Driving Tours

A leisurely drive along the lush green ridge top of the Blackall Ranges behind Noosa is a popular half- or full-day excursion. Mountain villages, full of crafts shops and cafes, and terrific views of the coast, are the main attractions. Macadamia nuts, peaches, and other local produce are often for sale by the road at dirt-cheap prices.

On Saturday from 6:30am to 2pm or Wednesday from 8am to 1:30pm, head to the colorful outdoor Eumundi Markets in the historic village of Eumundi, 13km (8 miles) west of Noosa along the Eumundi Road. Locals and visitors wander under the huge shady trees among dozens of stalls selling locally grown organic lemonade, fruit, groovy hats, teddy bears, antique linen, homemade soaps, handcrafted hardwood furniture -- even live emu chicks! Get your face painted, your palm read, or your feet massaged, then listen to some didgeridoo music or bush poetry. When shopping's done, everyone pops into the cafes on Eumundi's main street.

From Eumundi, take the Bruce Highway to Nambour and turn right onto the Nambour-Mapleton Road. (The turnoff is just before you enter Nambour; if you hit the town, you've gone too far.) A winding 12km (7 1/2-mile) climb up the range between rolling farmland and forest brings you to Mapleton. Stop at the pub for some spectacular views from the veranda. From here, detour almost 4km (2 1/2 miles) to see the 120m (394-ft.) Mapleton Falls. A 200m (656-ft.) bushwalk departs from the picnic grounds and ends with great views over the Obi Obi Valley. There is also a 1.3km (3/4-mile) circuit.

Back on the main Mapleton-Maleny Road, head south 3.5km (2 miles) through lush forest and farms to Flaxton Gardens. Perched on the cliff with breathtaking coast views is a wine cellar offering tastings and sales, plus a pottery store, cafe, and gift shop. A bit farther south, you can detour right and walk the 4.6km (2 3/4-mile) round-trip trail to the base of 80m (262-ft.) Kondalilla Falls. You can swim here, too. It's a slippery downhill walk, and the climb back up can be tough.

Take the main road south for 5.5km (3 1/2 miles) to Montville. This English-style village has become such a popular stop that it has lost some of its character, and lots of people decry its touristy facade. But everyone still ends up strolling the tree-lined streets and browsing the gift shops and galleries.

About 13km (8 miles) down the road is Maleny, more modern and less commercialized than Montville. Be sure to follow the signs to Mary Cairncross Park for spectacular views of the Glass House Mountains, 16 volcanic plugs protruding out of the plains. The park has a food kiosk, a playground, free wood barbecues, and a rainforest information center; a 1.7km (1-mile) walking trail loops through the rainforest past some giant strangler figs.

You can either return to Noosa the way you came or, if you're in a hurry, drive down to Landsborough and rejoin the Bruce Highway.