O'Reilly's is not that good its kind of boring great nature trails but if you do not care about the lodging go camping.

I'm going for the nature trails--and camping's not my style--although I'll be "glamping" in Canada later this year. Besides, I'd have to rent camping equipment. Probably just the same cost as a motel.

Hi Songdoc
Nice to see you're coming back to see us!

I can't comment about O'Reillys/Binnaburra, but have been a frequenter of the Sunshine Coast & hinterland for eons, so will toss my tuppence in on that part of your trip.

It's a lovely area and you can easily fill in 3-4 days.

You could do a loop up through the hinterland (Maleney, Eumundie etc) and come in through Yandina (Ginger Factory).

Australia Zoo is on the way at Beerwah and very well worth a visit IMO. I was very pleasantly surprised and impressed, not having been a fan of Steve Irwin's hoopla.
If you want to scratch a roo's ear or pat a Joey, this is the place. You might be lucky & see one if the wombats taking a walk. There are lots of koalas doing their thing in a big forest like enclosure - and the biggest crocs you can imagine. Cassowaries are hard to spot in the wild but you can see them at close range here.

I thought it would be OTT commercialized razz mataz - but apart from the zoo shop, the overwhelming feeling is one of care for the animals. And having started the zoo from scratch, they have been able to build to suit the animals. It's not cheap - we don't have the population of the US & other places to support a low cost entry, but our zoo animals have to be fed, housed & looked after. Now that Australia Zoo doesn't have the income generated by Steve Irwin's promotion & shows, I imagine they have a pretty tough time. And they are doing a really good job in providing great care for their animals and an excellent experience for visitors.

So, much to my own astonishment, I find myself an enthusiastic advocate for a place I thought wouldn't be my cup of tea at all.

At Noosa, the National Park is beautiful and the walk starts at the edge of the town. Personally, I like Noosaville and the areas along the river better than Hastings Street, but it's certainly worth a visit.

There's a Buddhist temple and lovely walks a few kms away (I'll have to check location). I went with a local friend and we really enjoyed it - had a lovely lunch there.

I'm posting on my iPhone so can't insert links but will re-post some for you when I get home. If you google Sunshine Coast & Hinterland, there's lots of info there.

Did you know there's a theatre that still shows Silent movies? At Pomona. It's a real treat if they happen to be running a film while you're there. I think it's the only one in Australia & as you can imagine, the owner is an absolute gem, font of fascinating info on the era.

Thanks SO much for the info. DP is CRAZY for silent movies--so we'll be there for sure if there are any on the schedule. (I subscribed to the theater's mailing list.)

The temple and the zoo are great suggestions, as well. I also appreciated the mention of Noosaville. I didn't know if that would be as desirable as being in town. Sounds like it might be better!

Thanks, again.

songdoc, we have stayed at O'Reilly's twice, several years apart. It's true that there aren't any other dining options. But, it is a really beautiful setting, with many guided walks available. Not that you couldn't follow a trail on your own, but these are really well done walks where they point out all manner of flora and fauna, and likely will give you a snack.

It is a splurge, and they have started doing things like not including the walks in the nightly rate so that's a bit annoying (it used to be all inclusive, so you knew just what you were spending, and while expensive it was just easier not to worry about it).

I will say that it was very nice to just get up in the morning and there you were. No drive ahead of you. And, if you stay there you are there after the day trippers are gone. It gets very crowded with day trippers.

If you are a birdwatcher at all, it is a great place to be.

We also tried to figure out costs at BinnaBurra and their web site stumped us.

On our return trip this coming December we are planning on staying in Canungra so we can go to Binna Burra or O'Reilly's as the spirit moves us.

Do report what you do as I'd like to hear your more recent impressions!

Toucan2: thanks for your thoughts. At the moment, I'm leaning toward staying near Canungra and using that as a base to see both areas--and Tamborine Mountain. But that changes hourly!

