Eventful times on Sunshine Coast
If you're travelling with a group of friends who share your passion or sporting obsession, the fun is magnified many times. Watch the events calendars for something that lights your fire, then get your flights and accommodation organised early to avoid disappointment.
The biggest wild animal encounter on the Sunshine Coast has to be swimming with humpback whales off the Mooloolaba coast.
Sport and sunshine
Sunshine Coast presents a busy sporting line-up. From surfing and lifesaving to golf and triathlon, there's always something coming up.
If you're a competitive cyclist, the Sunshine Coast Velothon happens every year in July. You can do a one-day or a three-day velo. What an amazing way to explore the region's prettiest roads!
Another sporting sporting moment for Sunshine Coast is the Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast - a one-day triathlon that's held in Mooloolaba every September. It you're not a competitor, you can be an enthusiastic spectator - it's a great event that gets the town fizzing with energy. One more sporty reason to visit Sunshine Coast is the Noosa Triathlon Multi-Sport Festival in November. It's the largest triathlon event in the world and the finish line party is epic.
Sunshine Coast is a sunny nirvana for golfers. There are three championship courses and a wide selection of other courses to choose from, including resort courses and picturesque nine-hole challenges tucked away in the lush hinterland. The coast's big event this year is the final of the Holden Scramble PGA Australia pro-am golf tournament at Twin Waters Golf Club near Mooloolaba. Scheduled for November, it's a great opportunity to watch exceptional golfers in action.
Food, music and enlightened living
Every aspect of a fabulous life is covered by the Sunshine Coast events line-up. If you love country music, the Gympie Music Muster is on every August. If jazz is more your thing, the Noosa Jazz Party gets going at the end of August. Then in late September the Caloundra Music Festival is all about sun, surf and soul.
A festival with a difference is Wanderlust Sunshine Coast, booked for November. It's a four-day celebration of mindful living that encompasses yoga, live music, art exhibitions, guided adventures and sustainable food. You'll leave with your life (and body) in better shape.
If you have a green thumb, the Queensland Garden Expo happens in early July. Held in Nambour, it includes an extensive lecture and demonstration programme, a cooking stage and more than 350 garden exhibits. Take your gardening buddies and revel in the creative power of nature.
Anytime things to do
When you wake up and decide it's not a flop-on-the-beach day, Sunshine Coast is ready with an appealing choice of year-round immersive and personal encounters. Maybe it's time to try your hand (or feet) at stand-up paddle boarding? Or what about a horse ride at Rainbow beach? And there's always the prospect of a surfing lesson down at the Noosa Woods. For most of the year this beach delivers perfect beginners' waves.
Wild animal encounters on the Sunshine Coast are everywhere. You can't ignore the hordes of rosellas down at Noosaville every sunset, the ever-present bush turkeys, beady-eyed crows and jumbo-jet-size pelicans that like to hang out at the Noosa Marina. When you're wandering in a forest or national park, watch for koalas, goannas and tiny turquoise fantails. You can also hire a canoe and glide around the Noosa Everglades, home to all kinds of wildlife and an important part of the Noosa World Heritage Biosphere.
The biggest Sunshine Coast animal encounter has to be Sunreef's humpback whale swimming adventure off the Mooloolaba coast - the season starts in July, when the whales arrive from Antarctica.