Grapest 5km, Ocean View Estates
There is something about a fun run and a couple of drinks that just go together for me. It must be that wine is the perfect reward for vigorous exercise!
Enter the Grapest 5km - only the best idea ever.
The Grapest 5K Run is an event combining a jog through a picturesque vineyard setting, followed by wine tasting – and this year it took place between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast at Ocean View Estates.
The drive took me just over an hour and the second half was actually a scenic Saturday trip through winding country roads before arriving at the vineyard – complete with a dozen horses out front.
I was pretty early so I had time to stroll around and take in the beautiful views and snap a few pics at the photo booth the event organisers had set up.
Around 3pm (start times seemed pretty flexible…) everyone bunched up at the start line for what turned out to actually be a pretty challenging 5km. Vineyards are FULL of hills and uneven ground, especially when you are literally running in between the vines.
Luckily, this was most definitely a fun run and people weren’t taking it too seriously and happy to walk whenever it suited.
Once the running part was over, you collected your medal – complete with a wine stopper – and wine cup with a lanyard before strolling to the first of four wine tasting stations on the 1km walk back to the start.
Each tasting station had two wines to sample so you won’t go thirsty but they were also handing out bottles of water at the finish line, so that helped.
Okay, so you don’t actually have to do the first 5km run at all; you can be a total slacker and simply stroll through the stunning vineyard and sample wines as you go – but then, would you have earned it?
Once the tastings were done, you could buy more wine or grab something to eat from the special event menu running out of the vineyard kitchen before settling in to watch the live music, making this much more than just a running event.
Given this run took place in June, packing a warm change of clothes for when the sun goes down is essential – that mountain chill was definitely in the air!
The event organisers realise that after all that wine, driving isn’t really a safe option, so if you planned ahead, you could glamp within the vineyard grounds for the night and make a weekend of it.
Lake Borumba
The Sunshine Coast may be all about the beaches but sometimes you want to freshen up a little.
A trip to the fresh waters of Lake Borumba only takes about an hour from Maroochydore so can be easily reached for a day adventure.
Just south of Gympie, this island freshwater lake is protected from a lot of the elements and I fell in love with it.
If you have a boat then then this is the spot for you – offering up water skiing, tubing, kayaking and fishing. If you do want to fish here though, you will need a SIPS permit.
If you don’t have a boat, you can still swim and fish from the shoreline with no issues.
On our first visit, the sun was shining and there wasn’t a breath of air to disturb the glassy water surface. Once we left the main recreation area where people were skiing, all we could hear were the birds in the trees!
We spent most of the day fishing in peace.
The lake is home to Golden Perch, Australian Bass, Saratoga and the Mary River Cod and I managed to score a Bass that was around for a picture then back in the water.
Borumba is a lot bigger than it first appears. If you have a smaller boat (i.e. shallow) you head out amongst all the tree stumps off the main part of the lake. This ensures a fair amount of alone time too as a lot of people won’t stray too far from the boat ramp.
One thing I noticed was that the boat ramp was really steep, especially as water levels seemed quite low when we visited.
If a day trip isn’t enough for you, there are nearby campgrounds where you can stay for just $10 per adult, per night.
Gheerulla Falls
One of the best things about the Sunshine Coast Hinterland is that it is seemingly endless.
One sunny Sunday, we managed to find a nice easy walk where we didn’t see another soul – it was magical.
We picked a journey to Gheerulla Falls completely on a whim and had a great short adventure.
Getting there is easy – just drive out towards Mapleton and continue along Delicia Road. The last couple of kms are on a dirt surface but any car can make it.
The walk itself is part of the Sunshine Coast Great Walk in the Mapleton National Park so it is a good sample of what you might experience if you wanted to attempt the entire 58km trek.
Don’t let that big number scare you though – this is just a 1.5km stroll down to the falls. You will have to note that you will have to walk UPHILL to get back to the car though.
You can do the full 22km circuit that includes Mapleton Falls as well but unless you are an avid hiker, this would be tough to do in a day.
The entry to this track clearly isn’t visited much as there was a lot of long grass as we made our way down.
On the walk down you will be surrounded by large trees and hear so much bird life.
I was wondering how far we were walking because, even over half way down I couldn’t hear any water. I had assumed the falls would be flowing after recent heavy rains, but they are just hidden off to the right of the track when you reach Gheerulla Creek at the bottom.
As we walked, we could see the area was rich in minerals with green coated rocks everywhere!
