The Sunshine Coast is a lot like what the Gold Coast used to be before the developers and the swarms of tourists moved in. Not that the Sunshine Coast is tourist-free - when you're flaunting more than 100 km (62 mi) of peerless surf beach, come-hither hinterland and a mix of upmarket and laid-back scenes, you've got to expect a few visitors.
Highlights - aside from the average of 300 sunshiny days a year - include Noosa, with its frothing surf and frothing latte scene, the kick-backed backpackers feel of Maroochydore, and the bewitching eeriness of the Hinterland, particularly the Glasshouse Mountains.
The Sunshine Coast starts about an hour's drive north of Brisbane, at Caloundra, and ends at Cooloola, near Fraser Island. The Sunshine Motorway (sounds like a country song, huh?) will get you there.
The major buslines, including Greyhound and Premier, run regular services from Brisbane and Cairns.
