Ashleigh & Luke

Place guide · Queensland

Noosa and the Sunshine Coast in a campervan

Noosa is where we bought Ashleigh's engagement ring, on our original east coast trip, about 10 years ago, so it will always hold a special place for us. We love the beaches and the town, with its lovely shops, cafés and bars and a really chilled backpacker and surfer vibe. Years later, in 2025, we made a detour specially, north from Brisbane, to take Ashleigh's dad Paul there before we headed south. This guide covers what it means to us, the camping rules for vans, van parking in Noosa, the North Shore ferry and the popular things to do. Official advice is in its own boxes, with the date we checked it.

2WD verdict

Yes, Noosa and the Sunshine Coast are fine in a 2WD van. The towns, beaches, lookouts and markets in this guide are all reachable in a normal van. The exceptions are the beaches and sand tracks north of the Noosa River, where Queensland Parks says you need a high-clearance 4WD and a vehicle access permit. Plan for paid campgrounds: both councils ban sleeping in your vehicle on streets and car parks.

Key points

  • Noosa is special to us. It's where we bought Ashleigh's engagement ring, on our original east coast trip, about 10 years ago.
  • Book a campground. Noosa and Sunshine Coast councils both fine people for sleeping in vans on public land.
  • Big vans and parking. Vans 7.5 m or longer are limited to 1 hour on built-up roads.
  • Beach driving is 4WD only. The North Shore ferry takes a 2WD, but the beach beyond needs a high-clearance 4WD and a permit.
  • Swim between the flags. Noosa Main Beach, Mooloolaba and Kings Beach are patrolled.

Why Noosa is special to us

Noosa is where we bought Ashleigh's engagement ring, on our original east coast trip, about 10 years ago, and it will always hold a special place for us. We love the beaches and the town, with all its lovely shops, cafés and bars. It has a really chilled backpacker and surfer vibe, and after Brisbane the Sunshine Coast is a lovely change of pace.

Our favourite: Noosa. The beaches, the shops, cafés and bars, and that chilled backpacker and surfer feel. If you only stop once on the Sunshine Coast, make it Noosa.

Our detour with Paul, and the rain

When Ashleigh's dad Paul came out from the UK, we met him at CMC Rocks QLD near Ipswich. Before heading south we made a detour specially up from Brisbane to take him to Noosa. In our video we said we "went up slightly to Noosa" before making our way down the coast (see it in our video).

We didn't film much of the Sunshine Coast with Paul, because the bad weather was ongoing after Cyclone Alfred, and it rained for almost the full three weeks Paul was with us. In the same video we said the last two weeks had rained nonstop. What timing! We still stopped at lots of places along the way, including the Glass House Mountains lookout and Montville in the hinterland, in March 2025.

In Montville we swam in the upper rock pools at Kondalilla Falls, in Kondalilla National Park near Obi Obi Gorge, with Paul, in the rain. It was one of our favourites, and an amazing experience we all shared together. The official walk and safety details are in our Kondalilla Falls box below.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). The Bureau of Meteorology says Tropical Cyclone Alfred crossed the coast north of Brisbane, near Bribie Island, on 8 March 2025, as it weakened. It brought heavy rain and flooding to south-east Queensland, including the Sunshine Coast, where Nambour had a record 365 mm in the 24 hours to 9am on 10 March (Bureau of Meteorology: Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred). Paul joined us at CMC Rocks in late March, and the bad weather was still with us.

Camping rules for vans

Sleeping in your van on the street or in a beach car park isn't an option here. Plan on a paid campground or holiday park. Our van life apps guide covers how we find them.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Noosa Council says camping is only permitted in approved campsites. Under its Subordinate Local Law 4 it's an offence to ‘stay, camp or sleep overnight in a vehicle’ on council-controlled areas and roads (Noosa Council: parking regulations and camping). In 2025 it fined illegal campers at Noosa Spit, Noosa Junction and Noosa National Park, and pointed travellers to its campgrounds with campervan capacity (Noosa Council: illegal campers fined (2025)).
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Sunshine Coast Council says camping is not permitted on public land, parks and foreshores, including in a vehicle, and penalties apply. Overnight stays are only allowed in approved, signed locations. It says vehicles can stop at Main Roads rest areas for up to 20 hours, and overnight camping is permitted at the Jowarra rest area on Steve Irwin Way (Sunshine Coast Council: camping and holiday parks).
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Queensland Parks says camping isn't allowed in Mount Coolum National Park (Queensland Parks: Mount Coolum National Park). National park campsites, including in the Cooloola Recreation Area north of Noosa, are booked through Queensland Parks (Queensland Parks: camping bookings); the Teewah Beach camping areas are reached by beach driving, which needs a high-clearance 4WD and a vehicle access permit (Queensland Parks: Cooloola Beach drive).

