It doesn’t matter if it’s for one weekend or one year there are many dos and don’ts when it comes to finding the right accommodation.

Do plan ahead, and not only during the busy holiday seasons.  By planning ahead a tourist has choice and can secure accommodation at the best available prices.  It is usually only short-term and workers accommodate such as above pubs that can be negotiated cheaply on the day of arrival.

Do ask for details and try and see some pictures of the rooms.  Remember you are usually looking at marketing material (website or brochure), so the reality is sometimes quite different from the expectation. 

Don’t only consider one option, be flexible.  Your heart might be set on a resort or hidden retreat, but you may find exactly what you are looking for at a bed and breakfast.

There are many different forms of accommodation suited to different kinds of travelers.  Don’t decide on what kind of tourist you are until you have considered all the options.

Don’t resign yourself to accommodation if it doesn’t fit.  Why should your enjoyment of the entire holiday be in jeopardy because of problems with accommodation?  When you are in the area it is easier to find the right accommodation for the rest of your holiday.

In a high tourist area such as Maleny there is a lot of choice and it can be difficult to find the right one, but by offering choice it is likely the right one will be out there for every tourist.      

In Maleny tourists have the choice of staying at campsites, hotel, bed and breakfasts, retreats or resorts.  No matter what a tourist needs there are accommodation options available to have the perfect time out. 

Holiday accommodation near Maleny, Montville or Mapleton is more than just a place to stay it is an experience.

Whether visitors stay in a resort or campsite they are treated to the peace and tranquility that comes with stays in this area.  It is the perfect place to forget the troubles of the ‘real’ world, and just discover a different way of life.  This is a small window in a visitor’s life where they have no stresses, demands or deadlines.  A stay in Maleny is an experience in itself and people leave having gained much from their time in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. 

All retreats promote a stress-free holiday, a chance for a person to just be, without the expectation or disappointment of the outside world.  However too long at a retreat can cause anxiety in some people.  

Anxiety is something guests are trying to avoid.  It is for this reason that some retreats offer activities.  The last thing people want when they are trying to escape is to miss all the good aspects of life.  So some retreats might offer exercise or relaxation classes, such as yoga or meditation, others might give guests a choice on activities to ensure a relaxing holiday doesn’t become a bore.      

This is the stereotypical scene and one that is in stark contrast to the hassle and bustle of everyday ‘modern’ life. 

Leaving the quaint little cottage the dweller would walk, ride or take some slow moving vehicle into town.  If they were really lucky and this was a particularly stereotypical scene there might even be a friendly horse and cart option or rusted tractor.

The day would be chilly, but the air would be fresh after the overnight rain, that cleared away at dawn, left everything wet but clean.

The cottage dweller would head into town to visit the early morning famers’ market, or pop into the local cheese shop where they would hear all the local news. 

Well the cheese shop in Maleny is called Colin James Fine Foods, and the Maleny Markets is held every Sunday from 9am to 2pm at the Obi Centre Markets.  And the market is organic which makes it a feather in the cap for any country experience.  

Travelling around Maleny is easy and while there are plenty of horses you will find very few are used for transport.  Instead watch out for the odd cow, because early in the morning they are usually on the way to the dairy making enough noise to wake every cottage dweller in a 10-mile radius.

The scene is set for anyone wanting the cottage experience in Maleny with rolling hills as far as the eye can see.  The hills are almost always green and there is usually the odd farm animal roaming around to make the rural scene complete.

 In many ways a stay in Maleny is the picture-perfect getaway for anyone looking to just get away from ‘modern’ life and enjoy a brief stay in the typically perfect countryside.  

A retreat is simply any type of accommodation, from cabins to a full-service resort-style apartment, with an emphasis on isolation and solitude.  

It is not the sort of isolation someone might feel when overlooked time and time again for a promotion at work, but the kind isolation where someone can forget work.  Most are designed to help a person reduce the stresses of everyday life.

There are many retreat options for guests in Maleny and in the surrounding Blackall Ranges.  Retreats, because they are used to escape, are usually very difficult to find.  And most tourists will pass them without even noticing that they are passing some of Maleny’s finest accommodation.  The tell-tale sign that you are passing a retreat is a small sign on top of a letterbox. That’s it.  You would hardly expect a huge neon sign, with the words Retreat, GET SERENITY NOW!!!  

They are rarely grouped together as they need the space.  There is no retreat quarter, or street lined with retreats.  The best way to find a retreat is to do an internet or telephone book search before even leaving the house.  

Most retreats do not cater for passing-through traffic and would prefer guests to book in advance.  It is also easier to book early; otherwise there is a change you will be driving all over the countryside looking for a decent retreat.  A few hours of that and you will need to unwind.