The falls themselves are tranquil and make for a great photo…
You could possibly take a dip if you were so inclined as the pool at the bottom looks deep enough (maybe if you had walked the 22kms…) but we just took it all in and cooled our feet off in the nearby creek.
I recommend crossing the creek just for the view downstream from the middle. Plus, the ankle-deep water is very refreshing.
I can’t wait to discover more of the walks and falls in this National Park.
The Prickly Pinata
Update 2026: Unfortunately The Prickly Pinata restaurant is no longer open.
If you didn’t know this Cotton Tree restaurant was here, you might miss it entirely and that would be a shame.
The Prickly Pinata is no kitschy tex-mex restaurant covered in sombreros, the menu has some surprising flavours to keep you interested.
We stopped by for dinner before a late movie and had plenty of time to sample more than enough of the tapas-style menu and a couple of drinks.
I love Mexican food so I was excited.
I kicked things off with a ‘Prickly Margarita’ which tasted delicious and not too far from the traditional flavour. If I didn’t have to drive to the movies, I would probably have had more than one!
We started with with some Chilli con Queso which was nice and creamy and followed that up with some seared chorizo scallops. The large chunks of chorizo did kind of overpower the delicate scallop flavour but it was still tasty.
Next up we chowed down on some fish tacos which were fresh and crispy but not the most flavour-filled I have ever had.
There are seemingly endless combinations of tacos, burritos and quesadillas to choose from so you won’t get bored.
Our final choice was of course spicy wings. The Prickly Pinata has four levels of wing spice on offer – BBQ, Baja, Diabla and Super Spicy. Of course we opted for the Super Spicy ones and they were not lacking on the spice front!
Despite our lovely waitress warning us that these were in fact very spicy, that first bite came as a bit of a shock!
We are both chilli-loving people, but half-way through the first wing, both my partner and I ordered a Pacifico beer to help with the mouth heat.
Slathered in pure habanero sauce, (I asked…) I was into my second wing before my mouth started to go numb and my partner started to sweat. It began to feel like we were being filmed for our very own Man Vs Food challenge.
By the time the wings were just a pile of bones on the table, we had gone through another beer.
Laughing at eat other was half the fun of devouring the wings and when I went up to pay, the staff did say to me that whenever someone orders the Super Spicy bites, the chef asks if they made sure they know it is spicy! Consider yourself warned…
The service at this was friendly and attentive despite being a bustling Friday night and I will definitely be back – maybe to try the slightly less spicy Diabla wings or check out the live music they have here every Sunday.
We still had time after our festive meal to enjoy a walk along the Cotton Tree waterfront before heading off to the cinema and it really finished off a great experience.
Canteen Kitchen, Coolum
A trip up and down Mount Coolum is bound to give you an appetite and Canteen Kitchen and Bar in Coolum is just a short drive away.
Located across the road from the beach - before the traffic lights - the restaurant is also a great spot to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air during the day.
While the wine list - not to mention the happy hour cocktails - looked very appealing, we decided to reward ourselves with some of the fresh juices and they were delicious.
It was hard to decide what to eat from the tasty menu. My partner landed on a creole chicken burger with bacon and fries while I tried to stay healthy-ish with some crispy pork belly on a rice noodle and Asian slaw salad.
The pork belly was glazed and sweet and cooked perfectly, complimented by the tangy and spicy bed of salad and I devoured it.
I managed to steal some chips and a bite of burger and they were both moreish.
This is one menu I will be back to try more of - especially the Cajun fish tacos and the chicken wings (I am a complete sucker for good, spicy wings).
With the indoor/outdoor seating, this slick but casual spot would be the perfect spot to while away the afternoon hours and then order some more food as the sun goes down...
Mount Coolum
Be warned, you will not be alone on this hike but that doesn't mean the experience isn't worth it!
If you are looking for a quick and easy (ish) way to get some of the best views on the Sunshine Coast, then a visit to the summit of Mount Coolum is a must.
Located 6km south of Coolum Beach, there is a convenient car park at the bottom of this 197m rock.
The scenery, the Mt Coolum walking track and the views from the top are beautiful but don't be deceived, the trip up is still pretty steep and there are some narrow ledges to be wary of if you are bringing the kids out for a walk.
The entire walk shouldn't take you much more than an hour and a half return, even if you are pacing yourself on the many stairs you have to trek up.
Don't be intimidated by the people you will see jogging up and down - they probably do this every week!
