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11 serene spots to go camping on the Sunshine Coast

From glitzy glamping to activity aplenty holiday parks, the best camping on the Sunshine Coast helps you escape in style.

I’m open to all wellness practices but what’s more energising than time spent in nature? In the Sunshine Coast, just a 2.5-hour drive north of where I live on the Gold Coast, powder-white beaches and lush subtropical hinterland make getting (and staying) outside especially enticing. From luxury glamping with all the plush surprises to pitching a tent in a family-friendly holiday park, camping on the Sunshine Coast serves as a holiday maker’s rite of passage. Here, I break down some tried-and-tested hot spots.

In short

If you only pick one spot to go camping on the Sunshine Coast, make it Sixty6 Acres for its freshly built sites (unveiled in June 2025) and wellness zone complete with seven mineral plunge pools.

1. Habitat Noosa Everglades Eco Camp

glamping at Habitat Noosa Everglades
Retreat into your luxe glamping tent at Habitat Noosa Everglades.

The Noosa Everglades gathered dust atop my Queensland bucket list prior to my visit to Habitat Noosa Everglades Eco Camp – but, boy, did it live up to expectations when I made it. The headline attraction, those Everglades, at this Sunshine Coast campsite are one of only two on the planet, and these guys run daily tours out to them. Eerily still, particularly its River of Mirrors, as endemic birdlife thrives, the Everglades are just the cherry on top of deluxe glamping at Habitat. Go for the Paperbark glamping tents rather than the Wilderness ones if you’re a family of four or under — they’re newer, fitted with a king bed and bunkbed, and surrounded by red kangaroos who care for adorable joeys right at your doorstep. Expect a spacious ensuite bathroom, bar fridge, private fire pit, private deck and tea and coffee making facilities, too. The great thing about this place is you can, alternatively, keep things cheap with a solar-powered or unpowered campsite right by the water. Activities beyond Everglades exploration include paddleboarding, canoeing and sinking homebrews care of the on-site microbrewery. Prices start from $37 for unpowered camping sites.

Address: Elanda Point Rd, Elanda Point

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2. Sixty6 Acres

a private farm stay at Sixty6 Acres, Sunshine Coast
The picturesque farm stay occupies an idyllic slice of the countryside. (Image: Kelli Jean Black Photography)

It used to be an exclusive farm stay with just a handful of cabins but Sixty6 Acres, just a few minutes’ drive from the Big Pineapple, now invites camping in arguably its most spectacular form. 93 powered sites accommodate caravans and tent-pitching amid 66 spectacular acres of countryside. When you’re not wandering its grounds, losing total track of time, there’s an on-site restaurant and bar, The Farmhouse, to indulge in, unveiled in June 2025. Also, that month, a series of seven outdoor magnesium plunge pools, linked by a stone pathway, lit Sixty6 Acres up as a wellness destination, so bring your togs and prepare to soak. Fluffy farm animal encounters, a golf course and one picture-perfect lake are also on-hand to help create magical family-friendly moments. Powered sites start from $100 per night.

Address: Walden Rd, Woombye

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3. Kookaburra Park

the Kookaburra Park, Sunshine Coast
Kookaburra Park sits on 75 acres in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

Get your laughing yoga on at Kookaburra Park where the cackling of kookaburras provides a memorable soundtrack to relaxed Sunshine Coast camping. A stay at this property, which doubles as a sanctuary for rescued animals, is delightful for all ages and family sizes as a range of unpowered and powered sites, tiny homes, cabins and cottages fill the pet-friendly grounds. Kids will love hand feeding the campsite’s resident deer, pigs and guinea pigs before uncovering a fairy garden where they can add their own arts and crafts to the interactive play scene. There’s also a scenic 2.4-kilometre return hike, as a local platypus beckons from the Mary River and multiple dams play home to turtles and ducks. Prices start from $22 per person for one night’s unpowered camp site.

