Far from the madding crowd: Why now is the best time to visit Noosa

A trio of elderly barefoot gentlemen, wearing only the briefest of bathers, goggles dangling from their wrists, overtake me, sharing a joke as they walk. Moments later, a surfer, longboard tucked under her arm, jogs past, closely followed by a pair of actual runners. It's barely 7am, but everyone's hitting the trails and beaches of Noosa National Park, eager to make the most of the day.

It may seem counterintuitive to visit a beach town in the depths of winter, but Noosa is at its glowing, chilled-out best once the summer crowds are gone and locals briefly outnumber tourists. Balmy weather with blue skies, a bearable-for-locals, absolutely-fine-for-southerners sea temperature, as well as the ability to score a table at a new favourite restaurant or a park in Hastings Street, make winter the ideal time for a weekend break in one of Queensland's most loved holiday spots. Here's how to get the best out of 48 hours in Noosa.

SUNSET VIEWING: Winter sunsets in Noosa are spectacular and you'll want to head to the water for golden hour. From the aptly-named Sunset Bar on the top level of Noosa Boat House, you'll get riparian, rather than ocean views, but it's just as lovely as the sun tints the Noosa River and the rosellas conduct their raucous dusk meet-up in the eucalypts. Beachside, a seat at the surf club or a time-smoothed black volcanic boulder near the national park parking lot overlooking Laguna Bay are the hot tickets. Outdoing them all though, with views of river, sea and land, all the way to the Glasshouse Mountains, is Laguna Lookout, high above Hastings Street.

DINNER: Kick off with a cocktail in the street-facing bar before dinner at Noosa Beach House on Hastings Street. New head chef Bret Cameron heroes local produce; from the famed seafood to Fall's Farm's biodynamic veg. Favourites include sweet grilled local prawns with miso butter, finger lime and pickled seaweed, and whole lamb shoulder, slow-braised to falling-off-the-bone tenderness.

DIGESTIF: The once workaday Noosa Junction has become a food and drink hub of some note. After dinner, you might want to walk it off with a stroll up the hill (and down again) to investigate a couple of neighbourhood bars, the elegant Atelier Wine Bar and convivial Theo's Social Club.

RISE AND SHINE: Get up early and start the day with an energising walk in Noosa National Park. You can make a caffeination stop at social enterprise coffee cart Deadly Espresso to the right of the park entrance. The 10-kilometre coastal walk skirts rocky coves and landmarks that sound like they belong on a treasure map ("Boiling pot" "Picnic Cove," "Hell's Gate,") but even one of the shorter coastal or forest walks deliver, with lookout points to stop and spot pods of dolphins or, between June and October, migrating humpback whales.

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BREAKFAST: Continue your return walk onto Hastings Street and stop at Café Le Monde. A fixture since 1986, it welcomes all - from morning swimmers to not-yet-made-it-to-bed party people. Come early though, if you want to score an excellent almond croissant made by local bakers Tanglewood - they sell out quickly.

SHOP: The neat little grid of streets that make up Noosaville industrial estate house more "artisan" than "trade" these days. Browse the ceramics at Pottery for the Planet, Boom Shankar for clothes, Holster Fashion for shoes and Coastal Vintage for maritime homewares. You can also taste-test at Noosa Chocolate Factory store (including a signature rocky road made fresh daily), sample craft beer at Boiling Pot Brewery or Heads of Noosa or, if gin's more your drink, try the range at Seabourne Distillery.

LITTLE COVE BEACH PICNIC: Sure, you could DIY, but The Noosa Forager's grazing platters will up your picnic game considerably. Almost everything's made in-house, by owner/chef Dannielle Young, including the gravlax and trout pate on the generous pescatarian platter that also includes sweet local prawns, oysters and Mooloolaba octopus, as well as sauces, cheese and crackers, pickles and vegetables. You can even hire Dannielle's tables and cushions to set up a romantic picnic au deux at the tranquil Little Cove beach.

DINNER: Forgo arguments over a designated driver and hop on the classic old Noosa Ferry that chugs its way along the river from Noosa Heads to Noosaville. Gympie Terrace is another thriving eating and drinking precinct, with relaxed restaurants overlooking the serene stretch of river and the bank of golden sand where it meets the ocean. Locals and tourists alike mourned the closure of chef David Rayner's longstanding Thomas Corner restaurant here, but there is reason to celebrate as it's been reincarnated as Lanai Noosa. Chef Ryan Fitzpatrick's share plate contemporary menu meanders from whimsical bites of soft-white bread prawn "sangas" with Mary Rose sauce, through to a stand-out seafood chowder, to more meaty choices like pork jowl with wild mushroom. Take a post-meal stroll down Gympie Terrace to Whisky Boy, and choose from more than 80 whiskys.

MORNING MARKETS: Pack a cool bag and don't eat before you go. One of the most chilled markets in the country, the Noosa Farmers Markets, held in the carpark of the local footie club at Noosaville, is both your brunch stop (Portuguese tarts highly recommended) and the place to get local goodies - from salsa to sausages, cheese to chai - to take home.

SWIM WITH WHALES: The coast off Noosa becomes a whale highway, as up to 40,000 humpbacks migrate north in June, then make the return journey from September. Get up close with these gentle giants with a small-group 2.5-hour snorkel safari with Noosa Wave. Winter means especially good water clarity and even if you happen to luck out with swimming with the whales, there's still plenty of marine life with dolphins, turtles and rays frequenting these waters.

LAST DRINKS: In Noosa's lush hinterland, the much-anticipated Doonan Hotel, a $6 million build, hit the ground running a couple of months ago and hasn't paused for breath since. If it's lunch or an early dinner before heading home you'll definitely need to book - despite the two-hectare spread, including pizzeria and multiple beer gardens, it's usually packed on weekends. Posh pub food is the go, from grass-fed rib fillet to local seafood like barbecued snapper.

Getting there: You can fly direct from Melbourne, Sydney, Albury and Newcastle to Sunshine Coast Airport.

Staying there: If you want to splurge, Seahaven in Hastings Street has one-bedroom absolute beachfront apartments for $610 a night.

Explore more: visitnoosa.com.au

The writer was a guest of Visit Noosa.