Southernmost is MOOLOOLABA , where the kitsch, touristy Mooloolaba Wharf and the pedestrianized seafront Esplanade, thick with boutique shops and restaurants, are the central focus. Nearby, on Parkyn Parade, Underwater World (daily 9am-6pm, last entry at 5pm; $21.50) has superb saltwater and freshwater tanks where barramundi - fish revered by Queensland anglers for their taste and legendary fighting spirit - and sharks, turtles and inoffensive freshwater crocodiles stare blankly at you through huge windows. For the real thing, Scuba World (tel 07/5444 8595), just around the corner on Parkyn Parade, can train you or take you diving to local sandstone terrain, where you'll find nudibranch, soft corals and bottom-dwelling sharks, or up to Wolf Rocks - one of the best dive sites in Southeast Queensland - for bigger game. Sixty-minute canal cruises ($10), taking in some rather opulent waterfront real estate, operate from the wharf three times a day.

For budget accommodation in Mooloolaba, head to Mooloolaba Beach Backpackers , about 250m back from the waterfront at 75 Brisbane Rd (tel 07/5444 3399, www.mooloolababackpackers.com.au ; under $20), a new, well-run place which organizes tours of the Sunshine Coast region (including abseiling in the Glasshouse Mountains and surfing tuition). Most of the other accommodation options are 3km north of Mooloolaba, past Alexandra Headland , at MAROOCHYDORE . At the bottom end of the market, try Cotton Tree Caravan Park on Cotton Tree Parade, Maroochydore (under $50); for hostels there are Suncoast Backpackers Lodge at 50 Parker St, Maroochydore (tel 07/5443 7544, vip_suncoast@hotmail.com ; under $20), and the YHA close to the Maroochy River on Schirrmann Drive (tel 07/5443 3151, gharris_yha@hotmail.com ; under $20), both of which offer a free pick-up from Maroochydore, free loans of surfboards, bikes and fishing gear, and trips to hinterland towns and the Sunshine Coast Brewery for tours and tasting. Motels include Sunshine Motor Inn , 122 Alexandra Parade, Alexandra Headland (tel 07/5443 6899; $50-70), and Blue Waters Motel , 64 Sixth Ave, Maroochydore (tel 07/5443 6700; $70-90), both with spacious rooms, sea views and easy access to the beach. Eating options are everywhere, though Mooloolaba Surf Club 's smart cafe, bar and restaurant on the Esplanade (daily noon-2pm & 6pm-late, Sun from 8am) is worth a visit for views out over the surf, and Karakas at no. 59, has fiery Mexican cooking and live music through the week. Mooloolaba Hotel , also on the Esplanade, hosts rock bands every Friday and Saturday, and opens its doors as a nightclub on Sundays; the Alexandra Hotel , on the highway at Alexandra Headland, is another venue for big-name bands.