7 Unbeatable Things to do in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland With Kids

The Sunshine Coast Hinterland is full of lush greenery, charming small towns, stunning views, and a more relaxed vibe than many of the coastal hotspots. From local icons to nature areas and more, here are our top picks for things to do in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with kids!

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The Big Pineapple

Australia sure loves its ‘big’ icons! This is the second one we’ve visited, the first of which was The Big Merino in Goulburn.

The Big Pineapple is in Woombye, a small town in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. It’s also only a short drive from Nambour.

The site was originally a pineapple farm, which evolved into an agri-tourism destination. Today, it has several attractions, so you can either take a short photo stop or stay longer, depending on your budget and preferences.

The Pineapple Train ride, Pine Mobile ride, and Climb the Pine experience are all $12 per person, or a little cheaper for the bundle of three. We decided only to do the train ride, which takes you on a nice journey around the attraction, complete with live commentary.

The Big Pineapple is also home to the Wildlife HQ Zoo and the Tree Top Challenge high ropes and zipline course. The latter also has a course especially for younger adventurers.

Finally, check out the on-site gin distillery to complete your day!

Sunshine Castle

If you’re looking for places to visit in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, take the kids to the Sunshine Castle in Bli Bli. It’s Australia’s biggest castle and has been open since the early 70’s when the original owners needed somewhere to house their dioramas! After changing ownership, it also became home to an extensive doll collection.

The majority of the castle is closed to the public (due to extensive weather damage), but there’s plenty here for the family to enjoy. For $10 per person, you can take a self-guided tour. The kids can try on armour and learn about other medieval artifacts before checking out the doll museum and model train display.

Along the way, the kids can solve picture or word puzzles. It kept mine engaged, and they were excited to get a prize at the end!

Although this isn’t the place for an extensive castle exploration, it still has plenty to offer for families. The Sunshine Castle also has a toy shop and a small cafe. We recommend it as a budget-friendly, educational, and fun family activity.

Aussie World

Aussie World is a fantastic theme park located in Palmview in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. It has rides for all heights, and the theme park is especially ideal for kids aged around 13 and under. It’s easier on the wallet than the Gold Coast theme parks, yet it still offers plenty of rides to keep your family entertained for the whole day.

Colin and I loved the Plunge, which gives you just the right amount of splash! Ayla loved the thrills of the SX360, and Romy was an ace on the Speed Stars racing track.

The staff were super welcoming and friendly, and even fed us lollipops when rides were closed due to thunderstorm warnings.

Read our full Aussie World review here.

HInterland Adventure Playground

If you’re looking for things to do in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with kids, take them to the Hinterland Adventure Playground in Cooroy!

It’s a really fun nature-inspired playground with a big slide, flying foxes, swings, and a shallow stream for paddling and cooling off (or jumping over!) There are also picnic benches and a shaded space to relax.

The Ginger Factory

The Ginger Factory in Yandina is one of the top Sunshine Coast Hinterland attractions for families! Entry is free, with several paid experiences also available.

I was impressed by how much there is to see and do for free. Firstly, if you take your kids on a Tuesday, there’s a free crafting activity from 10am until 2pm. Our kids painted wooden Christmas tree decorations.

Other free (daily) attractions include the bee bouncy castle, children’s playground, under 5’s indoor play space, and the giant snakes and ladders game. You can also wander through the gardens (check out the turtles and lizards!), visit the toy emporium, and the ginger shop.

Paid attraction and activity options include a train ride, boat ride, live bee show, factory tour, and tastings. Plus, there’s an excellent on-site cafe and beer garden.

The Play All Day Bundle includes unlimited rides on the 120-year-old Moreton the Ginger Train and the Overboard Boat. Or, the Play, Taste and Discover Bundle Experience consists of a factory tour and tastings, the live bee show and tastings, plus unlimited rides on the boat and train.

Book your return bus trip to the Ginger Factory here.

Visit Montville and Maleny

Montville and Maleny are gorgeous, must-visit towns in the Sunshine Hinterland. Ok, so we didn’t actually have time to stop in Montville, but it looked adorable as we drove through – think artsy vibes, boutique stores, and full of character.

But what did we stop to see? First, Gerrards Lookout just past Montville, a prime spot for paragliding take-offs. Also, a fun place to watch people fly their remote-controlled planes and enjoy stunning vistas from the grassy hillside.

Next, we visited McCarthy’s Lookout in Maleny. This one boasts superb views of the Glasshouse Mountains, aka, all the peaks I want to climb!

The drive around this area offers many breathtaking views, even without stopping at the lookouts.

We also walked along the Obi Obi Boardwalk and path in Maleny’s centre. It’s a beautiful, short, and easy nature walk.

Finally, we checked out Gardner’s Falls, an awesome spot to swim, play, and enjoy nature. We arrived a little late in the day for swimming, but enjoyed hopping around the rocks and watching a few people jumping off rocks and a rope swing into the water.

Maleny is definitely the place to enjoy nature. If we had had more time in the area, we would have visited the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve and Lake Baroon.

To return to the Gympie Region, we followed the Mary Valley Tourist Drive, letting the spectacular scenery extend through the evening.

Family-Friendly Montville and Maleny Tours

If you’d prefer someone else to take care of all the details, there are several family-friendly tours on offer to Montville and Maleny. This private Montville, Maleny, and Sunshine Coast Hinterland Tour is a fab option to experience the region’s wine, food, art and gift shops, rainforest, and more. Alternatively, this scenic culinary experience from Noosa or Mooloolaba includes free time to explore Montville and Maleny.

Hike the Kondalilla Falls and Picnic Creek Circuit

The Kondalilla Falls and Picnic Creek circuit is a stunning short hike near Montville in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. We woke up planning to climb Mount Cooroora or Coolum, but the rain meant those climbs could be unsafe, so we went to Kondalilla instead!

This moderate-level trail is 4.5km long and is an ideal option if you still want to hike on a rainy day. It didn’t feel slippery or dangerous, and the dense tree cover also makes it ideal on a sunny day.

This trail is part of the multi-day Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk, offering spectacular views and scenery. The circuit boasts views from the top and bottom of Kondalilla Falls, plus you’ll see a few smaller waterfalls.

The circuit also features rock pools where you can swim, just a short walk from the Kondalilla Falls car park. Many people come simply to swim and picnic.

I highly recommend this Sunshine Hinterland hike for a family-friendly excursion. We spent about two leisurely hours on the trail in total. The only downside was the leeches that came with the wet weather!

Things to do in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland With Kids | In Conclusion

We absolutely loved the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. It offers breathtaking scenery and a wide variety of attractions for families. There are many other places to visit and things to do that we have on our list for future visits. These include:

• Climbing Mount Cooroora
• The Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden
• Noosa Botanic Gardens
• Aqua Park Coolum

If you want to visit some of the coastal hotspots, check out these top picks for things to do on the Sunshine Coast with kids. Plus, don’t miss these family-friendly walks in Noosa.

We hope you have a fantastic trip to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland!

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