Affordable Summer Holidays: Maleny

AT’s guide to the best cheap accommodation for summer and Christmas holidays

Maleny

Why do we rate it?
The Sunshine Coast hinterland here is the most established and sophisticated Queensland destination.

Where is it?
About 100km or a 1hr drive north of Brisbane. Or about 40min from Caloundra Beach.

Where to stay
The hinterland around Montville and Maleny is a feast of fantastic cottages and cabins from sleekly modern to cute and bucolic. Finished just 12 months ago, the Spicy Oasis is 10min further west from Maleny in Curramore. Its three Mediterranean cottages, two one-bedroom and one two-bedrooms, are nestled on a lake among 20 acres of gardens. The three Wittacork Dairy Cottages sit on a ridge overlooking Lake Barron on the edge of the rainforest, on a 300‑acre working dairy farm just 5min north of Maleny. The smallest cottage sleeps five and the largest eight. Mooloolah Valley Holiday Houses are flamboyant, twee, eclectic and equestrian (they also run a horseriding centre). The pièce de résistance here is the outdoor woodfired pizza oven, shared among three cottages which sleep four or eight.

How much is it?
Spicy Oasis three-night packages cost $147 per night in a one-bedroom cottage or $166 in a two-bedder. Wittacork Dairy Cottages cost $230 per night for two nights or $190 per night for five nights. Mooloolah Valley Holiday Houses cost from $1500 a week.

Availability
With such limited rooms, all three retreats are going to book out fast so make a call before the middle of October. They have availability as we go to print.

What to do
Hinterland rainforest walks are spectacular. Go to Australia Zoo, Eumundi markets and Spirit House
Thai Cooking School. Caloundra Beach and Noosa’s Hastings St are within 40 mins. Stroll Montville’s main street. In Maleny, stock up at Colin James’s Fine Food, grab an ice cream and enjoy tastings at the fromagerie. Maleny Cheese is also on the outskirts
of town, on the way to Montville.

Contact
Spicy Oasis //
964 Kidaman Creek Rd.
(07) 5435 8380; spicyoasis.com.au

Wittacork Dairy Cottages //
286 Tesch Rd.
(07) 5494 4369; wittacork.com.au

Mooloolah Valley Holiday Houses //
King Rd Mooloolah
(07) 5494 7109; mooloolahvalley.com