The trek begins with lots of rock steps surrounded by trees, and then moves to a rougher stony track with small, hardy shrubs.
There isn't much shade on the top half, so wear a hat and maybe avoid the middle of the day for this one. I would also not try this one in wet weather as it looks like those rocky steps would be super slippery.
I have summited this rock twice - once in the peak of Summer and once more recently in Autumn - and in both instances, don't leave home without some water.
Once at the top, you will be rewarded with 360-degree views of the Sunny Coast. One side offers views over the coastline and beaches as far as the eye can see towards Noosa and Mooloolaba, the cane fields and wetland areas of the Maroochy River Valley, as well as the main areas of the Coast. The other provides you with a hinterland view over the hills and valleys - all the way down the Glasshouse Mountains.
It is believed that Mount Coolum is one of the Sunshine Coast’s ancient volcanic domes, created around 26 million years ago!
Peregian Beach Hotel
In the small and unassuming Peregian Beach area (between Coolum and Noosa) you will find a bustling hotel with some really tasty food.
We ventured in pretty early on a Friday night and found the bar buzzing and only a few empty tables in the bistro section - so we nabbed one after grabbing a couple of beers.
The restaurant space itself is casual and cosy and you can still hear all the hustle - not to mention live music - coming from the bar area.
Onto the food!
The menu has a little something for everyone with wood-fired pizzas, fresh seafood and even some Asian-inspired mains.
After staring at the list for some time, we decided to order a bunch of tapas-style share plates - that way we get to taste more!
First off the rank was an antipasto board filled with focaccia, stuffed olives, pickled octopus, white anchovies and some shaved coppa.
It was all really delicious but the bread was over-salted for my tastes, especially considering most of the other food on the platter was pretty salty already.
To wash that down, we indulged in half a dozen tasty oysters. Despite so many attempts, we haven't been able to get any local or near-local oysters and these ones - like all the others we found - are from Coffin Bay.
Upping the spice ante was a plate of fire-roasted jalapeños with cream cheese, hazelnuts and honey. What I LOVED about these is that they weren't crumbed and fried so had a fresher flavour - and a serious kick!
Delving into the Asian realm of the menu, we tried the Kangaroo san choy-bow and it was amazing - a great alternative to pork in my opinion.
Sufficiently messy already, next up were some buffalo wings with banana ketchup. Not spicy but still saucy, the wing could have done without the batter found on the outside and focussed on the flavour a bit more.
This was all washed down (on my part) with a couple of the local craft beers on offer.
The food was a bit hit and miss in my opinion but I wouldn't mind coming back to try some of the pizzas I spied on my neighbour's tables.
Rainbow Beach & Double Island Point
Rainbow Beach is probably best known as a stop off point before accessing Fraser Island but the beach-side town is a spot worth visiting in its own right.
Rainbow Beach can be accessed one of two ways from the Sunny Coast – along the beach by 4WD or via Gympie if you have to take the sealed roads.
If you choose the beach driving option, you will need a pass to cruise through Cooloola National Park.
Once you get there, you will find so much so do – it is an idyllic getaway for beach-goers, surfers, fishermen and campers alike.
Take the kids up (and down) the Carlo Sand Blow for an adventure and an amazing view over Double Island Point and the Coloured Sands.
Beyond the Carlo Sand Blow, and offering a superb view over the ocean with the likelihood of seeing dolphins, turtles, dugongs and even sharks is Double Island Point and the Double Island Point Lighthouse.
For keen surfers it is claimed that Double Island Point has the longest wave break in Australia. Double Island Point was named by Captain Cook on 18 May, 1770. He noted in his journal: "I have named ... Double Island Point from its figure ... the point itself is of such unequal height that it looks like two small islands laying under the land."
Double Island Point can only be accessed by 4WD – and generally only at low tide - either by driving south along the beach from Rainbow Beach, or by heading north along the beach from Noosa.
The secluded spot is good only for day visits though with a no camping rule in place. If you simply must stay close by, there there is a camping zone between the Noosa Shire boundary and Little Freshwater Creek.
If you can tear yourself away from time in the ocean, a walk up to the lighthouse is well worth it.
You can’t go inside the actual lighthouse but the views both north and south from the point are spectacular – you might even be able to spot some of the wildlife enjoying the water in the area.
To get up close and personal with the marine creatures, why not sort a scuba trip and see why some people say this is one of Australia’s top 10 dive spots.
Find somewhere to stay in Rainbow Beach.
