Holiday houses in Peregian Beach

South of glamorous Noosa Heads and Sunshine Beach lies a slice of the Sunshine Coast that delivers everything you want from this part of Queensland — powdery sand, glistening lakes, easy access to rainforest, and ample opportunities for swimming. At Peregian Beach you’ll find all this, minus the crowds that frequent its popular northern neighbours.

The laidback seaside village celebrates the great outdoors year-round, whether you come here to swim and surf in the Pacific Ocean, where dolphins and migrating whales are a common sight, or are attracted to the trails webbing the rainforest hinterland and Noosa National Park, which nudges spectacular Lake Weyba. You can beach hop for days along this stretch of coast. Note that many sandy coves are also pet friendly (add Castaways to your itinerary), so you can travel with your pooch.

The population of the Sunshine Coast swells over the warmer months, particularly the Christmas/New Year period and Easter school holidays. It’s busy up and down the coast, with waterside spots as prime real estate, thanks to the ample opportunities to surf and swim off many beaches. If you are looking at getting active in the great outdoors, whether hiking, biking, or kayaking, consider visiting when the mercury begins to drop — doing so also affords you the chance to spot migrating whales, visible offshore from May through November. Food fanatics will want to mark their calendars for the Noosa Eat & Drink (June) festival, while wave riders come for the Noosa Festival of Surfing (May).

Lake Weyba

Avid twitchers, rejoice. From Peregian you’re just a five-minute drive to Lake Weyba, home to brahminy kites, endangered rainbow bee-eaters, and glossy black cockatoos. This vast saltwater lake is also an important natural habitat, nurturing mangroves and seagrass and often attracting rays and crabs. Hike, kayak, cycle, or swim here too.

Great Beach Drive

Love exploring off-road? You’ll want to rent a 4WD and take on the Great Beach Drive from Noosa North Shore all the way up to Fraser Island. Much of your route is on the sand, which means you can stop to catch your lunch or have a swim and spot migratory birds and whales at your leisure. Then trek inland through national parkland, where all manner of wildlife awaits.

Noosa Heads

When you close your eyes and picture the Sunshine Coast — palm-lined sand, balmy ocean, al fresco cafes — Noosa Heads is what you imagine. This hamlet is the place to wine and dine on the coast, and its main strip of shops along Hastings Street has a constant buzz thanks to regular foot traffic. Despite the town’s cosmopolitan charms, you can walk to Noosa National Park, and it’s just a short drive to rainforest hinterlands.