• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • About
  • World Map
  • Work With Us
  • Disclosure/Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Budget Travel Talk

Road Trips Caravan Camping Australia

  • Home
  • Our Blog
  • Destinations
    • Australia Travel Blog
      • New South Wales
      • Queensland
        • Cairns
        • Sunshine Coast
        • Townsville
      • Tasmania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Americas
      • Canada
      • U.S.A.
    • Europe
      • Bosnia and Hercegovina
      • Croatia
      • Italy
      • Montenegro
      • Portugal
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
        • Istanbul
    • Africa
      • Morocco
    • New Zealand / Pacific
  • Journey
    • Road Trips
    • Trains
    • Boat Trips
  • Travel Tips
    • Reviews
    • Destination Guides
    • Itineraries
    • Self Guided Walking Tours
    • Travel Resources
    • Budget Tips
    • Buying Guides
    • Interviews
  • Accommodation
    • Airbnb
    • Caravan Parks
    • Free Camping
    • Hotels
    • Housesitting
  • Experience
    • Food to Love
    • Festivals
    • Markets
    • Palaces and Castles
    • Ruins
    • Short Walks
    • Street Art
    • Bike Rides
  • Search
  • Home
  • Our Blog
  • Destinations
    • Australia Travel Blog
      • New South Wales
      • Queensland
        • Cairns
        • Sunshine Coast
        • Townsville
      • Tasmania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Americas
      • Canada
      • U.S.A.
    • Europe
      • Bosnia and Hercegovina
      • Croatia
      • Italy
      • Montenegro
      • Portugal
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
        • Istanbul
    • Africa
      • Morocco
    • New Zealand / Pacific
  • Journey
    • Road Trips
    • Trains
    • Boat Trips
  • Travel Tips
    • Reviews
    • Destination Guides
    • Itineraries
    • Self Guided Walking Tours
    • Travel Resources
    • Budget Tips
    • Buying Guides
    • Interviews
  • Accommodation
    • Airbnb
    • Caravan Parks
    • Free Camping
    • Hotels
    • Housesitting
  • Experience
    • Food to Love
    • Festivals
    • Markets
    • Palaces and Castles
    • Ruins
    • Short Walks
    • Street Art
    • Bike Rides
  • Search

Sunshine Coast Food with a View

July 19, 2014 By Jan Robinson 39 Comments

This post may contain compensated links. We may earn a small percentage if you book through a compensated link, but it won’t cost you any more by doing so. You can read our full disclaimer here.


Alexandra Headland.jpg

On Friday 18th July, 2014,  Noosa on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, was named an Australian National Surfing Reserve.  It joins the other select few – Manly N.S.W., Margaret River W.A. and Phillip Island Vic.

… in recognition of world-class breaks and local surf heritage. 

The Reserve is positioned between the Noosa River mouth and north Sunshine Beach and includes all of Noosa’s iconic point breaks around the national park.

beachmap

Even though we live in sunny tropical North Queensland, the Sunshine Coast in the south of the state is special to us.  It has been the site of many family holidays and we intend living in Coolum Beach in the not too distant future.   It is the happy place I go to in my mind, that never fails to make me smile.

Here are some beach and surf inspired eating opportunities on the Sunshine Coast.

Noosa – Hastings Street

On the northern reaches of the Sunshine Coast is Noosa Heads and the always buzzing Hastings Street. Running parallel to Main Beach it is a shopper’s dream with Boutiques and Beach Wear Shops, Restaurants and Coffee Shops spread beneath the luxurious hotels.  Smart Casual attire please 🙂

Hastings Street Noosa.jpg.jpg

Noosa – River Mouth and Noosa Spit Recreation Area

With the shops now behind us Hastings Street changes name to Claude Batten Drive and winds through Replanted Coastal Forest toward the mouth of the Noosa River. Walking tracks wind through the recreational spit area, connecting car parks and picnic areas.  Bush turkeys are a common sight stalking through the undergrowth and fossicking in the parklands.  There are lots of spots just waiting for your family picnic and don’t forget the fishing rod.  The road and tracks all lead to the river mouth where people congregate to watch the boats coming and going over the sandbar.  The perfect spot to park a food van.

This particular ice cream was a whipped mix of fruit salad and soft serve ice cream with a price tag of $5.00.

Noosa River Mouth

 

Sunshine Beach

Surf Life Saving Clubs (S.L.S.C.) play a huge role on the beaches of the Sunshine Coast.  Life Savers patrol the areas between the flags on many beaches so it makes sense to patronise the Surf Clubs.