O'Reilly's does seem to offer an "all-inclusive" rate. It's "best of O'Reilly's" and costs $423 per night. It includes B & D, all walks and talks, & the Birds of Prey show. That's just more than I want to spend. This is a semi-annual 5-week trip with business interspersed--not a "once-in-a-lifetime" vacation.

The $299 mid-week special (2 nights min.) includes B & D, and an early morning bird walk.

I'll let you know what I decide.

Ah, it sounds like they have changed back then. That is a good thing. There was a lot (and I do mean a lot) of grumbling about it from others who had also been there before.

There are a number of nice B&Bs around Canungra, but we are actually thinking of staying at the Canungra Hotel since we will be spending very little time in the room. Basically a place to sleep and shower before driving either up to O'Reilly's or Binna Burra. And as it is for the birding husband, that will be very early in the morning!

songdoc; I like your Canungra three nights idea. I don't think you'll find O'Reilly's and Binna Burra all that different location-wise so I don't think you need to see both with limited time. While I've visited both places at least a ten times, I've only ever stayed at Binna Burra, so I'm not in a position to compare the accommodation. The immediate view from O'Reilly's is magnificent, more impressive than Binna Burra, but the latter offers the short walk to the spectacular view over Egg Rock and the Numinbah Valley. Also, the Daves Creek Loop and the Coomera Circuit walks start from BB, two of my favorite moderate-length day walks. But it's not that O'Reilly's doesn't have some good walks as well. Both places can get fairly busy, especially on weekends and school holidays.

Mt Tamborine is a nice area, a little touristy for me. Actually I prefer Springbrook, another mountain community. Springbrook's Purling Brook Falls walk is very good.

So with 3 nights at Canungra, you have a two full days and maybe part of another one to explore. My suggestion would be to drive to Canungra via Mt Tamborine. Provided you get an early enough start from Brisbane, you should have plenty of time to look around Tamborine before getting to Canungra. Then, on your first full day, head up to OReilly's or Binna Burra for the day. On your 2nd full day, I'd suggest a drive up to Springbrook with a detour up the Numinbah Valley to the Natural Arch - really cool. OR, if you get an early start and like to drive, head up to Beaudesert and take the Mt Lindsay "Highway" up to Bald Rock in the Granite Belt. It's a great walk (loop) and there are some pretty spots to see along the way, especially the short detour to the base of Mt Barney. Have lunch in a the country pub at Woodenbong (love that name!). Figure on 3 hrs drive to Bald Rock from Canungra - it'll be a long-ish day, but I've done it a couple of times from the Gold Coast, no worries.

Wow. Thank you SO much. This is great info. At the moment I'm looking at:

http://www.clandullacottages.com.au (in Beaudesert)

or

http://www.wallabyridge.com.au (in Boyland)

They're both self-contained, which we like. Would either of these be more convenient to the recommended sights?

Again, thank so much!
PS. I'll have to go to Woodenbong just to tell my friends I've been there!

or

Aaronlee Retreats (Canungra)
http://www.aaronleeretreat.com.au/home?subSiteId=1

Songdoc...depends on what you do. If you do OReillys and Granite Belt then Beaudesert would be the one, as it would shave some time (25 mins or so) getting to Bald Rock. But if you want to stick to the Gold Coast Hinterland the whole time, you would be better off staying in Boyland or Canungra so you don't have to double back so much each day.

Have to say the farmstay option in Beaudesert appeals to me most....

I want to do it ALL. Of course, while relaxing and not pushing too hard. .

I'm sure we'll go to O'Reilly's one day. Not sure if we'll do the drive to Granite Belt because 3 hours each way is an awful lot. (I know it's doable but I don't love driving--and I'll be the only one behind the wheel.)

Sounds like there's no one location that would be the most central for everything. I like the farmstay, too -- DP is leaning toward Wallaby Ridge for the views and lower prices.

Will keep you posted. Again, thanks SO much!