Need a holiday but don’t have enough annual leave to book a whole week away? We hear you. Thanks to Brisbane’s location in the south-east corner, there’s plenty of holiday options within a three-hour drive.
There’s no need to wait for summer to arrive, either. Given the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Coast enjoy daily highs of 20-plus-degrees throughout the winter months, why not add a coastal getaway to your long weekend agenda? Book your leave day for Friday or Monday and put Mooloolaba, Noosa, or Hervey Bay on your travel list with this guide.
Make tracks to Mooloolaba
Looking for a coastal long weekend getaway with a short commute? Head to Ingenia Holidays Rivershore.
Located just over 100 kilometres from Brisbane CBD, this holiday park on the banks of the Maroochy River offers a Sunshine Coast getaway without the mileage. While the holiday park provides plenty of camping, caravan, and camper trailer space, it also offers luxurious, self-contained safari tents for those who prefer to travel light. With a heated pool, mini-golf course and playground, there’s plenty to keep you entertained this winter.
If you prefer to explore the surrounding region, you’re spoilt with two main beaches – Maroochydore and Mooloolaba – as well as one of Queensland’s best aquarium playgrounds, Underwater World, all within an easy 10 kilometres reach. Prefer someone else to do the cooking during your getaway? With an on-site restaurant and bar serving fresh, seasonal produce for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week, consider your long weekend menu #sorted.
Now you’re on Noosa time
If you choose your destination based on its popularity, put Noosa on the top of your list and join the one million visitors who travel to this Sunshine Coast-haven each year. In less than two hours on the road, you can be checking in to BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Noosa or Ingenia Holidays Noosa North with the bustling Hastings Street and Noosa Heads a short 10 kilometres drive away.
Spread over 14 acres, this holiday park provides cabins and villas as well as campsites, powered sites, and en-suite sites. While there’s plenty to keep you busy within the holiday park grounds during your stay, be sure to allocate enough time for Noosa’s famous beaches, shops, and parklands.
Pack the joggers and step it out along the famous coastal walk from Noosa Beach or navigate your way to the Palm Cove Circuit in the Noosa National Park. Make sure you book a brazier from the holiday park, to create a true winter camping experience and read this guide for more winter camping tips.
Hotfoot it to Hervey Bay
Did you know its humpback migration season from July to November? Put a humpback holiday on your long weekend agenda and hit the road to Hervey Bay, less than 300 kilometres from Brisbane.
Check into Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay to kickstart your seaside getaway in this humpback whale-watching hotspot. Given its peak season, you’ll want to spend a day out on the water for a close up of these 30,000-kilo creatures breaching and tail slapping through the water. There’s plenty of action on dry land to keep you busy too, with Hervey Bay’s beachfront stretching for more than 16 kilometres.
Take a stroll along The Esplanade, visit the historic Urangan Pier, or stop by Reefworld Aquarium – a natural reef aquarium home to tropical fish, coral displays, sharks, turtles, and crabs. If you’re not in a rush to head back, allow enough time to discover Fraser Island. Book a tour with Fraser Explorer Tours for a full day exploring fresh-water lakes, rocky outcrops, and the local flora and fauna.
Explore our parks
