Mooloolaba is Noosa's laid-back cousin, but that doesn't mean there's any shortage of things to do, Dennis and Rosamund Knill discovered.
Mention the Gold Coast and one immediately visualises a towering skyline of endless high-rises, ritzy resorts, casinos, cabarets and sandy beaches home to the chic and body beautifuls.
In contrast, the Sunshine Coast with all of its pristine coastlines, spectacular natural beauty and relaxed lifestyle is a place where you can kick off your shoes and unwind.
If that's not enough, the Sunshine Coast boasts more than 300 days of sunshine a year, with temperatures that seldom fall below 20degC, making it one of the most popular and fastest-growing holiday destinations in Australia and the perfect place to escape the exhausting pace of modern life.
Although Mooloolaba is located in the heart of the Sunshine Coast, up until the '70s it experienced near-isolation. Back then, it was a sleepy little fishing village dominated by a beachfront of surf shops and hamburger joints.
Today, all the original buildings have been demolished to make way for low-rise luxury apartments, boutiques, wall-to-wall alfresco restaurants jammed with cheerful diners and untold attractions.
And ask any of the Mooloolaba locals why it's still relatively unspoiled compared with their neighbour Noosa and they'll all tell you ''that's just the way they want to keep it''.
In other words, Noosa is bling - diamonds, BMWs and tres expensive real estate, while Mooloolaba can be best described as a soothing spot where surfing, swimming and sun-worshipping is the order of the day.
It's little wonder so many want to go back home, sell up and return here to retire. We met some of those who have done just that and, not surprisingly, many are Kiwis.
As we make our way to Peninsular Beachfront Resort, a warm tropical breeze wafts across the beach and on to the esplanade. It's almost hypnotic, there's an irresistibly laid-back atmosphere matched only by its free-spirited lifestyle.
We've fallen for the place all over again and it has nothing to do with sun, sand and sea. There are plenty of activities to choose from, all within an hour of the main street. This time, it's the rolling hills draped in grapevines, the lush green beauty of the hinterland and thousands of acres of rainforests.
For the next few days, we rise at dawn and go down to the coffee shop on the promenade for our daily caffeine fix and watch the Pacific Ocean pounding the shore.
Another perfect sunrise, it's already 18degC and early-morning joggers are running the boardwalk. Even before the sky is a mass of blue, swimmers are bobbing around blissfully in the surf.
Within easy driving distance is Blackall Range, a landscape created by volcanoes and sculpted by water over millions of years. As the road rises and twists through the rainforest, we glance at vistas of the green and violet landscape falling away to the ocean, which make the place seem like an island apart.
Driving into Montville, you feel you have stumbled on a place known to few others. Timber workers, dairy farmers and fruit growers who first settled here in 1887 have left their mark.
Restored to their former charm are a blend of quaint Tudor, Irish and English terraces of log and stone and Swiss and Bavarian chalets, many converted into cafes and specialty shops and the haunt of artists and artisans. This is a morning devoted to discovery.
Further on is Settlers Rise Estate, one of 13 wineries in the area. Wonderful views aside, sitting on the veranda sharing a cheese platter with a glass of chardonnay offers a welcome coolness on a sunny afternoon.
Winding our way back to the highway, we head for Buderim and home of the world's largest ginger factory. They're fiercely proud of their ever-increasing range and will hunt down every imaginable variety for you.
We're assured the health-giving benefits of ginger outweigh the calorie-ridden chocolate-covered gingernuts - anyone for ginger fudge or ginger hand cream?
A lazy drive up the coast brings us into Eumundi, a popular and enduring meeting place where every Saturday and Wednesday is market, and a place where you can find some real bargains in fresh produce, local arts and crafts and original clothing.
Back in Mooloolaba, our final adventure is a cruise on board MV Mudjimba, a fully restored wooden classic ferry operated by Ross and Janet Walker, a couple of Kiwis who migrated from Auckland 25 years ago.
As we glide out towards the canals of the Mooloolaba River, we soon discover that Ross is a born orator. He knows every property on these waterways and tells us ''if you have a spare $2 million for that old waterfront shack, then you'll surely knock it down and rebuild a $10 million mansion''.
More utterances of ''wow'' as we gaze upon canal after canal that house some of the most expensive real estate in Queensland. Suddenly there are squeals of delight as the children on board spot the pelicans. On cue they skim over the water for a ritual feeding of pilchards from the crew.
Motoring along Bruce Highway for our homeward connection we wondered what the English meaning of Mooloolaba was. We never did raise the energy to find out.
- Dennis and Rosamund Knill were assisted by Sunair, Air New Zealand Parking and Southern Cross Travel Insurance.
If you go
Getting there: Qantas, Emirates and Air New Zealand fly daily to Brisbane from Auckland, Air New Zealand and Virgin daily from
Christchurch except Tuesdays.
Where to stay: Peninsula Beachfront Resort, log into www.mooloolababeach.com
Best eats: Fish on Parkyn (seafood), Beach Bar and Grill (modern Australia), 4th Floor (international), Mooloolaba Surf Club (bistro), B2 Happy (sushi), Bay Rasa (Indonesian), Augello's (pizza), Thai Seasons (Thai), Fisheries on the Spit (fish and chips).
Getting around: Rental best option, most have unlimited mileage plus the usual add-ons.
Tours: Taste of the Sunshine Coast $A52pp, Eumundi Markets $A26pp, Montville and Maleny $A52, Sunair (www.sunair.com.au), Fraser Island Adventure Tours $A149pp (tourfrazer.com.au).
Places of interest: Australia Zoo, Bli Bli Castle, Ettamogah Pub, Aussie World, Big Kart Track, Underwater World, Twilight Markets (every Friday), wine trail, Glasshouse Mountains, Nutworks.
Background reading: Explore Queensland, by Bruce Elder; Australia The Rough Guide, by Margo Daly; Queensland's Lonely Planet Guide, by Mark Armstrong.
