Visit Australia - Sunshine Coast Hinterland

<body>  <p>The Blackall Range dominates the hinterland area of the Sunshine Coast, west of Nambour. Maleny, Mapleton, Montville and Flaxton are the main settlements located on the range. The Stanley River rises from the southern slopes. Baroon Pocket Dam is a reservoir on Obi Obi Creek which drains the north west slopes of the range. Mary Cairncross Reserve marks the site of the first settler's house on the Blackall Range. Curramore Sanctuary, Mapleton Falls National Park and Kondalilla National Park are also located on the range. Numerous lookouts on the range provide excellent views towards the coast. One of the best is located at Howells Knob, a mountain which rises 561 m above sea level.With its spectacular views, natural beauty and an established tourist industry providing accommodation, restaurants, art galleries and specialty shops, the Blackall Range is a popular tourist destination. </p> <p>Maleny is a small scenic town 90 km north of Brisbane on the Blackall Range overlooking the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia. Nearby towns include Landsborough, Montville and Peachester. Nearby places of geographical significance include the Glass House Mountains and Baroon Pocket Dam.</p> <p>Maleny has replaced its timber-cutting and dairying past with tourism with a large influx of people who wanted an alternative lifestyle. As well as being on the Hinterland tourist drive, Maleny attracts day trippers from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast who are attracted to the various stores, art galleries and specialty shops.</p> <p>Montville is a small town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, on the Blackall Range in Queensland, Australia. Montville is a popular short break tourist destination for the people of Brisbane. Montville is famous for its parks and walks including the Sunshine Coast section of the Great Walks of Queensland. Popular attractions include, wonderful galleries, great restaurants, wineries, cheese factories, and unique shopping. There are also some outstanding places to stay. Accommodation ranges from private romantic cottages to family style units and suites. The world renowned Australia Zoo is only a 20minute drive from Montville. At the 2006 census, Montville and the surrounding area had a population of 853. </p> <p>The Mary Cairncross Reserve is a conservation park located on the Blackall Range east of Maleny, Australia. Maleny is approximately 100 km north of Brisbane or a short drive from Caloundra. The reserve is positioned in the mountain rainforests of the Maleny region overlooking the Glass House Mountains.</p> <p>Mapleton is a small town in Queensland's Sunshine Coast Hinterland, with a population of around 800 people. It includes the Lilyponds, the Mapleton Tavern and historic Seaview House (St Isidore's Farm College), and is well know for its 180 degree panoramic views of the Sunshine Coast. The second highest town on the Blackall Ranges in reference to the Sunshine Coast, the town is 10 minutes from Nambour, 25 minutes from Maleny and 30 minutes from Maroochydore. </p> <p>Mapleton attracts visitors following the Blackhall Range Tourist Drive who visit the shops on Obi Road and Post Office Road. These shops include a fish and chip shop, country pharmacy, cafe and delicatessan, general store, coffee shop, antique shop, second hand book shop, chocolate shop and cafe, and pizza and pasta restaurant. Further along Post Office Road is a leadlight workshop and the Tavern also has a bottle shop. The Arts and Craft Centre on Obi Road provides local artists and craftspeople with a shop to display their wares and tourist information is found in the centre too. Mapleton also has a hardware, IGA, BP Garage, two real estate agents and many massage and alternative therapists, physiotherapist and hairdressers. The Zonta Club of the Blackhall Range produces a Business Directory including many of these services. There are public toilets in the park between the Tavern and the school and also at the Lilyponds play park.</p> <p>The Lilyponds area was for many years a swamp and underwent an $800,000 makeover to turn it into the community jewel it is today. There are free BBQ's, childrens play park and covered seating areas. The area next to Fish Tales Seafood Café is home to the Mapleton Market which are held four times a year in March, June, September and December.</p> <p><strong>Mapleton Forest Reserve</strong> protects rainforest remnants with bunya pines, piccabeen palm groves, tall open blackbutt forests and picturesque mountain scenery. See the forest along the Mapleton Forest Drive starting from just down Delicia Road. Have a picnic on the site of the old forest station in the headwaters of Cedar Creek. Picnic tables, toilets, barbecues, firewood and drinking water are provided.</p> <p><strong>Delicia Road Conservation Park</strong> is a small park protecting remnant forest communities. It is a refuge for wildlife and a special place where visitors can enjoy a peaceful native forest. The land was generously donated by Linda Garrett. Locals refer to it as Linda Garrett Park. Walk the easy 2.2 kilometre Linda Garrett circuit through rainforest, a palm grove and tall, wet eucalypt forest. Enjoy a section of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk. Along Gheerulla Creek, look for a great barred frog. Birdwatchers may be fortunate to hear the melodic, drumming call of the endangered marbled frogmouth.</p> <p><strong>Mapleton Falls National Park</strong> marks the point just west of Mapleton where Pencil Creek cascades 120 metres over an escarpment. This small, day-use-only park, shelters many bird species, including the peregrine falcon, eastern whipbird and wompoo fruit-dove. From the carpark, enjoy a short walk to Mapleton Falls lookout (wheelchair access to toilet and lookout). The panoramic view takes in the waterfall, rainforest valley and Obi Obi Valley. Look for peregrine falcons soaring above - in early spring they roost on the edges of the falls. From the open, grassy picnic area, the Wompoo circuit winds through eucalypts and rainforest. Listen for the fruit-dove's booming calls, 'wallock-a-woo' and 'book-a-roo'. Near the causeway pool, listen for frogs and look for distinctive hexagonal volcanic rocks.</p> <p>Text is available under the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License</a>; additional terms may apply. See <a href="http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use">Terms of Use</a> for details.</p>  <script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA-119091-1"; urchinTracker(); </script> </body>