An Insider’s Guide to the Best Things to Do in Noosa
The classic beach favourite of Noosa has its mojo back, so we've rounded up the best things to do during your next visit.
What to do
No question, the beaches are great. But the Noosa River, with its boat shacks, jetties and watercraft, is just as popular. From chic coffee bars to perky pelicans, the river is a busy place. There are tables beneath shady trees, playgrounds for kids and barbecues. Have a paddleboard lesson with one of the operators along the river or work out on the free gym equipment.
If you happen to be visiting at the end of May (29 May - 1 June), your timing is impeccable. The annual culinary celebration of the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival (above) happens over four days in late autumn, bringing local ingredients, global flavours and a stacked events calendar – from long lunches to lively masterclasses – to the Sunshine Coast.
With cuisines from Lebanese to French (and beyond) featured during the festivities, this year’s schedule also has a bevy of notable chefs, including Hayden Quinn, Michelin-recognised Josh Emett and Martin Boetz, among many others, invited to the pass.
Outside the festival, Noosa National Park remains pristine despite the walkers and joggers treading its Coastal Track each day. Walk to Boiling Pot, Tea Tree Bay and Granite Bay and enjoy limitless sea views. Or head deep inside the park along the well-signed Tanglewood Track and trek its winding length back to the ocean trail.
Fashion boutiques on Hastings Street, at Noosa Junction and on Gympie Terrace sell local and international labels. There are few chain outlets on Hastings Street. Instead, you’ll find art galleries and jewellery stores wedged between homewares and gift shops.
Having a glass of wine at a window seat at Sofitel's Noosa Beach House, headed up by chef Bret Cameron, gives you a top view of the Hastings Street action, as does sipping coffee at Aromas, where the chairs face the pavement, European style. Ice-cream parlours abound but the chocolate-truffle flavour at Massimo’s Gelateria makes everything better.
It’s all about the water, though. Go deep-sea fishing with Deep Sea Fishing Co or stay closer to home on the river and nearby lakes with Noosa River Fishing Safaris. Depending on the spot, you may land a tuna, mackerel or reef fish. If you prefer to look at your fish rather than catch them, the crew at Kanu Kapers run guided kayak tours in the Noosa Everglades – one of only two everglades in the world and home to roughly 44% of Australia’s diverse bird species.
On Sundays, it’s a tale of two markets. Locals and visitors alike flock to Noosa Farmers Market at Noosaville’s football grounds for farm produce and homemade goodies. Or hop on the Noosa Ferry Cruise and head to Noosa Marina at Tewantin, where the markets showcase local art, craft and produce as live music plays. Fish and chips at the Noosa Harbour Fish Market tops off a visit. The original Eumundi Markets, held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, are a 20-minute drive into the hinterland. Stalls here brim with handmade products.
Where to eat
If you can judge a town’s dining scene by the quality of its Chinese restaurant, Noosa has now cemented its worthiness. The moodily lit Sabrosa Dim Sum House leaves no stone unturned, with Wagyu beef and lotus root potstickers, Chinese-sausage flecked fried rice and prawn and pork su mai (garnished with flying fish roe) on the menu for hungry patrons. The deal sealer? The Saturday yum cha that runs from 12pm to 3pm.
Thomas Street, Noosaville’s eat street, is home to Magic of India, serving what locals like to say is the best butter chicken outside of Mumbai. For more international flavours, local seafood gets the Mexican treatment at Bandita on Gympie Terrace. Ultra-fresh reef fish, for example, is the basis for classic ceviche, while the hot sauces are stuffed with chillies sourced from the gardens of nearby residents (you’ll also find the fiery spice on the rim of your Chilli Margarita). 250 Grammi is also a delicious addition to the dining scene, while Raw Energy café on Gympie Terrace promises healthy options that look good, too.
After a morning swim, tuck into buttermilk pancakes with forest berry compote and mascarpone at Boardwalk Bistro on the beach in Hastings Street before stopping by Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club for Coffin Bay Oysters and club classics like chicken schnitzel or a filet mignon.
Back on Thomas Street, chef Ryan Fitzgerald has opened Lanai Noosa, plating up sustainably sourced seafood and native ingredients.
At nearby Sunshine Beach, Humble on Duke serves up Middle Eastern-inspired share plates spanning wagyu pastirma and tahini semi-freddo. A few doors down, Embassy XO has a South-East Asian/Chinese menu. Save room for the chocolate bao dessert.
Back in Noosaville, locals love Gusto Riverfront Restaurant for its hearty seafood chowder. For pan-Asian fusion celebrating Australian ingredients, make a pitstop at Sum Yung Guys for Hervey Bay scallops in jungle curry and Mooloolaba prawn toast with gochu mayo.
The beachfront dining at Season (above) on Hastings Street comes with smart service and modern-Australian fusion cuisine. The yellow curry overflows with local seafood. Miss Moneypenny’s, a super-stylish joint on the Hastings strip with its open-air stone-and-wood fit-out, has cutting-edge cocktails (Singapore Sling anyone?) and pizza.
Well-known restaurateur Rio Capurso will greet you effusively at Locale, a glamorous vision of dark wood and white linen on Hastings Street. The tagliatelle with Fraser Isle spanner crab, basil, chilli and lemon pangrattato will linger in the memory.
At Sails, the only thing between you and the ocean is sand and miso-glazed toothfish, prawn linguine and chocolate pavlova which is just as good as the killer wine list.
Where to stay
Don’t let the term “backpackers” scare you: Halse Lodge (above) is not your average youth stay. This 1880s weatherboard beauty has been given a second chance at life thanks to CLO Studios, which has imparted a laid-back ’70s vibe to the interiors. Yes, there are butter-yellow shared bathrooms and bunk beds (handmade, mind you) but you can also settle in at private suites that have Nespresso machines, king beds and cork-lined dining areas with “dolphin-coloured” velvet banquettes. Reinforcing the point is the onsite wine bar, charged with a menu of lo-fi drinks and eats, such as Mooloolaba prawn linguine and miso-roasted carrots.
Looking for something a little different? Noosa River Holiday Park has waterfront sites, a boat ramp and a million-dollar location; Hotel Laguna Holiday Apartments in Hastings Street is family- and wallet-friendly, with all the action at your door; Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort is centrally-located on Hastings Street; Tingirana Noosa offers a beachfront perch; and Netanya Noosa's spa penthouse comes with a private rooftop jacuzzi.