If you are unable to book ahead, you can visit the Tourist Information Centre in Maple Street.  They will have all the information needed and you can ring ahead to book retreats.

Once you have found the perfect retreat, there is nothing left to do but sit back and clear your head.  After a few days you will forget there is an outside world awaiting your return.

The Sunshine Coast hinterland is the perfect location for this cycling race with all the colour and competitive spirit you could expect from any professional race.

The race starts with a prologue at Maroochydore, but it doesn’t take long before the race moves from the coast to the beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland.  The second stage is a road race in Kenilworth and the Mary River valley.

The third stage is a seven-kilometer kicker from Palmwoods to Montville.  The first kilometer is flat but competitors are then pushed through six kilometers of steep uphill to Montville.

It is a show of contrast watching a cycling race in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The riders are intense and each is going through untold levels of pain trying to breach the top of the Blackall Range in quick time.

Yet before the cyclists arrive, Montville and the Blackall Range is a place of tranquility where time seems to slow and people give over to their more peaceful natures. 

Spectators are given a treat, by going through the full range of emotions in only a few short minutes.  It is one reason why the tour is something that shouldn’t be missed when visiting the region.

After the climb riders leave the Blackall Ranges to compete in the fourth stage, which is another circuit road race north of Yandina.

The race finishes with circuit ride near Eumundi but it is always the Montville dash that is remembered by riders. 

But a road map doesn’t give readers much of a guide to this spectacular drive in the Sunshine Coast hinterland even though every landmark is marked and named.  There is so much to see and do that it would take a day to travel the entire route and stop at every small shop and lookout.  

But as with any journey it is always best to start from the beginning.

From Landsborough towards Maleny the road takes the tourist past Mt Mellum.  This hill greets the tourist and markers the southern end of the Blackall Ranges.  The road continues up and passes around Bald Knob, so named because of the distinct lack of trees and steep topography.

Bald Knob is a popular launch for hand gliders and if conditions are right a tourist will be lucky enough to capture a glimpse of a few launching from the western slopes.   

The road continues to Mary Cairncross Park where people can see clear views of the Glass House Mountains and take a rainforest walk, before continuing into Maleny.

The road then double backs to Montville on the eastern edge of the Blackall Range where people can stop at one of the lookouts and view over Landsborough and Mooloolah to Caloundra in the south to Noosa in the north and onto the Pacific Ocean.  This view accompanies the tourist as they make their way through the townships of Montville, Mapleton and Flaxton.  

Each township has its own unique charm but it is Montville with the most to offer the energetic tourist looking for something to buy to remember the trip.  There are many places to get a feed from a pub meal to traditional Italian.

The road finally drops down to end at Nambour.  This road to Nambour is steep and not as well maintained as the road from Landsborough, but it’s still a worthwhile part of the Blackall Range Tourist Drive.

Crystal Waters Permaculture Village is an eco-friendly community of about 200 people situated on a 640-acre property, 27 kilometers from Maleny.  The community started in 1986 with a goal of maintaining an active community with minimal impact on the environment.

The Crystal Waters’ objectives were to maintain a safe place to live with clean air and water, freedom of belief, meaningful activity for all, and healthy shelter.  

Since the initial blocks were allocated, the development had maintained its core objectives while adapting to the challenges facing sustainable communities.  In fact, the Crystal Waters community won the 1996 World Habitat Award for a community that succeeded in low impact, sustainable living. 

The community is also home to the Crystal Waters College which is a small holistic design college, which teaches nationally-recognised permaculture courses.     

The village is one of those distinctive developments that make the Sunshine Coast hinterland around Maleny such a unique area to visit and live. 

Visitors can see firsthand how Crystal Waters has become such a successful community, by touring the site.  Tours should be organized in advance, and money raised goes towards maintaining the co-operative.

The tour takes up to two hours and visitors get information, the layout and the history of the community and the region.    

This is just one of the attractions that visitors to Maleny can enjoy.  It is not only a great community to visit, but it is also a development that has helped defined the Maleny region and its people. 

Almost every weekend the streets are crawling with people looking through shops that offer products that need five to ten adjectives just to clarify what exactly the customer is purchasing.

I’m not saying that it is a bad move.  In fact the weekend bustle is a welcome change to the mid-week meander.  But it has changed Maleny’s streetscape and the folks that visit our little town might not be getting the experience they expect.  

My advice is to spend the day sitting on a bench seat on Maple Street, and watch the world go by.  You will definitely see what’s new, but if you are lucky enough you might just discover some of Maleny’s past peeking through.