A beach holiday in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast truly has something to offer everyone, as former Queenslander Carla Grossetti declares. The coastal town also came in at no. 41 in your pick of Top 50 Aussie Towns.
I first visited Mooloolaba about 20 years ago to enjoy a beach holiday with my beau that revolved simply around the surf and sand. But these days, I would drop anchor in Mooloolaba for a multitude of reasons.
Walk along the luxurious beachfront esplanade adjacent to Mooloolaba Beach. (Image: Visit Sunshine Coast)
Mooloolaba is worth the trip for a visit to Praw Star alone. (Image: Visit Sunshine Coast)
2. Soak up the live music at The Wharf
One of the many reasons to visit Mooloolaba is to rub shoulders with loafer-clad yachties and the young surfie set listening to live music at The Wharf.
Wander down to The Wharf in Mooloolaba. (Image: Visit Sunshine Coast)
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3. Join a Saltwater Eco Tour
Likewise, a cruise up the Mooloolah River with Indigenous-owned Saltwater Eco Tours is also a must to learn about the Kabi Kabi’s rich culture.
Join Saltwater Eco Tours to learn about the Kabi Kabi’s rich culture. (Image: Visit Sunshine Coast)
4. Get your fill of Walker Seafoods
The Sunshine Coast is very much on the map for foodies thanks to Walker Seafoods. The local business has Marine Stewardship Council certification for sustainable fishing of yellowfin tuna, albacore tuna and broadbill swordfish. It’s what any local restaurant worth their salt serves.
5. Check out The Pavilion
The Pavilion, sandwiched between Briner and Mooloolaba Beach, is the pumping new hotspot at the Mantra Mooloolaba Beach. This smart and sophisticated spot is all elegant archways and rattan chairs full of sun-kissed people with hair arranged by the ocean.
The Surf Club Mooloolaba is one of many restaurants serving sustainable seafood. (Image: Visit Sunshine Coast)
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7. Dive with sharks or swim with whales
Sign up for the new Shark Dive Extreme experience at Sea Life to get an idea of what else is in the ocean. Or simply spend a breezy day between July and the end of October swimming with whales on a Sunreef tour.
Go swimming with whales on a Sunreef tour. (Image: Visit Sunshine Coast)
8. Stay tuned for the opening of Avani Mooloolaba Hotel
Back on land, the announcement of the new upscale $50 million 180-room Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel also sends a message to holidaymakers about confidence in this sought-after destination.
No question, I could move to Mooloolaba tomorrow to just relax, lay back and enjoy a life of sweet leisure.
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
Conjuring calm and active adventure in equal measure, Hamilton Island is a tropical tonic for body and mind.
Hamilton Island knows a thing or two about indulgence. There are long lunches to linger over, seafood towers to savour and poolside loungers designed for guilt-free idling. But for health-minded travellers wanting to feel energised inside and out, this sliver of the Whitsundays takes wellbeing just as seriously. Think yoga mats rolling out at dawn, kayaks skimming turquoise water, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and spa therapists working tropical magic. These Hamilton Island wellness experiences promise to restore, rebalance and leave you feeling brand new.
1. E-Mountain biking
Follow Hamilton Island’s mountian biking trails. (Credit: Harry Gruttner)
For travellers with an appetite for adrenaline, Hamilton Island’s new self-guided e-mountain biking experience is worth carving out a morning for. Start at HI Trails HQ, where you’ll be fitted with a full-suspension, pedal-assisted e-mountain bike and given a run-through of a nine-kilometre section of the island’s 25-kilometre trail network. The electric boost makes the ride more accessible (and the climbs more manageable), though an intermediate level of fitness is still recommended.
As a first-time mountain biker, I start off wobbly – taking my time to get used to switching gears and electric modes – and wonder if I’ve overestimated my coordination. But soon something clicks. Suddenly we’re zooming through pockets of eucalyptus and out onto ridgelines with sweeping views of electric blue waters, catching our breath at hidden bays with barely another soul in sight. More than 70 per cent of the island remains untouched, so witnessing these lesser-explored pockets feels like a blessing. It’s the kind of adventure that leaves you buzzing, accomplished and blissfully tired out.
2. HI Fitness Club
Stretch out with reformer pilates.