The Sunshine Beach S.L.S.C. clings to the cliff above Sunshine Beach just to the south of Noosa National Park and the new National Surfing Reserve.  From the always busy car park it appears quite small but on entry the interior opens up to a sizeable bar and dining area.  If the weather is good and hey this is the sunshine coast after all,  I suggest heading to the outside beer garden with it’s bright blue furniture, shades and surf views.  Arriving before noon should guarantee a table with a view.

Expect to pay approx. $18 or more – a fairly average price for a pub meal in Queensland.  The authentic looking Nasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice) was surprisingly good and Marty described his goat cheese pizza as tasty and filling enough for two to share.  Washed down with a cold beer on a sunny  day – I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.

Sunshine Coast Eating Opportunities

Alexandra Headlands

37 km south of Sunshine Beach the Alex Surf Club has a Cafe, Beach Kiosk and Bistro.  We chose the Beach Kiosk menu but ate inside at the adjoining bar which linked via bifold doors to the outdoor area and the view.  Marty’s Big Kahuna burger with lettuce, tomato, pineapple, beef pattie, egg, bacon and cheese cost $11.50, and my Flathead Fillets and Crispy Chips were perfect at $11.00.  The outside kiosk area looked fairly new and was super popular.  The public promenade passed directly out front providing some interesting people watching.  This place screamed sun, surf and sand and we loved it.

Sunshine Coast Eating Opportunities

 

Mooloolaba

The resort town of Mooloolaba is a further 5km south of Alexandra Headlands.  We remembered it’s mix of restaurants and beachfront fondly and arrived anticipating lunch at the Surf Club.  As usual parking was horrendous but we fluked a spot in the waterfront parking area. Enjoying our walk in the sun along the Esplanade we decided on lunch there instead of indoors at the club, and started checking out menus.  Our Criteria was Cheap Casual Food in the Sun.  Emjays had some funky sunny tables and the menu was inexpensive and appealing.  Talk about lucky.

I liked that we could peruse the menu first, choose our own table and then pop into the Cafe to order. Not too long after our Meals were delivered to the table by smiling employee with a spring in her step.   The seats around us were popular with other Travelers, English being very much a second language the day we were there.

I had a dreamy Wrapalicious Chicken Basil Pesto Wrap. Marty was impressed with the toasted Chicken, Avocado, Brie and Bacon on Turkish and the meals were only $10.90 each.  We were after a light lunch and we chose well with Emjays. Both the wraps and turkish were pre-made then toasted prior to serving.  If we had not seen them stacked in the Servery display cabinet we would have thought them prepared to order.  The taste was beautifully fresh, probably because of the high turnover.  Their coffee had a good reputation too.

Sunshine Coast Eating Opportunities

I would like to have introduced this post with Surf’s Up… but due to the weather pattern at the time there were no sizeable waves around, although I did not look for them within the newly proclaimed National Surfing Reserve.  It was cool enough to be not surfing weather for me!

The Coast abounds in great eating options and dietary requirements like Gluten Free are widely catered for.

Wave.jpg

 

Today I am excited to be linked to Chasing The Donkey for Sunday Traveler.  Chasing the Donkey is a travel blog about Croatia a Country that Budget Travel Talk, aka Marty and I, hope to visit next.  Fingers Crossed.

More from my site

  • Tuesday in Townsville – Outriggers on the StrandTuesday in Townsville – Outriggers on the Strand
  • Fantastic Friday – Wagon full of Sticks – GoremeFantastic Friday – Wagon full of Sticks – Goreme
  • Our Best Instagram Photos from Japan, Montenegro and ItalyOur Best Instagram Photos from Japan, Montenegro and Italy
  • Split Walking Tour with Gelato and Splitska TortaSplit Walking Tour with Gelato and Splitska Torta
  • Fort George and beyond on Vis Island CroatiaFort George and beyond on Vis Island Croatia
  • Caloundra to Noosa Sunshine Coast Beaches and AccommodationCaloundra to Noosa Sunshine Coast Beaches and Accommodation

Filed Under: Australia Travel Blog, Destination, Queensland, Sunshine Coast

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

Previous Post: «Pamukkale or a Cotton Castle in Turkey How to Visit Pamukkale Turkey Guide + Cleopatra’s Pool and Hierapolis
Next Post: Hierapolis Photos of the Holy Spa City Hierapolis Statue by Budget Travel Talk»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mike

    July 20, 2014 at 10:53 am

    Marty’s Big Kahuna burger with lettuce, tomato, pineapple, beef pattie, egg, bacon and cheese. Ummm….can you do a mail order for that and send it to me please Jan! Wow, a surfing preserve…that’s amazing! I have places I go to in my mind too, our friend. Good post! 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 20, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      Nice to hear from you again Mike – I thought that burger might appeal to you and is that Phoenix I see licking his lips and hoping for some to be dropped?

