Glass House Mountains

The Glass House Mountains are found in the hinterland of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. They are actually the cores of 20 million year old volcanoes, so that the sides of the volcanoes have eroded away leaving only hardened plugs or rock spires.

The Aboriginal dreaming story about these formations gives each of the mountains a name and character in a family, and tells a dramatic story of human relationships.

Captain James Cook gave the area its unusual English name while sailing past, on his way up Australia’s east coast, in 1770. From a distance they reminded him of the glass-making furnaces of his home town in Yorkshire.

There are both sealed and unsealed roads through the Glass House Mountains National Park, with spectacular lookouts over the surrounding plains along the way. An excellent day trip could include a lunch stop at picnic grounds, bush trails and rock-climbing.

The area around the mountains produces many tropical fruits such as avocados, pineapples and papaya as well as strawberries, vegetables, nuts and tobacco.

Visitors can stay in the area at the township of Glass House Mountains, which can be reached in about 20 minutes from Caboolture or 30 minutes from Caloundra.

Distance From State Capital: 64km
Nearest Main Highway: Bruce
Nearest Airport: Brisbane (64km)

Caloundra

Gateway to southern Queensland’s winter playground of the Sunshine Coast, Caloundra, just 96 kilometres north of Brisbane, is wealthy in both surf beaches and sheltered waterways tailored for fishing, boating, water-skiing and sail-boarding.

Caloundra is the business centre for the area, but developing villages such as Kawana Waters and Pelican Waters are quite self-contained and are only a few minutes from stunning surf beaches. If you prefer calmer waters, Bulcock Beach, which features a coastal boardwalk and is a favoured spot of anglers, and Golden Beach are the go.

Caloundra also has direct access to Pumicestone Passage – the stretch of water separating Bribie from the mainland – which is a haven for anglers, boaties, water-skiers and sail-boarders. Caloundra also has its share of man-made attractions.

Caloundra is the doorstep to the Sunshine Coast’s beautiful and absorbing hinterland where arts and craft galleries abound. The town’s Racecourse is one of the State’s best and hosts regular Sunday meetings.

Distance From State Capital: 96km
Nearest Main Highway: Bruce
Nearest Airport: Brisbane (9km)