Parking a van in Noosa

Noosa Heads is busy, especially around Hastings Street, Main Beach and the national park. A smaller van makes life easier.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Noosa Council's factsheet says state rules limit a long or heavy vehicle to 1 hour on a road in a built-up area. A long vehicle is 7.5 m or more, measured from the tip of the tow hitch to the rear; a heavy vehicle is 4.5 tonnes or more. You can't park on a nature strip, footpath or in parkland (Noosa Council: caravan and campervan parking factsheet (PDF)). In a 2WD: check the signs, and arrive early for the national park car parks.

The North Shore ferry and beach driving

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Noosa Council says the Noosa North Shore vehicle ferry crosses the river from Moorindil Street, Tewantin, every day of the year, about every 10 minutes: 5.30am to 10.20pm Sunday to Thursday, and 5.30am to 12.20am on Fridays and Saturdays (Noosa Council: Noosa North Shore ferry). Beyond the ferry, Queensland Parks says you need a vehicle access permit for Teewah Beach and the Cooloola Beach drive to Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach, number-plate cameras are in use, and you need a high-clearance 4WD to drive on Cooloola's beaches (Queensland Parks: Cooloola Beach drive; Queensland Parks: Cooloola FAQs). In a 2WD: the ferry and the sealed roads on the North Shore are fine, but stay off the sand.

Boxes marked Popular things to do are well-known spots, with official or source info and the date we checked it.

Popular things to do: the Noosa National Park coastal walk. A 10.8 km return walk round the headland, with rocky bays and a chance of koalas. The first 2.4 km is sealed. In a 2WD: yes, but the headland car parks fill early, so arrive early or walk in from town. See Queensland Parks: Noosa National Park coastal walk (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: Hastings Street. Noosa Heads' beachfront street of shops, cafés and restaurants, next to Main Beach. In a 2WD: yes, but parking is tight and long vans are limited to 1 hour on the road, so park further out and walk. See Visit Noosa; Noosa Council: caravan and campervan parking factsheet (PDF) (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: Noosa Main Beach. Noosa's main patrolled beach, next to Hastings Street. Beachsafe lists daily patrols, so check today's times and swim between the flags. In a 2WD: yes, with the same parking caveats as Hastings Street. See SLS Beachsafe: Noosa Main Beach (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: the Noosa Everglades. The calm upper Noosa River, north of Lake Cootharaba, popular for canoeing and kayaking, with canoe-access campsites. Queensland Parks says the Boreen Point launch is 2WD accessible, but the Harrys Hut road is a high-clearance 4WD track. In a 2WD: yes to Boreen Point and to tour departure points. See Queensland Parks: Upper Noosa River waterway (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: Mooloolaba. Sunshine Coast Council calls Mooloolaba Beach a premier swimming beach, protected by Point Cartwright and patrolled year round, with parklands and places to eat nearby. In a 2WD: yes, but parking is tight for big vans. See Sunshine Coast Council: Mooloolaba Main Beach (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: Mount Coolum. A steep 1.6 km return climb to the 208 m summit, with views from Noosa Heads to the Glass House Mountains. Queensland Parks says to allow about 2 hours, it's for fit walkers only, and it's extremely slippery when wet. In a 2WD: yes to the base. See Queensland Parks: Mount Coolum National Park (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: the Glass House Mountains lookout. Queensland Parks' Glass House Mountains lookout day-use area is in Beerburrum West State Forest, on Glass House–Woodford Road, 2.7 km from Old Gympie Road. It has a constructed lookout and fire tower, picnic tables (some sheltered) and non-flush toilets, and it's open 24 hours. The lookout track is 800 m one way; allow 45 minutes. In a 2WD: yes, Queensland Parks says all access roads are sealed and suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles. See Queensland Parks: Glass House Mountains lookout day-use area and Queensland Parks: Glass House Mountains lookout track (checked 4 November 2026).

We stopped at the Glass House Mountains lookout with Paul on our Sunshine Coast detour.