      Reply
  2. StaceyVeikalas

    July 20, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    Very nice post – We have always wanted to go to Australia but we just have not made it yet! It looks beautiful and you gave some great tips! thank you for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 20, 2014 at 7:34 pm

      Hope you get here one day Stacey. Thanks for commenting. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Agness

    July 20, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    I really like the fact that there is a such a great variety of coffee shops, pubs and bars. You can always get some refreshing drinks and cocktails after your surfing classes :D!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 20, 2014 at 7:33 pm

      So true Agness. I loved your post on your two years in China. I am still thinking about dumplings 🙂

      Reply
  4. diana - Life in German.

    July 20, 2014 at 7:54 pm

    first time visiting your blog, those views are amazing, awesome photos, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 20, 2014 at 8:54 pm

      Thanks for visiting Diana.

      Reply
  5. Anda

    July 20, 2014 at 7:57 pm

    Very comprehensive account of the eateries on the Sunshine Coast. Looks like a vey nice place to spend a vacation.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 20, 2014 at 8:54 pm

      I would recommend it to anyone Anda.

      Reply
  6. Mandie @ RamblingMandie

    July 20, 2014 at 9:51 pm

    I’m so in love with Queensland even though I’ve never been there. After rocking my paddle boarding job this summer I’m excited to try surfing and this looks like a great place to do it! A little more pricey than my normal travel style, but I’m guessing it would be worth it. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 21, 2014 at 12:30 pm

      Australia is expensive Mandie. We were housesitting which means free accommodation so I would look at that as a way of saving money. Once you have your own place to stay you can save money buy eating at home. We ate out a lot because we did not have to pay for accommodation.

      Reply
  7. Lisa Wood

    July 20, 2014 at 11:19 pm

    I love the Sunshine Coast…gosh now I am really missing it after looking at all your pics.
    Coolum is also my all time favorite. Its going to be a place we will be stopping at on our way back north in December!
    And yeah surf life savers do such an amazing job, I haven’t thought to eat at one of their clubs before, will have to add it to our must do list.
    Now I am hungry!!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 21, 2014 at 12:25 pm

      I didn’t know you were coming back up north in December Lisa. I thought you might head over to W.A. now you have a son over there. The Coolum SLSC is great too Lisa but I did not include photos because we did not eat there this time. They have an outdoor undercover area with fantastic beach views and specials on certain days of the week.

      Reply
  8. Katie

    July 21, 2014 at 12:27 am

    The nasi goring at Sunshine beach looks AMAZING! Well, all of it does, actually, but that one stands out for me. You poor thing having to eat all that yummy food! 😉 BTW – I love your tiled galleries, I need to learn how to do that.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 21, 2014 at 12:23 pm

      I do the collages in Pic Monkey which is free and very easy Katie. They are a great way of including lots of photos without taking up much space.

      Reply
  9. Sand In My Suitcase

    July 21, 2014 at 1:47 am

    Whoa! You live near a seriously beautiful part of the world! We have a relative who lives on the Sunshine Coast there – we’re ready to pack our bags and visit him soon :-). But we won’t try surfing again (sooo difficult to learn).

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 21, 2014 at 12:22 pm

      Yes visit your relative ASAP. I have not tried to learn to surf but I do body surf. My husband and son had a few lessons and they loved it, but you really have to be able to do it every day to progress. We don’t get surf where we live in far N.Q. because of the great barrier reef.

      Reply
  10. Travelling Penster

    July 21, 2014 at 5:59 am

    Great pics! Love the Sunny Coast – spent many a holiday there growing up. I didn’t know about the Surfing Reserve, that’s great!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 21, 2014 at 12:20 pm

      It is a great place for family holidays. I get quite nostalgic when we visit there without the kids, now they are grown :/

      Reply
  11. SJ @ Chasing the Donkey

    July 21, 2014 at 7:47 am

    Ahhhhhhhh home, sweet home!!! fab post. And if you do come to my new home, be sure to ask us anything you need to know.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 21, 2014 at 12:19 pm

      I sure will. We can’t go anywhere at the moment due to family commitments but when we do fly out of here it will hopefully be to Croatia. What is winter like there?