Address: 2951 Maleny Kenilworth Rd, Cambroon

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4. Ingenia Holidays Rivershore

Ingenia Holidays Rivershore pictured from above
Stay in plush cabanas next to the outdoor pool. (Image: Ingenia Holidays Rivershore)

Ingenia Holidays Rivershore isn’t your average holiday park, leaning far more into resort territory thanks to its plush cabanas at the outdoor pool. Yes, there’s the obligatory holiday park amenities, like camping and caravan sites, a jumping pillow, two water slides and a camp kitchen. However, this Sunshine Coast camping spot, nestled on the banks of the Maroochy River, also has riverfront glamping tents with king-sized beds and claw-foot baths, a jetty made for fishing and a fully licensed onsite restaurant and bar. Unpowered camp sites start from $52 per night and prices climb all the way up to those safari glamping tents, priced from $219 per night. The clincher? Many accommodation options are pet-friendly, so check the website for details.

Address: 99 David Low Way, Diddillibah

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5. BIG4 Noosa North Shore

the ensuite site at BIG4 Noosa North Shore, Sunshine Coast
The pet-friendly BIG4 Noosa North Shore has an array of accommodations for families. (Image: Supplied)

Ready for another Sunshine Coast holiday park with all the trimmings? BIG4 Noosa North Shore lures fur parents thanks to its various pet-friendly accommodation options which span powered and unpowered campsites (from $38 per night), cottages (from $200 per night) and glamping tents (from $255 per night). Once you’ve settled in, grab a map from reception because the facilities can overwhelm. Two mountain biking tracks, paddleboarding, a jumping pillow, indoor bouldering cave, frisbee golf, volleyball, table tennis, surfboard rentals, multiple walking trails and dedicated school holiday programs should keep everyone smiling, plus there are multiple amenities blocks, a kiosk, an eatery, laundry, playground and an abundance of wildlife for every other spare moment.

Address: Cnr Maximillian & Beach Rds, Noosa

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6. Kenilworth Homestead

an outdoor pool at Kenilworth Homestead, Sunshine Coast
Kenilworth Homestead is still one of South East Queensland’s premier family campsites.

A privately run camping site that feels like a holiday summer camp, Kenilworth Homestead is a gorgeous spot for sleeping under the stars on the Sunshine Coast. Choose between powered and unpowered sites scattered throughout the 38-hectare property, while horse yards and farm animals provide all the entertainment. Prices start from $36 per night for an unpowered campsite.

Address: 2760 Eumundi-Kenilworth Rd, Kenilworth

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7. Kanimbia

a safari tent at Kanimbia, Sunshine Coast
Kanimbia has four luxe Safari tents.

Crowned 2024’s best Australian glamping destination at the World Luxury Travel Awards, Kanimbia offers outstanding outdoor stays. Stepping into one of four of its top-shelf Safari tents, I couldn’t believe what I saw. Glass cabinets with artefacts, couches, rugs, candles, pendant light fixtures, kitchenettes, bar trolleys… It’s like you’re in someone’s home. There’s also one Empress tent, where the shower and bath are just outside, and another two glamping options but trust me: you want the Safari. The team can arrange food and cheese platters, plus bikes, and there are firepits to set the mood come sunset. Prices start from about $190 per night.

Address: Inalls Rd, Obi Obi

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8. Starry Nights, West Woombye

You’ll score more than enough space to stretch out at Starry Nights, located in the heart of the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Pour yourself a bath, pluck away at your ukulele, or just soak up the chorus of birdsong at this beautiful glampsite, featuring tents crafted from recycled barnwood and canvas. Each stay offers a wood fire, king beds, rain shower, clawfoot tub, kitchenette with an espresso machine, flushing toilets and a barbecue, plus you can book spa treatments inside the comfort of your cocoon. Prices start from roughly $350 per night.

Address: 36 Carruthers Rd, West Woombye

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9. Big4 Caloundra

the pool at Big4 Caloundra, Sunshine Coast
Big4 Caloundra is your ultimate destination for a holiday packed full of family fun.

