Mooloolaba beaches

Forget the crowds on the Gold Coast and discover hip and friendly Mooloolaba, with its expansive, unspoilt, sunny beaches in the heart of Queensland's sparkling Sunshine Coast. Enjoying both protected waters and surf beaches, the beach resort is a mecca year-round, with about 300 days of sunshine. Home to a large port and fishing fleet, Mooloolaba is a popular spot for sailors and holidaymakers, and favourite anchorage for ocean cruisers and game fishermen. The atmosphere is casual, and designer fashion blends with a pervasive laid back attitude and casual beach attire.

Beach:

Wide, white sandy beaches and aquamarine waters are great for swimming, body or board surfing or just lazing under a hot Australian sun. Patrolled swimming areas are marked by lifesaving flags. The Esplanade running along the beachfront is abuzz with coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques. Joggers and sightseers begin the day at sunup under cloudless blue skies. Mooloolaba has been voted cleanest beach on Queensland's coast in recent years. Best surfing is 10 minutes up the road at Alexandra Heads.

Beyond the beach:

Test your mini-golf skill at Top Shots (corner Maroochydore Road and Allora Drive, Maroochydore), or get an adrenaline charge on go-karts or the Bungy Bullet at Big Kart Track (Glass House Mountains Tourist Drive, Landsborough). The Aussie World FunPark features Australian icon Ettamogah Pub, plus many theme park rides (Frizzo Road, Palmview). Experience the ultimate wildlife adventure at the Australia Zoo, home of the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin (Glasshouse Mountains Tourist Route, Beerwah). Find your way out of the unusual star-shaped English-style Bellingham Maze (Tanawha-Tourist Drive, Tanawha), then relax over a Devonshire Tea of scones, jam and clotted cream with a pot of brewed tea.

Offshore is great wreck diving at the sunken HMAS Brisbane, or whale watching from mid-July to November. Sunset dinner cruises feature fresh-caught seafood on balmy evenings under Southern skies.

Family fun:

Mooloolaba's beaches are clean and safe, patrolled in flagged areas by surf lifesavers. Enjoy beach walks, fishing tours, swimming, surfing, snorkelling and jet-skiing. UnderWater World Oceanarium, at Mooloolaba Beach's Wharf complex (Parkyn Parade), is Queensland's largest aquarium, showcasing over 25,000 sea creatures. Slip into scuba gear to swim with the sharks or seals, or follow the moving walkway through the acrylic glass tunnel with sharks and tropical fish swimming on all sides. The Mooloolaba Harbour River Canal Cruise departs from the wharf and passes some of Australia's most expensive real estate.

Exploring further:

Take a day trip to Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island and a World Heritage site. Explore its inland rainforests and coloured deserts by 4-wheel drive, swim in crystal-clear freshwater lakes, and discover its diverse ecosystem and abundant wildlife.

Tour Queensland's fertile hinterland to the spectacular Glass House Mountains, a series of steep-sided eroded volcanic plugs rising dramatically from the surrounding plain. Ideal for hiking or abseiling. Tropical fruits, vegetables and macadamia nuts grow abundantly in the region.

Splashing out:

Indulge in the ultimate pampering treat at The Waterfall Day Spa (The Landmark Resort, Mooloolaba) (www.waterfalldayspa.com.au), with the Chocolate and Roses Retreat spa package (imagine a Hungarian chocolate body wrap!). Or go for an adrenaline rush on a deep sea fishing charter, as you haul in the big one that won't get away, with Mooloolaba Reef & Game Charters (33 Jessica Boulevard, Minyama).

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