Five of the best planet-friendly experiences on the Sunshine Coast

Sonya GellertBy Sonya Gellert
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From active outdoor adventures for nature lovers to eco-epicurean escapades and Earth-conscious accommodation, the Sunshine Coast is brimming with planet-friendly experiences.
Kondalilla National Park, Montville, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Who wouldn’t want to preserve and rejuvenate this precious environment? (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

And it’s not just Aussies who are noticing. The Sunshine Coast has recently become the only place in the world where three UNESCO-declared biospheres sit side by side, as the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Reserve, the Noosa Biosphere Reserve and the Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve form a green corridor from the Glass House Mountains along more than 100 kilometres of coastline to Tin Can Bay.

Also worth noting? The Noosa Everglades are one of only two everglade systems in the world.
With its rich abundance of precious environments, it’s no wonder more travellers are seeking ways to tread lightly when traversing this biodiverse destination. Here are five ways to experience the Sunshine Coast in sustainable style.

1. Kayak for the koalas

Kayak Tours, Everglades, Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Paddle the Noosa Everglades (one of only two everglade ecosystems in the world) and help fund koala conservation. (Image: Tourism Events Queensland)

Paddle through the striking, world-renowned Noosa Everglades while raising money for koala habitats (who said you can’t multitask while on holiday?). Kanu Kapers not only gives kayakers a front-row seat to the incredible beauty of the everglades, but also provides the satisfaction of knowing you’re touring with a company that’s giving back to the land it tours on. Through its carbon offset scheme, Kanu Kapers’ owners, Viv and Kym – in collaboration with local charity Queensland Koala Crusaders – raise much-needed funds to maintain and create leafy homes for koalas. Better yet, these tour operators don’t use motorised boats, instead opting to guide visitors with handcrafted sea kayaks to ensure they’re not polluting these ancient waterways. This peaceful experience is a must-try for avid wildlife watchers and active travellers.

2. Retreat into the rainforest

Glass House Mountains, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Narrows Escape host multi-day walking retreats using the sustainable villas as a base.

It’s easier resting your head in accommodation that’s centred on planet-friendly practices, sleeping safe in the knowledge that sustainability is a priority. Narrows Escape in Montville is a luxurious hinterland retreat that focuses on ensuring its water and energy consumption is minimal, its waste is managed responsibly, and sustainability is the end goal. Nature-loving guests can take part in the retreat’s six-day, five-night guided Sunshine Coast’s Great Walk package, which allows hikers to become much better acquainted with the local environment. Just want to unwind? Combine style and eco-friendly principles and opt for a stay in one of six private villas, complete with your own crackling log fire and bubbling spa, perched on the edge of Kondalilla National Park.

3. Set sail sustainably

Saltwater Eco Tour, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Sail the Sunshine Coast with local knowledge, bush tucker and seafood. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Mooloolaba-based Saltwater Eco Tours welcomes its guests aboard a 113-year-old, carefully restored heritage timber ship, Spray of the Coral Coast, to sail over the serene, turquoise waters of the Sunshine Coast. Having collaborated with the traditional owners of the land, this tour provider ensures visitors take in the ancient wisdom of the local Kabi Kabi First Nations peoples as the ship sets sail through a distinctly photogenic setting. Saltwater Eco Tours provides a choice of a dedicated cultural tour, a sunset tour with live music, a native bushfoods and seafood cruise, or a private charter. Each tour encourages its participants to connect with Indigenous culture, the Mooloolah River and the area’s maritime history.

4. Imbibe feel-good brews

Terella Brewing, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
There are loads of options like their ginger beer or hard lemonade at the sustainable Terella Brewing. (Image: Visit Sunshine Coast)

With a strong connection to the land, a name that means ‘little earth’, and a devotion to producing great, German-inspired beer, Terella Brewing in North Arm creates its popular beverages in a sustainably minded cycle system (which means its waste products are put to good use). And because the innovative, eco-conscious brewery shares a home with a vertical farm, both companies are making use of each other’s growing and brewing by-products to further lower their footprint and waste. Travellers – and their dogs – can visit the brewery’s tranquil, family-friendly hinterland tap room, meet farmyard animals, and enjoy snacks and beers on the sprawling lawns. If beer isn’t your drink of choice you still have lots of options, as the brewery also produces the popular Mad Dog range: try their ginger beer, hard lemonade, or hibiscus and lychee hard lemonade.

5. Wake among the mountains

Glasshouse Mountains Eco Lodge, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Restored 1880’s train carriages with solar power, composting and the planting of trees have turned Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge into a responsible destination on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

There are few places more scenic to wake up than in the Glass House Mountains, and fortunately, a sustainably inclined accommodation option awaits those who wish to help protect this stunning stretch of the coast while they’re in the area. At Glass House Mountains Ecolodge you can rest assured knowing the lodge is taking measures to preserve the local environment as you cosy up in a restored 1880s train carriage or 125-year-old timber church. Since buying the property more than 30 years ago, owner Keith and his family have planted hundreds of trees on site, while solar power, composting, self-sufficient water usage, a grey water recycling system and low-energy lighting all contribute to the lodge’s gentler approach.

For more ideas and information on the Sunshine Coast’s best eco-friendly experiences, go to visitsunshinecoast.com .
Sonya Gellert
Sonya Gellert is a writer whose insatiable appetite has seen her travel the world in pursuit of great culinary experiences to share on the page (and plate). Sonya's been the travel editor at a national food magazine, a restaurant and hotel reviewer, a freelance lifestyle writer and a life-long glutton.
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You haven’t heard of this Qld outback town, but history buffs can’t miss it

    Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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    Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

    While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

    Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

    Getting there

    car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland
    Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

    You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

    Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

    Best accommodation in Clermont

    Theresa CreekDam in clermont
    Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

    Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

    To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

    Things to do in Clermont

    three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting
    Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

    One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

    Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

    The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

    Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland
    See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

    Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

    Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

    Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

    meal at Commercial Hotel
    Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

    Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

    Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

    For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

    Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

    Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.