News.com.au Escape Feature Article by Janet Stone
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I found excellent coffee and markets galore at Noosa’s southern cousin.
While Noosa draws the crowds on the Sunshine Coast, Caloundra, just an hour south, offers the same coastal magic in a more laid-back package.
Here, surf beaches meet coastal boardwalks, and morning swims turn into afternoons at an art gallery or a craft brewery, all without changing out of your thongs.
Best coffee
You’re spoilt for choice for cafés. To sip the best, head to Slide Coffee House and enjoy the soothing pastel hues of this friendly local. Not only do they pride themselves on making great coffee, with high-quality specialty beans that are ethically sourced, they are also community and sustainability focused.
The coffee here is 10/10.
Best base
Big4 Caloundra is perfectly positioned for exploration with campsites or luxury cabins to choose from. From here you can reach both the main street (Bulcock Street), and Bulcock Beach within about a seven-minute walk. Chill out after a day exploring by the lagoon-style pool with water slides or with a meal at the on-site bar and restaurant, both with sweeping views across Pumicestone Passage, a waterway that separates Bribie Island from the mainland.
Big4 Caloundra feels like a slice of Fiji.
Best walk
Peruse local and national artwork in the air-conditioned calm of Caloundra Regional Gallery. The gallery is also the start point of a public art trail that loops past murals and sculptures, through laneways and arcades over a 1.8km route.
Art is always a good idea.
Best seafood
A visit to the local fish market is a necessity.
Best swim spot
This is a tough call given the number of beaches on offer but King’s Beach ticks all the boxes with its patrolled golden sand and surf, and rock pools ripe for exploring set either side of the saltwater ocean pool. There are also water fountains for the littlies plus the historic heritage-listed Art Deco Pavilion change rooms and café.
King’s Beach ticks all the boxes with its patrolled golden sand and surf.
Best drinks
Overlooking Moffat Beach, Moffat Beach Brewing Co, is a must if you’re keen to try the local award-winning beers. If gin is more your thing (or vodka, whisky, liqueurs or rum) head to Beachtree Distilling Co. This Indigenous-owned and operated organic distillery infuses spirits and liqueurs with native plants and has won the World’s Best Craft Producer title two years in a row at the World Drink Awards.
Skippy Gin at Beachtree Distilling Co.
Best view
Be rewarded with 360-degree views after a short, sharp climb at the lighthouses. Watch the container ships going by, browse old photos, take a look at historic artefacts and hear about the inner workings from knowledgeable volunteers. Open every second and fourth Saturday of the month between 9am and 3pm.
Caloundra Lighthouses. Picture: Colin Gladstone
Don’t forget
Sunday markets
Every Sunday from 8am to 1pm, the bustling Caloundra Street Fair brings a lively buzz to Bulcock Street with street food, local traders and live music for a perfect atmospheric stroll and browse.
Worth a visit
Queensland Air Museum on the outskirts of town is Australia’s largest aviation museum, with more than 80 historical aircraft, as well as information displays, for aeronautic enthusiasts of any age.
The Caloundra Street Fair. Picture: @caloundstreetfair
Need to know
Feeling thrifty
Caloundra has an abundance of op-shops and vintage clothing shops. Start at Bulcock Street Bazaar to find a retro-chic bargain and enjoy a coffee and maybe even some live music while you’re there.
Boardwalk
The Sunshine Coast coastal pathway stretches 73km from Bells Creek in the south to Coolum in the north. Split into nine sections, with three in Caloundra, it’s perfect for a morning walk while exploring the coast.
The writer was a guest of Big4 Holiday Parks.