Plan your Sunshine
Coast
Hinterland holiday
Nestled in the lush Blackall Range, Mapleton offers a peaceful, green escape in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, just 90 minutes north of Brisbane. Mapleton is a charming mountain village that serves as the perfect gateway to a slower pace of life, defined by cooler climate, sweeping views, and vibrant local culture.
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Why visit Mapleton & the Hinterland
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Natural Wonders: Explore ancient rainforests, scenic hiking trails, and cascading waterfalls.
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Country Charm: Drive along quiet, winding roads connecting historic hinterland villages.
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Local Flavours: Taste fresh regional produce at bustling weekend markets and farm-to-table cafes.
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Creative Community: Discover unique arts, crafts, and handmade goods from local makers.
Villages
Mapleton Village
600 metres up the hill from the house (turn right), the village is quite tiny with few tourists. Has a couple of restaurants, a café, a bakery, an historic pub (with amazing food!) + bottle shop and a fish and chip joint … plus doctors and a pharmacy. There is an IGA open every day of the year from 7 am til 7 pm, next to the petrol station.
Montville Village
8 km or 8 minutes’ drive along the edge of the mountain, with views to the sea. Looks like an olde worlde English village with lots of boutiques, art galleries, cafes and craft shops. Quite busy and touristy.
Maleny Village
Where the locals shop, a 1920s streetscape of interesting and eclectic shops. Worth a detour is the Maleny Food Co with its award-winning ice cream, specialty cheese walk-in fromagerie and café, the most wonderful old-fashioned bookshop called Rosetta (in fact, there are 3 bookshops in Maleny!), a large IGA for groceries, galleries, and on Sunday mornings go to the RSL Hall for local homemade cakes, preserves, fruit & veg plus crafts and second-hand goods.
25-minute drive inland via Montville.
Palmwoods
A scenic 20-minute drive down the Hunchy Rd (turn left at Montville school), this picturesque rural town has a mix of heritage architecture, boutique shops, and unique dining. Browse eclectic local wares, unwind at specialty cafes, and dive into the famous 1950s-themed Rick's Garage for retro diner eats and live music.
Kenilworth
25-minute drive from Mapleton down the Obi Obi Road, through the Mary Valley. It is famous for dairy farming, Kenilworth Dairies, 1kg donuts at the Kenilworth Country Bakery, and the nearby Fig Tree Walk. Top 10 things to do in Kenilworth.
Markets & Makers
From small village markets to one of Australia’s best-known artisan markets at Eumundi, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland is full of places to meet local growers, makers, bakers and artists. Our two favourites are the Mapleton Country Market and Yandina.
Virtually every village on the range has a market, for a full list of markets on the Sunshine Coast and the Hinterland, check out the Visit Sunshine Coast website. Please note that market days and times can change, so please check before heading out.
4th Saturday of each month, 8 am–12 pm.
Held at the historic 1899 Mapleton State School next to the pub.
Local produce, crafts, plants, and preserves. Go early for the homemade bread.
With over 55 stallholders, the monthly Mapleton Country Market is run by volunteers, and all money raised at the market funds the MADCA Community Grants Program.
A favourite with the locals, this is an authentic market. Drive to the centre of Yandina high street and turn left ...
Every Saturday, 6am–12pm, at Yandina Sports Ground.
Great for plants, local produce, fruit and veg, deli goods, baked goods, cheese, arts and craft, tools, bric-a-brac... everything!
Attractions
Legacy of the legendary Steve Irwin. 30 minutes’ drive from the house on the way to Brisbane. Outstanding zoo -- allow the best part of a day to see it all. Warrior Restaurant & Bar: this has been a bit of a secret, but I dropped in recently and was really impressed – well worth a detour.
Maleny Botanical Gardens & Bird World
Private gardens, walk or rent a golf cart. The highlight here is their Bird World --five walk-through aviaries are home to over 600 native and exotic birds! Open 365 days a year from 10 am.
Great for kids … an extensive complex showing ginger production, little puff ‘n billy train, café, umbrella walk and plant shop -- at Yandina.
If you are looking for a wet-weather activity, the multi-award-winning marine mammal park, oceanarium, and wildlife sanctuary is a great option. Located in Mooloolaba, it is home to over 10,000 aquatic animals across 11 themed zones. The fully indoor, three-level facility offers an educational and immersive experience for families and tourists.
Restaurants
Mapleton Public House
We are lucky to have this historic pub (1888) for our local.
Only 5 minutes from the French Cottage in the village, the Mapleton Pub is an unexpected treasure.
With a top Chef the menu is really interesting and is based on the home-grown vegies from the organic farm of the owners of the pub. The service is friendly and the views are stunning. Make sure you book.
You can drop in for a game of pool and drink, a snack or a long lunch or dinner!
BONUS: They have a excellent independent bottle shop with a good selection.
Restaurants continued...
BellaVista, Mapleton Village
A simple pizza and Italian local, in the same hands for 10 yrs. Eat-in or takeaway. Friendly, personal service with tasty (but not totally authentic Italian) food. Open for dinner Monday to Sunday, 4.30pm til 8pm. Closed Monday. Call 07 5445 7499.
Tapas10, Mapleton Village
This is not a tapas restaurant (but once was) however the food is good and eclectic with shared plates. The atmosphere’s a bit quirky and the views are great. Ask to be upstairs on the (covered) veranda. Open 4-9pm Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun & closed Mon/Tues/Wed. In the village on the corner opposite the pub.
