Your guide to Mapleton, the Sunshine Coast’s hidden gem

Celeste MitchellBy Celeste Mitchell
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Discover the Sunshine Coast’s hidden gem, where national park hikes, farm-to-table meals and enlightening cultural tours are just the start.

You’d be forgiven for thinking the Sunshine Coast Hinterland began and ended with Maleny and Montville. But there’s a forgotten sibling sharing impressive real estate on the Blackall Range: the town of Mapleton. And its time to shine has arrived.

Petite in size but certainly not in nature, this hinterland hub at the junction of Jinibara and Kabi Kabi Country fosters lesser-known national parks, outstanding sustainable stays and paddock-to-plate dining worth clocking up the kilometres for.

Start your Mapleton exploration on the right foot with this guide.

Falls Farm, Mapleton
There’s beauty everywhere in Mapleton.

Best Mapleton hikes

While Maleny and Montville have their fudge shops, art galleries and crystals, Mapleton is all about putting nature first. You’ll find a pond smothered in lily pads right in the centre of town, and there are short walks throughout Mapleton Falls National Park and Mapleton National Park . Depending on which section you tackle, you’ll be surrounded by piccabeen palm groves, ancient bunya pines and pencil-straight blackbutt forests as you stroll.

For one of the best returns on minimal exertion, head to the wheelchair-accessible Mapleton Falls Lookout to see the 120-metre drop, or follow the short Wompoo Circuit to the soundtrack of the wompoo fruit dove as you wind through rainforest and eucalypt forest.

If it’s not a hike without a rock scramble or 20, tackle the multi-day Gheerulla Full Loop Hike . Outdoor Adventure Australia offers two-day guided walks, which make a great initiator for any Survivor-style goals.

Mapleton National Park, Gheerulla Falls
Head to Mapleton National Park to see Gheerulla Falls.

Where to eat in Mapleton

Start your day with coffee at La Botiga , which, if it were on a ’90s sitcom, would be the Central Perk of the Mapleton community. Next door, stock up on sandwiches and pastries for a day of hiking at Sweet and Flour Bakery Cafe .

Jess Huddart and Ben Johnston from Mapleton Public House feel there’s still a big gap in people’s knowledge about the food they’re putting into their bodies, and how it’s grown.

La Botiga Cafe, Mapleton
Grab a coffee at the popular La Botiga Cafe.

After drawing up plans for a restaurant on their property, The Falls Farm , which supplies some of Noosa and Brisbane’s top restaurants, one day they pointed at their local pub and said, “what about that?" Ex-Spicers chef, Cameron Matthews, was immediately on board, and is now pushing the boundaries of what pub grub can be, inspired by the farm’s produce.

Falls Farm, Mapleton
Visit The Falls Farm to try fresh produce at their onsite restaurant.

While you can still tuck into a free-range schnitzel or a really good cheeseburger, it’s the more unconventional dishes that have punters flocking to the venue. A recent example? Inspired by the ginger and turmeric grown on the regenerative farm, as well as locally caught spanner crab, Cameron turned out a delicate chawanmushi (Japanese custard), cooked in an old pie warmer. Nab a spot on the deck for the best view in town.

Mapleton is also food stall country, so keep some cash on you and be ready to pull over and load up on farm-fresh avocados, pineapple and honey.

Mapleton Public House
Treat your tastebuds to unique dishes at Mapleton Public House.

Best Mapleton accommodation

Stock up on local cheese, wine and anything else you think you might crave while sitting in front of a fire before making your way to Round Hill – you won’t want to leave once you’ve plugged in your entry code and stepped inside this sleek sustainable retreat.

A few minutes out of town, the 110-year-old Gracie Cottage sits perched above a working rose farm. It’s been thoughtfully updated and filled with vintage treasures and local artworks, but the best views of all are from the clawfoot outdoor tub overlooking the Obi Obi Valley.

Round Hill Retreat, Mapleton
Get cosy at Round Hill Retreat.

A stay at Mapleton Springs not only comes with an infinity pool, cinema and games room, but also the chance to join a wildlife tour with the owners, who care for injured and orphaned koalas and kangaroos.

Set on a ridge on The Falls Farm, Smith House – the oldest house in town (c. 1908) – plays host to those who come in search of dreamy views of the Obi Obi Valley and the delicious fare of its owners’ pub (Mapleton Public House).

Smith House, Falls Farm, Mapleton
When you’re done eating at Mapleton Public House, settle into Smith House.

Other top things to do in Mapleton

If you’re at least a semi-experienced mountain biker, take to the forgiving forest trails of Mapleton National Park to feel dwarfed by towering blackbutts. A ride to Oaky Creek Lookout is about 18 kilometres and promises views over the Mary Valley, while shared trails will also take you through rainforest, over creek crossings or to see Kureelpa Falls.

To immerse yourself in Kabi Kabi culture, the First Nations-owned Triballink Activity Centre offers private tours for groups (minimum 20 people).

Triballink Activity Centre, Mapleton
Join a private tour by First Nations-owned Triballink Activity Centre.

Other places to visit while you’re there

Take a bite out of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk by hiking the Kondalilla Falls Circuit . The 4.7-kilometre loop includes over 300 stairs, but you can reach the rock pools with less exertion on a 2.4-kilometre return track.

Head to Flame Hill Vineyard for a tasting experience that’s anything but stuffy. Then, with your preferred tipple in hand, dine overlooking the vines on this 120-hectare Montville farm, knowing the beef and much of the vegetables come from within eyeshot.

Kondilla National Park
Chase waterfalls at Kondilla National Park.
Celeste Mitchell
With visions of hosting Getaway, Celeste Mitchell graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism and entered the hard-hitting world of boy bands, puberty, and fashion, writing for magazines like Girlfriend, Total Girl, CLEO and TV Hits in the early noughties (there was a lot of Twilight references). Since switching gears to full-time freelancer in 2013, focused exclusively on travel, she’s criss-crossed the globe, opened a co-working space, lived in Mexico, and co-founded slow and sustainable site, Life Unhurried. The Sunshine Coast-based author (Life Unhurried & Ultimate Beaches Australia, Hardie Grant) and mum of two regularly pinches herself that she gets to explore new places and ask all the nosy questions she wants in the name of work.
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What it’s really like to stay on the world’s largest sand island

    Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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    Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

    The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort  with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

    But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

    Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

    Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

    Exploring K’gari

    ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island
    Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

    This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

    If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

    The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

    kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island
    Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

    If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

    While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

    The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

    Unwind at sunset

    two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort
    Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

    As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

    The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

    When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

    Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

    Indulge and disconnect

    woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa
    Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

    Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

    The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

    Getting there

    kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island
    The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

    Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.