Best Things To Do In Caloundra: Experience The Sunshine Coast

1. Exercise your brain at Bellingham Maze

If playing hide and seek was your thing, then enjoying the nooks and crannies in Bellingham Maze is what you need. Enjoy a wholesome family experience and get lost in the very opulent green surroundings that make Bellingham Maze what it is. The Maze is made up of very intricate and complicated hedges that will sometimes give you the hope that you are nearing the end only to be confronted by a wall of hedge. You will have to really have a good sense of direction to get through this maze. The main aim of the maze is to look for a hidden fountain hidden somewhere in the maze, but if you are not resilient enough, you will find yourself giving in and opting to take the easy way out.

Those who chose to enter, will have the added advantage of enjoying a cool and calming waterfall at the entrance, which opens up to let you in. To me it looked like the metaphorical ‘calm before the storm.’ After that beautiful entrance, you will walk around like a headless chicken trying to figure out where the fountain is.

There are other forms of entertainment on offer when you get to the maze site. If challenging yourself in the maze does not look appealing, you can opt to go the fast way and zoom around on the go-kart tracks or solve some puzzles as you enjoy some beverages. If not, then pack up a picnic basket and just enjoy some downtime.

Bellingham Maze

Website:Bellingham Maze

2. Visit Australia Zoo

Home to a wide array of wild animals, Australia Zoo, famously known as the home of the Crocodile Hunter, is a great experience for the whole family. Your kids will learn a lot about the different animals in there. They will also get the chance to feed animals, such as kangaroos, and you can carry a koala and have an up-close experience with them.

This zoo is situated near Beerwah and offers a lot of educational opportunities for conservation. Not only can you learn a lot at the zoo, but there is a lot of history to be learnt in the historical towns of Montville and Maleny.

Australia Zoo

Website:Australia Zoo

3. Caloundra Music Festival: a family affair

Plan trip to the sunshine coast for the whole family and have an eventful musical extravaganza at the Caloundra Music Festival. The festival is a four-day long event that is family friendly and always attracts over 40,000 revelers. It also has a very mixed up assortment of entertainment, which comprises of Australian musicians in the genre of pop and indie rock and not forgetting international musicians invited to entertain fans. The festival was set up to celebrate and appreciate the environment, cultural accomplishments, and the pride of the community.

Caloundra Music Festival

Website:Caloundra Music Festival

4. Queensland Air Museum for airplane nerds

Let us just say that it will not only be the airplane nerds who will be wowed by this place alone. With 70 airplanes, both civilian and military made, the museum holds a lot of historical weight, especially regarding Australian aviation. Based just beside the Caloundra Airport, the two hangers of the museum hold some mid-century DC-3 planes, which were among the first airplanes made of metal, as well as the supersonic F-111 fighter jet. In the museum, you will get to learn about the battles fought using the airplanes, the women who were brave enough to take wings and you will get the chance to see some airplane paraphernalia used throughout the years on planes in Australia.

Queensland Air Museum

Website:Queensland Air Museum

5. Caloundra Regional Art Gallery for some cultural nourishment

This gallery is known for showcasing visual art from local and national artists alike. Apart from exhibitions, the gallery is also strongly involved in arts education. Caloundra Regional Art Gallery is located near the Caloundra Civic Cultural Center, Caloundra Library, and the Council Administration Building.

Caloundra Regional Art Gallery

Website:Caloundra Regional Art Gallery

6. Check out Dicky Beach

You cannot visit the Sunshine Coast without a stop at the beach, I mean, what would be the point? There are so many beaches you can visit, but one that is highly recommended is Dicky Beach, found approximately 3 kilometers (1.86 mi) to the north of Caloundra town.

Looking at the historical background of this beach, it was given the name Dicky after the SS Dicky, which was stranded on that particular beach in 1893 during a very bad storm. At the beginning, Dicky Beach was not connected to Caloundra and a bridge was built in 1937 over the Tooway Creek to link them together.

You can find a holiday park specifically built for families, two retirement homes, and a reserve on the shore. Walk on endless sandy beaches collecting shells under the romantic sunsets and enjoy the waves hitting the beach. If you are more active, then go swimming or surfing.

7. Food galore at Drift

Known for its relaxed, casual, and hip take on food, Drift is a restaurant found opposite Bulcock Beach that puts a lot of emphasis on high quality ingredients from Caloundra and its surroundings. They have an assortment of delicacies and sauces that they make themselves. Their food is scrumptious, their coffee satisfying, and to top it off, they have live music to entertain you as you fill up.

Drift

Website:Drift

8. Savor Tides delicacies

This restaurant looks so sophisticated but at the same time it is very relaxed. It serves up mouthwatering seafood and ingredients include products from the Caloundra region. They also have a wine list, which has won quite a few awards, with mainly Australian wines. To get a table on the seafront balcony, one has to book a week in advance to avoid disappointment.

Tides Waterfront Dining

Website:Tides Waterfront Dining

9. Feel Italian at La Dolce Vita

A fully Italian restaurant, La Dolce Vita, is situated just across the road from Bulcock Beach. It has the classic Italian menu of pizza, risotto, and pasta which they pair with salads, wraps, and sandwiches for lunch. When it comes to their dinner menu, they go all out on the main dishes.

La Dolce Vita

Website:La Dolce Vita

10. Dance the night away at 26 Degrees

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After a decadent dinner, and with the night still being young, head out to 26 Degrees for a drink or two and enjoy the electric surroundings. This club is smack in the middle of Rumba Resort and has a pool bar for the modish. 26 Degrees is for the fashion-forward crowd looking to have an elegant evening drinking and having a lot of fun.

26 Degrees

Facebook:26 Degrees

11. Sample craft beer at Moffat Beach Brewing Company

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This establishment is a café/microbrewery that has its own beer and other guest beers ready for sampling. There is also live music and I’ve heard that it can be quite fun at night.

Facebook: Moffat Beach Brewing Company

12. Shop all things at Caloundra Street Fair

Every Sunday, Bulcock Street comes alive as market stalls are set up and people gather to see what is on offer and to buy things ranging from food, art, jewelry, clothes, ceramics, and so many other wares. At the same time, visitors will have a carnival-like feel due to the live music and street theatre.

Caloundra Street Fair

Website:Caloundra Street Fair

13. Entertainment under one roof at Caloundra Events Center

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Watch live performances such as opera, ballet, theatre, comedy shows, and musical showcases at Caloundra Events Center’s two main theaters and other smaller venues situated in one building. It is advisable to book your tickets a month or so in advance to avoid disappointment.

Caloundra Events Center

Website:Caloundra Events Center

14. A day on the Glass House Mountains

The Glass House Mountains are found in the hinterlands of the Sunshine Coast and they are a sequence of very sharp volcanic masses. There are several things one can do at the Glass House Mountains. Plan a day to hike through the mountains or have a picnic. But first things first, you should opt to check out the township and head straight to the Interpretive Center in which you can learn a lot about the Glass House Mountains history.

As mentioned, you can go hiking, following the walking paths set up for both pro-hikers and those who are very new to hiking. These walking paths vary in distance and difficulty. While on your walk, you can enjoy the scenery by stopping and having a picnic at one of the many stops set up on the trails, and the best thing about it all is that there are even barbecue stands set up.

Caloundra, Australia is fun for everyone

Whether you are single, just married, or traveling with your family, there is always something fun to do in Caloundra.