We really are lucky to have some storybook destinations so close to Brisbane.
Here’s a few of our favourites.
Montville – particularly in winter, this hinterland gem comes alive with day trippers, picnickers, and weekenders. Renowned for being the creative heart of the area, you’ll find shops bursting with art, macramé, glass sculptures, home-made treats like truffles and fudge, a tea shop, a clock shop, and the list goes on. There’s the magnificent Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, where you can bring a picnic then wander through the centuries-old sub-tropical rainforest with its hundreds of varieties of flora and fauna.
Noosa – famed for its north-facing beach and variety of accommodation and places to eat, Noosa is a favourite of day trippers who just want a day in the sun mixed with some retail therapy and a light lunch. If you have 4 or 5 hours, start with a walk to Boiling Pot and back along the recently revamped boardwalk – it’ll take about half an hour, then spend an hour or two on Main Beach. After that, how about lunch at Locale, followed by an ice cream across the road at Massimo while you wander along Hastings St?
Bribie Island – closer than Noosa, Bribie is a fabulous place to take your fur baby with lots of spots to let them run free. It’s less than an hour from Brisbane and offers two options – the calm side and the rough side. It’s an incredibly relaxing place to visit any time of year.
Tambourine Mountain – a nature-lover’s paradise, you can experience everything from glow worm tours, fossick for thundereggs, as well as the rainforest skywalk. Like Montville, its main street boasts a myriad of cute retailers as well as cafes and restaurants and you can do the renowned ‘gallery walk’ while you’re there. Try the Lilli Pilli Gin at Tambourine Mountain Distillery and follow that up with a walk through the forest to Curtis Falls or Cedar Creek Falls.
