A sprawling coastal town at the northern end of wide Moreton Bay, Caloundra marks one end of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. This spectacular stretch of beaches runs north to the resort town of Noosa and beyond to the sand dunes of Great Sandy National Park. There are plenty of beaches to explore right in town before you head any further north, though. Little Bulcock Beach, next to Caloundra’s main shopping precinct at the southern end of town, sits on a channel facing Bribie Island, a big sand island with a couple of towns and a biodiverse national park.

Nearby Kings Beach faces the open water and offers the best surfing, while Shelly, Moffat, and Dicky beaches tend to have smaller waves. Cruise the length of the coast around the town centre to take your pick of beaches, or check out the handmade products and local food at the Caloundra Street Fair, held every Sunday morning in the city centre. If you’re in town on the last Friday of each month, make the most of the outdoors lifestyle and grab an open-air dinner at the Caloundra Twilight Market at Bulcock Beach.

Caloundra is a 70-minute drive north from the international hub of Brisbane Airport (BNE), or a 30-minute drive south from regional Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY). From either airport you can pick up a rental or, if you want to go car-free, book a shuttle service. You can also catch a train from Brisbane to Caloundra; the journey takes just over two hours from central Brisbane. You’ll need a car to visit Bribie Island National Park, as it’s almost an hour’s drive south to the only bridge to the island. If you’re content to mostly hang out at the beach, you can hire standard bikes or e-bikes in Caloundra to get around town.

Due to its proximity to Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast is a popular holiday rental destination all year round. The region can be very busy during the summer break, from mid-December until the end of January, and other school holidays. Come to Caloundra in spring, from September to November, and you’ll enjoy warm, dry days before the holiday crowds arrive. The town gets busy during the 10-day Horizon Festival of arts, from late August, as well as the four-day Caloundra Music Festival in early October. This part of the Queensland coast is subtropical, meaning summer days are hot and humid and the nights are generally warm. Winters are mild in Caloundra. For the most part, you can swim at the town’s beaches all year long. If you surf, you’ll find the waves to be more consistent during winter.

Pumicestone Passage

An estuary running from Caloundra 35 kilometres south to Deception Bay, Pumicestone Passage is home to turtles, bottlenose dolphins, and dugongs, as well as nearly three dozen shorebird species. Check out this sheltered section of Moreton Bay Marine Park by kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or boat.

Caloundra Coastal Walk

This epic trek starts at Golden Beach, on Pumicestone Passage opposite Bribie Island, and follows the coast past Caloundra to Mooloolaba in the north. The whole walking route can take up to five hours; it’s around an hour one way from Kings Beach to Golden Beach.

Currimundi Lake trail

Directly north of Caloundra, Currimundi Lake Conservation Park faces the beach and a creek that’s usually blocked from opening to the ocean by sandbanks. It’s a great place to kayak, and there’s a hiking and cycling circuit along the creek banks and through the reserve.