Yandina is one of the oldest towns on the Sunshine Coast - famous for its pub the Yandina Hotel, The Ginger Factory, Yandina Station and its charming town centre full of heritage-listed buildings.
The curious traveller will be well-rewarded with surprises like natural swimming holes,
abundant wildlife, one of the Sunshine Coast’s best weekend markets and one of Australia’s most famous restaurants – Spirit House Restaurant & Cooking School.
European settlement began in Yandina in the 1850s and the town was surveyed in 1870. It was the first town in the Maroochy district. Many of the original buildings and the heritage streetscape of Stevens Street have been preserved.
The fertile land around Yandina has been used for beef and dairy cattle, fruit growing, sugar
cane and ginger, and there’s plenty of hidden gems to explore.
Page through fascinating old photographs of the region at the Yandina Historic House museum, before heading off on a scenic drive to Wappa Dam: a lovely spot for a picnic.
Yandina is also a great place to sample some of the Sunshine Coast’s famed local produce. Stops include Nutworks and the Chocolate Factory, with its Australian-owned and harvested macadamia nuts and handmade confectionary, as well as the Ginger Factory with rides for
the kids, a café, lush subtropical landscaping and the world’s largest selection of ginger products.
Book in advance if you’re keen on the sensory delights of lunch or dinner at the Spirit House Restaurant & Cooking School - one of Yandina’s major highlights. Stunning Thai and Asian meals are created in this Balinese-style haven that have critics raving, and there’s also a highly popular cooking school that attracts participants from around the country.
A few minutes up the road in the neighbouring suburb of North Arm you’ll find one of the
Sunshine Coast’s newest craft breweries: Terella Brewing. The innovative brewery focuses on
sustainability, and of a weekend, takes advantage of its beautiful rural setting by holding a petting farm for the kids, making it a great spot for the entire family to enjoy.
If you’re looking to stay the night, the historic Yandina Station, established in 1853 has luxurious cottages set amongst one of the region’s oldest working cattle farms.