Discover the Sunshine Coast
Note: Before booking travel to Australia please check you meet all entry and transit requirements for your travel.
While coastal fun and 300 days of sunshine a year will draw you here, adventures in the beautiful hinterland will have you lingering longer.
Just a few movie-filled hours from Auckland, the Sunshine Coast delivers wave after wave of holiday happiness. Having fun and enjoying the sunshine might be your top priorities, however amazing food experiences and the glorious hinterland scenery will make you want to stretch your stay. On your Sunshine Coast escape you can count on glorious relaxation with just the right amount of added excitement.
About our flights to the Sunshine Coast
Air New Zealand offers non-stop flights between Auckland and the Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore) seasonally between July and October with connections available from all Air New Zealand serviced domestic airports. The average Auckland to Sunshine Coast flight time is just under four hours, while the Auckland to Brisbane flight time is about three hours and 45 minutes. You can choose the way you fly on all our flights to Australia.
Where to go and what to do on the Sunshine Coast
From a base on the coast it's easy to nip into the hinterland, which includes Beerwah (home of Australia Zoo), the extraordinary heritage-listed Glass House Mountains and the quaint hinterland hamlets of Maleny, Montville, Mapleton and Eumundi. The Sunshine Coast's beach villages are a popular place to stay with a range of accommodation options available from Caloundra to Mooloolaba and Alexandra Headlands, through to Coolum, Noosa and Rainbow Beach to the north. Unless you want to flop in one spot, you'll definitely need a car to explore this amazing region.
Located between Brisbane and Fraser Island, the Sunshine Coast is a visually spectacular region with a relaxed beachside culture, friendly locals, fresh food, bucket-list experiences and world-class events.
Beach culture on the Sunshine Coast is meshed with top-notch food experiences. This means picking up a perfectly-formed espresso while you check out the waves first thing in the morning, dusting off the sand to move from the beach to a waterfront restaurant at lunchtime, then sauntering into town at sunset for cocktails and sublime seafood. It also means getting up early to visit a local farmers' market, so you can stock your holiday apartment fridge with glorious fruit, olives, cheese and artisan breads. The Sunshine Coast strawberry season runs from June to November, so fresh berries are a delectable holiday bonus!
From wherever you are on the Sunshine Coast, it's easy to take a day off to explore the fascinating rocky outcrops and volcanic peaks of the Glass House Mountains. The unusual shapes of these heritage-listed ancient volcanic extrusions are matched by equally interesting names - Tibrogargan, Beerburrum, Coochin and Tibberoowuccum, just to mention a few. Grab breakfast or lunch with a blockbuster view at one of the award-winning restaurants or charming cafés in the quaint villages of Maleny, Montville, Mapleton or Eumundi and discover the hinterland's intriguing arts and food trails.
With 300 days of sunshine each year, the Sunshine Coast's famously lovely weather has made the area a magnet for sporting events, festivals and outdoor attractions. In May, enjoy the Noosa Food & Wine Festival or Runaway Noosa marathon, with events from 5km to 42.2km. July brings the Velothon, Queensland Garden Expo and Noosa Alive festival; the Gympie Music Muster, Sunshine Coast Marathon and spectacular Horizon Festival are on in August. Caloundra's Music Festival starts at the end of September and October is the time for Wanderlust, Netfest and the Noosa International Film Festival. November is the month for Noosa's annual triathlon and December brings surfing competitions and outdoor market festivals. At any time of the year, Australia Zoo, Sealife, Big Kart Track and Aussie World are ready to keep your family entertained.
Receive alerts about cheap flights to the Sunshine Coast
If you're interested in cheap flights to Maroochydore (Sunshine Coast airport) or Brisbane from NZ, we run regular special offers. You can sign up for low fare alerts to receive early notice of these offers. You can also sign up to receive regular email updates about cheap airfares, packages, competitions and exclusive offers.
Keep exploring Sunshine Coast
Essential information
Best time to go
It's always a good time to visit the Sunshine Coast, which has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are hotter and wetter; winters are sunny with less rainfall. The average temperature in January is 28°C, while in July it's around 20°C. The peak time for visitors is over the Christmas and January holiday period, so choose autumn, winter or spring if you want to avoid the crowds and get off-peak accommodation deals.
How much will it cost?
Obviously this will depend on your tastes and what you want to do. As a rough guide, not including air travel and hotels, you should allow about AU$150 to $200 a day per person for food and entertainment.
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