If mountain biking isn’t quite your speed, there are plenty of other ways to stay active on the island. One of the newest Hamilton Island wellness experiences, HI Fitness Club now has 24-hour access, offering a fully equipped modern gym, group classes spanning HIIT to yoga, plus two bubbling spas and a sauna waiting to loosen sore muscles.
I drop in for a Reformer Pilates class. Each of the four machines has its own mini screen with a wide selection of high-quality virtual classes, meaning I can select one that suits my level and mood that day. Beyond Pilates, the virtual library is like a choose-your-own adventure for fitness enthusiasts: dance, Body Pump, Body Combat and GRIT Cardio are among the options. Or perhaps challenge a family member or friend to a hit of tennis at one of the three courts.
3. Walking trails
Get the blood pumping on a morning run.
We set out early. By 6:45am, we’re halfway up Passage Peak, the highest point on Hamilton Island and widely considered its most impressive vantage point. From the Scenic Trail Entrance, the viewing platform takes around an hour to reach by foot, with moderate inclines that will get your heart pumping without feeling too punishing. The payoff at the top is immediate. Bush-clad Whitsundays islands scatter across the horizon in every direction, the sunrise brushing the scene with soft melon and gold tones. I take my time soaking up the 360° panorama, remembering how powerful an active start in nature can be for clearing the mind and energising the day ahead.
While Passage Peak is one of the most popular hikes on Hamilton Island, Flat Top Hill Lookout and the longer Southeast Head Trail are also excellent choices.
4. Spa wumurdaylin
Feel your worries melt away at Spa wumurdaylin.
In a tranquil treatment room at Spa wumurdaylin, the world disappears. The space is all brown stone tiles, bamboo racks and lush garden views, setting the tone for my Soul Temple treatment. My therapist, Kass, begins with a full-body, exfoliating orange buff sugar scrub that feels divine. Next comes the vertical Vichy shower and underwater massage to knead out muscle knots. The sound of cascading water is reminiscent of a tropical rainstorm, and stress becomes a distant memory.
It’s a prime example of the transportive power of the island’s spa, where guests can come to reset the mind and loosen tension in the body. The menu spans radiance facials to deep release rituals and mud wraps, all using products from pH-balanced skincare brand LaGaia Unedited. Concluding with herbal tea, I leave in a blissful daze.
5. Sunrise yoga
Start your day on the right foot.
Morning movement doesn’t get more surreal than sunrise yoga on The Sundays’ seaside terrace. As we roll out our mats, morning light spills across Catseye Beach below, turning the water into a sheet of molten gold. But the setting only does half the healing. I match my breath to the rhythm of the waves and feel my body gradually lengthen and wake as instructor Tyla Rae guides us through a slow, mindful flow.
Available exclusively to guests of The Sundays, this session captures the spirit of wellness on Hamilton Island – immersion in nature, slowing down by the sea, recalibrating both body and mind. To round out the experience, the perfect ocean cool-off awaits just steps away.
6. Getting out on the water
Try your hand at a host of watersports.
Speaking of ocean delights, Catseye Beach’s host of watersports delivers spades of fun and rejuvenation. Glide over the crystalline water in a kayak, test your sailing skills in a mini catamaran, spot schools of fish (and a turtle if you’re lucky) from a stand-up paddleboard, or slip into an underwater wonderland when you snorkel off the beach.
Out here, the water is so clear it feels like floating in glass, and the green silhouettes of the Whitsunday Islands rise on the horizon. Half an hour on the water here is all you need to reset your entire mood.
Guests staying at qualia, Beach Club, The Sundays, Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows and Hamilton Island Holiday Homes have complimentary access to all these water activities, making it easy to dive right in.
7. Take a swing
Enjoy incredible views with a swing of golf.
For others, mindfulness comes from calm concentration – and golf fits the bill to a tee. Designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, Hamilton Island Golf Club is perched along the scenic ridges of Dent Island. It’s Australia’s only golf course on its own island, making it one of the most scenic golf courses in the world. The experience is suitable for golfers of all skill levels, with spectator bookings also available for those simply wishing to take in the views. Follow the game with a well-earned lunch at the Clubhouse restaurant.
