Things to do at Bokarina Beach in Queensland
We wander through what looks like a tropical Instagram filter come to life: birds chirp their morning podcast, a leafy canopy provides dappled sunlight, and a suntanned jogger breezes past, with earbuds in and a ponytail whipping like a metronome. It’s a postcard-perfect scene – that is until we come across a curious sign warning us not to pick up any unexploded ammunition...
Welcome to Bokarina: a stretch of coast now dotted with luxury homes, surf clubs, Pilates centres and wellness cafés, and once a secret nudist haven locals called Shangri-La back in the 1970s. But the area’s delayed development was primarily due to its role as an old ADF training ground, with parts of it used for artillery practice during WWII.
The aptly named Battery Hill is a 10-minute drive up the road and takes its designation from the heavy guns once stationed there, aimed not at rival surf clubs, but in preparation for coastal defence against Japan. The tropical serenity we’re walking through now was once anything but – which makes the transformation even more remarkable.
Day 1: Our Digs
Our crash pad for this Sunshine Coast deep dive is at the new Bokarina Beach Apartments – a mere 20-minute Uber ride from the airport. These aren’t your basic holiday lettings; think floor-to-ceiling ocean views, Scandi minimalism that would make Marie Kondo proud, and a location so prime you can almost roll out of bed and onto the beach.
Our apartment is positively dreamy. From the coffee machine that costs more than my car (I drive a rubbish car) to the Dyson tucked away like a designer secret, it’s all very cool.
After we’ve properly settled (and taken 47 photos of our digs and its view), we drift down the esplanade to Bocca Italian. Its name is a cheeky play on Bokarina and we order meatballs that could convert vegetarians, calamari that’s edible joy, and negronis because we’re officially off the clock. Listening to the surf roll in as woodfired pizza perfumes the air is exactly why people develop serious vacation FOMO.
Drone shot of Bokarina Beach and surrounds.
Day 2: Saltwater And Sweet Things
We start the day with sublime smoked salmon bagels and top-notch brews at Sunday Coffee & Bagels. It’s Bokarina’s go-to for caffeine hits – with options of warm, standard or ‘nuclear’ to satisfy anyone who’s particular about their coffee – and has a cool beach-town ambiance.
Then we head to Mooloolaba (a town I can never pronounce after wine) for a cultural journey with Saltwater Eco Tours, skirting the coastline aboard a century-old, heritage-listed vessel built from Huon pine. This wonderful First Nations cruise offers bush tucker including fresh oysters and Mooloolaba prawns with native herbs, plus a gentle education on Country – all served with a side of sea spray and bubbly.
Sampling fresh oysters aboard the Saltwater Eco Tours boat.
Cruising past ‘traditional McMansions’, I muse that these are the First Nations tours I wish more tourists supported. I know a lot of people think a bush tucker tour is all witchetty grubs and honey ants, but in years of travel writing, I’ve found it’s seldom the case. This one’s a gem. As we disembark, our captain, Simon Thornalley – a Kaurareg and Tjungundji man, born and raised on Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi Country – plays us off with his long didgeridoo.Back on dry land at Boka, we cool down with handcrafted scoops at Wallace & Wood, an artisan ice creamery that takes its flavours seriously. Salted caramel? Sublime. Pistachio? Green bliss. Rocky road? A metaphor for my career.
Dinner is at Casa Restaurant in Mooloolaba, a refined but relaxed Mediterranean joint where candlelight bounces off terrazzo. The food tastes like a coastal summer in Italy, with charred octopus, lamb cutlets drizzled in salsa verde, and a wine list that knows what it’s doing.
Day 3: From Penguins to Pints
We breakfast at Stoa Bokarina, a sun-drenched space where you can sip your turmeric latte under an arch of blush-toned minimalism. The food is simple but flawless: poached eggs, sourdough, greens, and an unspoken rule that everyone wears linen. Indeed, Boka seems to be a middle-class enclave for beautiful people, with nary a footy jersey in sight.
Mid-morning, we head to Sea Life Sunshine Coast. This giant aquarium may seem an uninspiring building from the outside, but the cavernous interior is like Doctor Who’s Tardis. We opt for the VIP tour where we feed penguins and frolic with seals. There’s something deeply wholesome about standing around while a penguin eyes you like you’re an inattentive waiter, but the real highlight has to be swimming with the seals. I’m always ho-hum about nature-based activities, until I actually do them, and this one has me clapping with the back of my hands.
Showtime at Sea Life on the Sunshine Coast.
Just when you think the day can’t get any more fun, Jamie from Creative Tours swoops in to chauffeur us to Moffat Beach Brewing Co, where we sample a beer tasting paddle and canoe up the River Hops (my favourite waterway). It’s all small-batch and some are award-winning – the Summer Ale was voted Queensland’s beer of the year in 2020 and 2023.
Moffat Beach Brewing serves up a sample of its award-winning Summer Ale.
We end the day at Vrina Mezze Bar for Greek cuisine with a tropical flair – think feta and pineapples. There’s a funky twist on an Aperol Spritz and its fried halloumi and olives are so good they silence the table. But it’s the heavenly lamb shoulder that makes me want to weep, mainly because I’m too full to eat it. We also love the wine pairing, making it a perfect way to wind down this indulgent arc of our trip.
Bokarina may have once been a dusty patch of military exclusion zone and 1970s nudist beach, but today it’s a gleaming beachside jewel. It combines the best of the Sunshine Coast – relaxed pace, top-notch food, local culture, and natural beauty – with just enough polish to make it feel like a proper escape. And did we mention it’s only 20 minutes from the airport? With or without the unexploded ammunition, this place is a blast.
Booking info
Rates at Bokarina Beach Apartments start at $200 a night and NRMA members get special discounts on Virgin flights.