Fishtales Seafood Café, overlooking Mapleton Ponds.
11 Obi Obi Rd (behind pharmacy) Wed to Sun: 4.30pm – 7.30pm, weekends opens earlier. 0493 267 288. Mostly take-away but a few tables overlooking the Mapleton Ponds. BYO.
45 Flaxton Drive, Flaxton – 8am-4pm 7 days a week. Excellent breakfasts and lunches plus locally made crafts and plants. Frozen meals to heat up at home – always busy, quirky atmosphere.
Set in the grounds of the Kondalilla Eco Resort is open Thursday to Sunday 12pm—8pm. Casual and overlooking a rainforest, it’s vegetarian and seafood dishes are tasty and well- priced. Live music on The Deck every Sunday 1-4pm.
The Long Apron at Spicers Clovelly Estate, Montville
This is upmarket dining at a lovely estate just outside Montville -- the restaurant has won some top awards. Charming, casual and a bit special.
Piggyback Café
1 Koorawatha Lane, Palmwoods. Asian Street Food open 11.30am-9pm everyday except Thursday. Very popular so go early … or late.
Rick’s Garage & Diner, Palmwood
Funky bar plus casual diner specialising in burgers, sliders, mussels and ribs. Often inhabited by people driving 50s cars … and they do service cars in their garage. Live entertainment on occasion – slightly ‘off the wall’ and a lot of fun.
Flame Hill Winery, Montville
Surprisingly good vineyard restaurant, overlooking the vines. Do a wine tasting before sitting down – best for lunch to get the atmosphere of being in a vineyard.
Spirit House, Yandina
This place is famous, and you must book. Modern Thai food in a rainforest setting on a lagoon. Great cooking school too, with classes nearly every day.
The Boat Shed, Cotton Tree Beach
A 30-minute leisurely drive via Nambour, through cane fields brings you to the mouth of the Maroochy River and one of our all-time favourites. A very simple place with open veranda and great seafood … the position almost on the river is unique, and the kids can play on the sand whilst you have lunch.
Secrets on the Lake, Baroon Pocket Dam
A 10 minute drive inland from Montville to Lake Baroon Dam, this is quite an eccentric complex of restaurant and accommodation, and people love it. Best for lunch.
Walks, Water Falls & Beaches
Kondalilla Falls
The Kondalilla Falls walk is a stunning 4.7 km loop trail in Kondalilla National Park. Located just outside Montville in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, it takes about 1.5 to 3 hours to complete. The hike descends into a lush rainforest valley, features an 80-meter waterfall, and requires climbing over 300 stairs. There are a lot of walks and options, visit the National Parks to find out more.
Cotton Tree: good for families with a big park, shady trees, flat water and an Olympic pool. Take-away fish & chips from The Boat Shed, right on the Maroochy River. 30 minutes away.
Mooloolaba: Drive to Montville and turn left onto the Hunchie Rd -- at the Old Hall in the middle of the village. Charming drive through the pretty rural villages of Wombie and Palmwoods. Fresh seafood markets and The Yacht Club for lunch. Visit SeaLife Aquarium at Maroochydore.
Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk includes easy to difficult walks -- short or long, through spectacular mountains and valleys to waterfalls and rivers. Our favourites are Gardeners Falls Swimming Hole (virtually no walk at all - but great swimming), Kondalilla Fall National Park and Mapelton Falls National Park.
Mary Cairncross Rainforest Information Centre
On Mountain View Road (Maleny) where you get the best view of the amazing volcanic plugs called The Glasshouse Mountains. An easy, flat walk through a rainforest - you can even take a pram. Guided tours are available. We see animals every time we go!.
Festivals & Special Events
One of Australia’s most famous festivals, 5 days from Boxing Day to New Year's Eve.
Gem Festival (Gemboree) - Nambour
26 - 29 March 2027. Nambour Showgrounds (always over Easter). People from interstate and overseas come to visit this Gem show. The show has many different stands with goods for sale, such as fossils, minerals, crystals, and jewellery.
Mid October 2027, Maleny Showgrounds, Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Wood artisans, landcare, farm forestry and local food.
Queensland Garden Expo - Nambour
10 - 12 July 2026, Nambour Showgrounds. All things plants! Huge show with excellent gardening talks, plant displays and sales.
Gympie Music Muster, Amamoor Creek State Forest
27 - 30 August 2026 The Gympie Muster is Australia's original and most loved community camping and music experience. The Muster showcases country, roots, blues, folk and rock music.
Curated Plate - Food & Drink Festival
July 24 - August 2 2026. Home-grown festival offers a delicious 10-day celebration of food and drink from. Each event experience will showcase our region’s local produce, producers and chefs, and our unique natural assets from the sea to the hinterland.
Saturday, 19 September 2026
An old-fashioned rodeo, slow horse events, dog jump, and amusement rides.
June 11 - 14 2026. The 2026 Program is packed with unforgettable beachfront experiences, long lunches, chef collaborations, live music and all the action happening at the heart of it all: the Festival Village at Noosa Woods. The 2027 is expected to be in early to mid June.
Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival, Maleny
1 August 2026. At Spices Tamarind Retreat, part of the The Curated Plate festival...great food and entertainment, bring a picnic blanket and enjoy!
