← Sunshine Coast Marathon·1 night

Noosa: One Night on Hastings Street

A short drive north to Main Beach and a sealed coastal path into Noosa National Park, where koalas sit in the trees and humpbacks pass offshore in August.

Duration1 night
TransitAbout 35 min by car from Mooloolaba, or bus
DepartsMooloolaba / Alexandra Headland

After the Sunshine Coast Marathon: Noosa

The Route: Alexandra Headland → Noosa Heads → Sunshine Coast Airport Logistics: Car, taxi or bus. North up the coast to Noosa Heads, one night, then back south to the airport at Marcoola. Marathon Month: August Duration: 1 night

Alexandra Headland ──(about 35 mins by car)──> Noosa Heads
                                                   │
Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) ◄──(about 30 mins by car)──┘

The Sunshine Coast Marathon finishes at Alexandra Headland, and Noosa Heads is about 40 km north, at the top of the same coast. One night there gives a slow afternoon on the beach, a sealed walk into the national park the next morning and an easy run south to the airport.

August in Noosa: winter, with mild days and cool evenings, and the middle of the humpback whale season. Humpbacks pass this coast between June and November, and the headland path in Noosa National Park looks straight out over their route; August is one of the best months to see them from land. The water is cool for swimming.

The drive from Mooloolaba takes about 35 minutes. Without a car, FlixBus runs a direct service from Mooloolaba to Noosa Junction twice a day in about 35 minutes, and Translink buses make the trip more slowly with a change; check times on the Translink journey planner. A taxi costs roughly A$85 to A$110 (£45 to £58).

Night One: Noosa Heads

Hastings Street is Noosa's main street, a short strip of hotels, restaurants and cafés a couple of steps from Main Beach.

The recovery walk is the coastal walk into Noosa National Park, which starts at the Noosa Headland day-use area at the end of Park Road. The first 300 m to Boiling Point is sealed and step-free. The path stays sealed on to Dolphin Point, about 2.4 km from the start, with a few short stretches steeper than 1 in 10. Look up into the trees: koalas are sometimes seen resting in the branches above the path. Beyond Dolphin Point the track becomes unsealed, with steps and steep sections on the last stretch to Hell's Gates at 2.7 km. The day after a marathon, walk the sealed section to Dolphin Point and back, just under 5 km, and turn around there. Keep an eye on the sea for whales.

Main Beach, in front of Hastings Street, is the flat alternative: firm sand near the water and a boardwalk along the front.

Where to stay: Netanya Noosa sits on the beachfront at Hastings Street, directly on Main Beach. Elysium Noosa Resort, part of Accor's MGallery collection and formerly the Sofitel, is on Hastings Street a short walk from the national park entrance.

Where to eat: Sails serves fine dining with views over Main Beach. Bistro C is the more relaxed choice for seafood by the beach.

Getting to Sunshine Coast Airport

Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) at Marcoola is about 30 minutes south of Noosa by car. For international flights, Brisbane Airport (BNE) is about two hours by road.