Popular things to do: Australia Zoo. The Irwin family's zoo at Beerwah, below the Glass House Mountains, with daily wildlife shows. In a 2WD: yes, it's on sealed roads off the Bruce Highway. See Australia Zoo (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: the Eumundi Markets. Over 360 stallholders, open every Wednesday and Saturday, 7.30am to 2pm, all year round. In a 2WD: yes; arrive early for parking. See The Original Eumundi Markets (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: the Maleny and Montville hinterland. The Blackall Range towns above the coast. We went to Montville with Paul in March 2025. Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve near Maleny is 55 acres of subtropical rainforest looking out over the Glass House Mountains, and Baroon Pocket Dam sits between Montville and Maleny. In a 2WD: yes, but the range roads wind, so take it slowly. See Visit Sunshine Coast: things to do in Maleny (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: Kondalilla Falls. Queensland Parks says Skene Creek drops 90 m from the top of Kondalilla Falls into the rainforest valley below, and the falls are at their best in the summer wet season (Queensland Parks: about Kondalilla National Park). The Kondalilla Falls circuit is a Grade 3 walk of 4.7 km; allow 2 to 3 hours. It passes rock pools and a lookout over the falls, then goes down to the base of the waterfall. It has more than 300 stairs, so you need to be reasonably fit. The picnic area has toilets, picnic tables, barbecues and shelter sheds (Queensland Parks: Kondalilla National Park things to do). Queensland Parks warns never to dive into creeks or rock pools, as they hide submerged rocks and logs and rock surfaces can be slippery. Walking tracks close in severe wet weather, and you shouldn't cross flooded creeks. There's no drinking water (Queensland Parks: visiting Kondalilla National Park safely). In a 2WD: Queensland Parks gives the address for the day-use area as Kondalilla Falls Road, Montville. From the car park it's a 150 m downhill walk with stairs to the picnic area. Queensland Parks doesn't say whether the road is sealed, so check park alerts before you go (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: Caloundra and Kings Beach. Kings Beach at Caloundra is patrolled year round, with green space, playgrounds and cafés, and the Kings Beach Ocean Pool, a 25 m seawater pool with a children's wading area. In a 2WD: yes. See Sunshine Coast Council: Kings Beach (checked 4 November 2026).
Popular things to do: Rainbow Beach. North of Noosa, the gateway to K'gari. You can't drive the beach route from Noosa in a 2WD, so go round by road. Our East Coast guide covers Rainbow Beach and K'gari. In a 2WD: yes to the town by road; the beaches need a 4WD and a permit. See Queensland Parks: Cooloola Beach drive (checked 4 November 2026).

Surf safety and stingers

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Surf Life Saving Queensland says to swim between the red and yellow flags on a patrolled beach (Surf Life Saving Queensland: flags and signs). Check Beachsafe for patrol times, which change with the season (SLS Beachsafe: Noosa Main Beach).
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Surf Life Saving Queensland says box jellyfish are found north of Agnes Water and Irukandji north of southern K'gari, so the Sunshine Coast is south of both, but bluebottles are found Australia-wide. For a bluebottle sting, don't rub it: remove any tentacles, rinse with seawater (not fresh water), then put it in hot water for 20 minutes, or use ice if hot water isn't available (Surf Life Saving Queensland: marine stingers).

Leaving the Sunshine Coast

FAQs

Can you sleep in a campervan in Noosa?

Not on the street or in car parks. Noosa Council says it's an offence to stay, camp or sleep overnight in a vehicle on council-controlled areas and roads, and it fines illegal campers. Book an approved campground.

Can you free camp on the Sunshine Coast?

Sunshine Coast Council says camping isn't permitted on public land, parks and foreshores, including in a vehicle. It allows stops of up to 20 hours at Main Roads rest areas, and overnight camping at the signed Jowarra rest area on Steve Irwin Way.

Can you drive a 2WD to Noosa?

Yes. The town, beaches and national park car parks are all reachable in a 2WD. Only the beaches and sand tracks north of the river need a high-clearance 4WD and a permit.

Can you take a 2WD on the Noosa North Shore ferry?

The ferry takes vehicles, but Queensland Parks says you need a high-clearance 4WD and a vehicle access permit to drive on Teewah Beach and the Cooloola beaches beyond it.

Where can you park a big campervan in Noosa?

Noosa Council says vans 7.5 m or longer are limited to 1 hour on roads in built-up areas, and you can't park on nature strips or in parkland. Check the signs and arrive early.

Is Noosa worth visiting in a campervan?

For us, absolutely. It's where we bought Ashleigh's engagement ring on our original east coast trip, about 10 years ago, and we love the beaches, the shops, cafés and bars, and the chilled vibe.

Sources

Our own experience is from our time in Noosa, including our detour there with Paul and our stops at the Glass House Mountains lookout and in Montville, and our road trip video with Paul. Official and source information was checked on 4 November 2026. Camping rules, opening hours and patrol times change, so check before you go.

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