Parents, like me, who pitch their tent at Big4 Caloundra on the water’s edge of the Pumicestone Passage estuary get to take a load off because the kids are sorted here. Pack their bikes and skateboards so they can mingle with the mass of kids you’ll camp alongside, and let them take full advantage of the kid-friendly amenities spanning a jumping pillow, kids’ club and heated swimming pool with two waterslides. When everyone’s reunited, toast a day done right at Tripcony Traders, this Sunshine Coast camping hot spot’s in-house restaurant and bar. Prices start from about $85 per night for a powered tent site.

Address: 44 Maloja Ave, Caloundra

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10. Cotton Tree Holiday Park

a beachfront camping site at Cotton Tree Holiday Park, Sunshine Coast
Stay in powered and unpowered camp sites on Maroochydore Beach. (Image: Mark Fitz/Tourism and Events Queensland)

Cotton Tree Holiday Park offers the best of both worlds with direct access to both the Maroochy River and stunning Maroochydore Beach. This is urban camping at its very best, so walking down the main street for ice cream is a must, as is rambling down to one of the local restaurants for dinner. Choose from powered and unpowered camp sites (24 of the powered beauties lie absolute waterfront), plus there are villas and a four-bedroom house to consider. Facilities include four individual amenity blocks, three laundries, barbecues and free Wi-Fi. Prices start from roughly $64 per night for an unpowered tent site.

Address: 2/36 Cotton Tree Pde, Maroochydore

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11. Teewah Beach Camping Area Zone 1

a couple standing beside a 4WD on Teewah Beach Camping Area
Teewah Beach is accessible via 4WD. (Image: Ming Nomchong Photography/Tourism and Events Queensland)

Hardcore campers who like to get off the well-trammelled beach paths will appreciate Teewah Beach Camping Area Zone 1 in the staggeringly beautiful Great Sandy National Park. The beach is only suitable for high clearance 4WDs so it keeps numbers down, making for a much more intimate camping experience. It’s an easy stroll to the beach where you can extend your exploration at low tide and may even spot whales in winter. Campers should note there’s no phone reception and open fires are not allowed. Additionally, there are no toilets (the nearest are found at the Freshwater Day-use area and Double Island Point, which both demand decent walks), so visitors must BYO portable loos (it’s mandatory), and you’ll be sleeping on sand or grass – no concrete slabs. It’s priced at $7.50 per night and you’ll need to organise your permit, too.

Address: Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park

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Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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4 surprising ways to experience the real Gold Coast

Credit: Reuben Nutt

There’s more to discover in this buzzing city beyond its thrilling theme parks and pretty beaches.

One of the world’s most celebrated coastal destinations, the Gold Coast has long drawn in visitors with its endless stretches of golden sand and thrilling theme parks. And while these iconic drawcards deliver time and time again, there’s much more to discover in this idyllic pocket of the world.

Luxury enthusiasts are catered for with fabulous five-star retreats, foodies can delight their taste buds with the freshest produce, and nature lovers can lose themselves in a world of ancient rainforest.

From the Hinterland to the sea, here are five surprising ways to experience the Gold Coast.

1. Indulge in luxury

Mondrian Gold Coast women enjoying Pampering treatments at the Ciel Spa and wellness facilities
Escape the grind inside Mondrian Gold Coast’s CIEL Spa. (Credit: Demi Gavin)

If you’re in need of a weekend away to recharge, you’re well looked after with the suite of five-star beachfront hotels. And with the country’s first Andaz hotel opening later this year in Broadbeach and a glamorous Ritz-Carlton on the way, a new era of luxury is being ushered in.

Many of these hotels, like The Langham (Chuan Spa) and the Mondrian Gold Coast (CIEL Spa), feature world-class day spas in sumptuous settings, offering treatments spanning massages, facials, body wraps, and hand and foot therapies from some of the world’s best therapists.

It would also be remiss when on the Gold Coast not to take to the sparkling waters, and the most stylish way to do so is by chartering a yacht, of course. Set sail on your own private haven from Crystal Blue Yacht Charters or Sailing in Paradise, spending your days lounging on deck, discovering secluded coves only accessible by boat and dipping in crystalline waters.