      Reply
  12. Muza-chan

    July 21, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    The food looks delicious 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 21, 2014 at 7:17 pm

      Thanks Lily 🙂

      Reply
  13. Johanna

    July 21, 2014 at 6:34 pm

    FAbulous pics of the part of the country that I absolutely can’t wait to get back to. Love Noosa and the idea of sitting and watching the world go by at a sunny al fresco cafe is a hard one as it’s freezing over here in SWA.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 21, 2014 at 7:16 pm

      Although it was cool at the coast, if we got out of the breeze and sat in the sun it was warm enough. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Krista

    July 22, 2014 at 11:40 am

    What a fantastic place!! I’ve heard so much about Noosa, but haven’t been there yet. 🙂 It sounds like you had really great food and stunning weather.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 22, 2014 at 2:13 pm

      Noosa’s Main Beach is good for children or people timid with waves as it is slighly protected by the Noosa National Park which forms a bay at the southern end. But the whole Sunshine Coast is fabulous. 🙂 We ususally stay at Peregian Beach or Coolum Beach. On our last trip we stayed at Mudjimba Beach. Of those three Coolum is the busiest and Mudjimba the quietest.

      Reply
  15. Mary {The World Is A Book}

    July 22, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    What a great collection of photos, Jan. Now, you made me regret not going on a day rip to the Sunshine Coast last month during our visit there. I love all the variety of things to see and do and what looks like great places to eat too.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 22, 2014 at 10:38 pm

      We can’t go everywhere can we Mary. The thing is the Sunshine Coast is a sort of chill out place so a day trip might not capture the experience. Better plan another trip 🙂

      Reply
  16. frankaboutcroatia

    July 24, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    I can see why you plan to move here one day, guys. The area looks gorgeous. And talking about where to eat, all the places seem to have a lovely location with seaviews. Thanks for sharing! And fingers crossed for visiting Croatia next year. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 24, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      Wouldn’t it be great Frank if we were taking photos of food on the ocean in Croatia soon?

      Reply
  17. Adelina // Pack Me To

    July 25, 2014 at 3:36 am

    Looks like a great place to hit the waves and get some fabulous food. I love the look of those restaurants. Funny, when I first read your title, I thought I was going to be hearing about the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada. This looks a lot warmer though!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 25, 2014 at 9:48 am

      Oh that is a way different Sunshine Coast 🙂 Glad I surprised you.

      Reply
  18. Christa Thompson

    July 25, 2014 at 5:31 am

    Looks like a good time. Australia is certainly easy on the eyes and chock full of adventure.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 25, 2014 at 9:47 am

      That it is Chista. The scenes along the coast are very different to the inland. Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
  19. Ashley @ A Southern Gypsy

    July 25, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    Sooo while the pricetags hurt, that food looks absolutely delicious. We can’t wait to get to Australia one day!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 25, 2014 at 1:03 pm

      When we return home from Asia or Turkey or Spain we can’t believe how expensive Australia is too Ashley!

      Reply
  20. Johanna

    August 14, 2014 at 4:29 pm

    Oh Jan, it looks so gorgeous and the weather … sigh! Love the main drag and those beautiful al fresco cafes. Thanks for transporting me to a little bit of tropical heaven today 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

Categories

Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Australia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Townsville Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Bosnia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Cambodia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Canada Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Croatia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Italy Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Laos Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Montenegro Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Morocco Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to New Zealand Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Slovenia Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Spain Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Turkey Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to the United States of America Budget Travel Talk's posts relating to Vietnam

Pinterest

Visit Budgettraveltalk's profile on Pinterest.

Top Australian and New Zealand Blogger for 2017

Im-a-Top-Australian-and-New-Zealand-Travel-Blogger-for-2017-Medium-Rectangle-300x250px (1)

Mature Bloggers Australia

Mature Bloggers Australia

Footer

Most Popular Posts

Whitsundays on a Budget – How to Get to Whitehaven Beach

Romantic Things for Couples to do in Rome including Valentines Day

Things to Do in Huskisson and Jervis Bay

Hobart to Bruny Island: Tours from Hobart or Self Drive Bruny Island?

Ferry to Eyup Istanbul for Pierre Loti views and Eyup Sultan Istanbul Mosque 2018

About Jan & Marty

We are Jan and Marty and we love travel.

The best thing about being in our 60’s is that our travel budget is flexible, allowing us to enjoy great experiences, good food and fun people. As with most things in life, it’s all about priorities.

Copyright © 2023 Budget Travel Talk - Journey. Destination. Experience.