range and the landscape begins to change. The road climbs, the air feels cooler and the Glass House Mountains rise from the landscape below. Along the way, there are lookouts where you can stop and take in the views across the Sunshine Coast - on a clear day, the views are spectacular.
Before long, you are surrounded by rainforest, gardens, rolling countryside and the villages of Maleny, Mapleton and Montville.
Unpack once and explore from here
One of the nicest things about staying a few days is that you don’t have to pack the car and move accommodation every morning.
Spend a day close to home exploring Maleny, Mapleton and Montville. Wander through the local shops and galleries, stop somewhere for a long lunch, visit Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World, or pull on your walking shoes and discover part of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk.
If you ask Michael or me what we’d do with a few days here, we’d tell you not to try to do everything. Choose the places you’d really like to see, take your time and leave some room to simply enjoy being here.
And when the sun goes down, there is another side of the Hinterland to discover. The Sunshine Coast International Dark Sky Reserve is a wonderful reason to slow down, look up and enjoy the night sky, away from the lights of the coastal towns.
Hinterland one day. Coast the next.
Staying in Montville doesn’t mean you have to choose between the mountains and the coast.
Spend another day in Mooloolaba. Walk along the beach, visit SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast and walk beneath the underwater tunnel surrounded by an incredible variety of Australian marine life, including sharks and species found on the Great Barrier Reef.
Enjoy the seal presentations, wander around The Wharf Mooloolaba for lunch, or take a cruise through Mooloolaba’s waterways and canals.
If you’re staying over market days, head to the Eumundi Markets and make a day of it by continuing on to Noosa before coming back up the mountain for the evening.
And of course, there is Australia Zoo.
It’s well worth allowing plenty of time for a visit, particularly for families and international visitors wanting to experience Australian wildlife. See some of Australia’s best-known animals up close, experience the famous Crocoseum wildlife presentations, and learn more about the conservation and wildlife-care work of the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.
You don’t have to do everything. That’s really the point.
Unpack once, choose what you’d like to see, and enjoy the Sunshine Coast at your own pace.
Come home to Montville Country Cabins
After a full day out exploring, it’s nice to know you can come back, put your feet up and simply enjoy where you’re staying.
Back at Montville Country Cabins, there are 16 acres to enjoy, with lush gardens and rainforest, a spring-fed lake, private walking trails and a spring-fed creek winding through the property towards a waterfall.
The birdlife is part of everyday life here. Kookaburras call through the trees, black and white cockatoos fly overhead and colourful Australian parrots appear throughout the property.
Some mornings are bright and clear; others begin with mist drifting through the trees and across the gardens and lake.
Our cabins are fully self-contained, and your stay includes a continental breakfast hamper, with the option to add eggs, bacon, sausages and mushrooms if you enjoy cooking a hot breakfast.
And then there are our freshly baked hot croissants, delivered to your cabin each morning.
Head out for the day. Come home for the evening.
After a full day exploring, sometimes the last thing you feel like doing is getting back in the car and heading out again for dinner.
We understand that.
You can pre-order one of our BBQ or home-cooked dinner hampers, including Beef & Red Wine or Mediterranean Chicken, and have everything delivered to your cabin ready for you to enjoy.
We’re also fully licensed, with a selection of Southeast Queensland regional wines available during your stay.
Pour a glass of wine, sit out on your patio and enjoy the evening.
Then there is nowhere else you need to be.
As night settles across the property, the frogs and crickets start their song, an owl may call quietly from the trees and, on a clear night, the sky above fills with stars.
It’s all part of the way Michael and I like to look after our guests.
Take your time
A road trip doesn’t have to mean changing accommodation every night.
If you’re travelling north from the Gold Coast or Brisbane, give yourself a few nights in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
Explore Maleny, Mapleton and Montville. Spend a day at Mooloolaba. Visit Eumundi and Noosa. Experience Australia Zoo. Walk through the rainforest. Or have a day when you don’t go very far at all.
There is plenty to discover, but there is also something pretty special about simply slowing down and enjoying where you are.
Then, when you’re ready, pack the car and continue your Pacific Coast Way journey north.
Travelling the Pacific Coast Way? Take the Hinterland Detour.
Stay a little longer. Explore a little further.
Make Montville Country Cabins your base for a few days and discover another side of the Sunshine Coast.