2. Escape to the Hinterland

experience the Gold Coast at springbrook national park Warrie Circuit, looking out from Ngarri-dhum Falls
Hike through Springbrook National Park to enjoy incredible views. (Credit: Reuben Nutt)

You’d be forgiven for not being able to pull yourself away from the Gold Coast’s sparkling coastline, but just a 30-minute drive inland, the Hinterland spoils visitors with a lush landscape that brings an instant sense of calm.

In the World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park, an ancient oasis of over 500 waterfalls and over 160 kilometres of bushwalking trails are waiting to be discovered, soundtracked by the calls of rare rainforest songbirds. And in the ancient Springbrook National Park, you can witness a dazzling light show from one of the largest glow worm colonies in the world. And walk beneath towering Antarctic Beech Trees.

The Hinterland’s fertile volcanic soil and subtropical climate make it a growers’ paradise, and gourmands can relish the best of the region’s bounty at restaurants like Paddock at Beechmont Estate. This casual fine-dining destination offers a paddock-to-plate experience in the truest sense, with produce harvested onsite and sourced from local farms. It might also surprise you to learn that there are fabulous wineries in the region as well, including the must-visit Witches Falls Winery, which produces world-class wild-ferment drops.

3. Taste the best of the dining scene

Tarte Bakery & Cafe serving coffee, pastries and meals in the heart of Burleigh
Treat yourself at Tarte Bakery & Cafe. (Credit: Jesse Lindemann)

The culinary scene on the Gold Coast exceeds expectations thanks to its location and gastronomic talent. Ultra-fresh seafood, abundant hinterland produce and inventive brews star on menus, making it a haven for foodies.

Start your day on a delicious note with the smell of fresh pastries and some of the best coffee in the city at Tarte Bakery & Cafe. Or sit in the classic Queenslander at Paddock Bakery to tuck into their elevated take on ‘egg and soldiers’, with toasted sourdough, organic labna, parsley and bacon bits.

Rick Shores is a must-visit lunch or sunset dinner spot in Burleigh Heads, loved for its front-row vistas of the ocean and succulent Pan-Asian flavours – the Fried Moreton Bay Bug Roll with its delicate sweet meat and toasted brioche bun has a cult following. The team’s second venue, Norté, is another culinary triumph, serving Latin American bites in an ultra-sleek space.

For a more relaxed affair, sit outside at the award-winning Burleigh Brewing Co and sip your way through a tasting padel of inventive lagers and ales while tapping your feet to live music.

4. Recover with wellness & relaxation

aerial view of upper valley pool at Eden Retreat on the gold coast
Enjoy a total reset surrounded by rainforest at Eden Retreat.

The Gold Coast knows a thing or two when it comes to pampering and relaxation, and those seeking some R&R or to banish their worries can do so at the multitude of bathhouses, day spas and secluded hinterland retreats peppered across the city.

One of the most coveted spots to unwind and experience the tranquillity of Japanese bathing culture is at SOL Elements, Australia’s first floating bathhouse snuggled in the rainforests of Mt Tamborine. Also located in the hinterland is Eden Retreat, a luxury health retreat on a 400-acre property designed to reconnect you with nature via daily wellness classes and contemporary lodges overlooking the rainforest.

Back in the city, Soak Bathhouse is a local favourite for contrast therapy with its open-air hot spas, mineral baths, cold plunges, cedar sauna and steam room. If a massage or facial is more your calling, book into Spa by JW at JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa. Let the professionals soothe overworked muscles and rejuvenate skin in a heavenly setting.

And who could forget the city’s untamed side? Seek out natural swimming spots like the dreamy Araluen swimming hole hidden away in the Tallebudgera Valley, and the lower section of Currumbin Creek, a pristine tidal estuary with lagoon-like waters.

Start planning the ultimate Gold Coast getaway, your way, at experiencegoldcoast.com.