Montville, Sunshine Coast Hinterland: Things to Do and See

TL;DR: Montville is a small village on the Blackall Range in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, about 100 km and roughly 90 minutes’ drive north of Brisbane. It sits around 400 metres above sea level and is known for its galleries, cafés, fudge, cuckoo clocks and views across the Sunshine Coast. Allow one to two hours for Main Street, or half a day if you add a walk at Kondalilla Falls.

Wander to the eastern edge of Main Street with a coffee in hand and the land falls away beneath you. Green paddocks give way to the coastal plain, with a long strip of blue marking the Pacific in the distance.

Turn around and the view changes completely, with the Blackall Range dropping into the valleys below.

Montville sits right on the ridge, and there’s plenty to keep you busy for a few hours. Here’s what to see, where to stop for a cuppa and how to fit Montville into a Sunshine Coast hinterland day.

What Is Montville Like?

Montville is a small village on the Blackall Range with a long history. European settlement began in the area in the late 19th century, and the settlement was originally known as Razorback before being renamed Montville in 1897.

The name is generally linked to the French words for mountain and town, although there are a few different stories about how it came about.

For much of the 20th century, the area was known for timber and farming, including citrus and pineapple growing. Tourism became increasingly important from the 1970s, and the village you see today grew around that shift.

Most of what visitors come for is concentrated along Main Street, where you’ll find timber buildings, Queenslanders, galleries, cafés and plenty of shops to browse.

Some of the buildings have a distinctly European feel, too. You’ll see Tudor and Bavarian-inspired architecture alongside the older Queenslander-style buildings, a reminder of Montville’s tourism boom.

How Should You Spend a Short Visit?

If you’ve only got a couple of hours, you can happily explore Montville on foot. Most of the village’s shops and cafés are along or close to Main Street, so you don’t need to spend half your visit looking for the next stop.

Here’s an easy little wander:

1. Start at the Clock Shop and have a look around the collection of cuckoo clocks.
2. Walk along Main Street to Fudgyboombahs and pick up some handmade fudge.
3. Browse Montville Art Gallery or pop into Illume Creations for its glasswork.
4. Find a café with a view and settle in for a coffee before you head off.

If you’re visiting on a weekend, give yourself a little extra time. Montville can get busy, particularly around the middle of the day.

What Are the Best Things to Do in Montville?

Visit the Clock Shop

The Clock Shop is one of Montville’s most recognisable buildings. The German chalet-style building on Main Street is packed with cuckoo clocks, grandfather clocks, music boxes and other gifts.

If you happen to walk in around the hour, you’ll get to see some of the clocks doing what they do best. It tends to attract plenty of attention, especially from younger visitors.

The shop has been operating in Montville for more than 30 years, so it has become part of the village experience.

Browse the galleries

Montville has plenty of places to stop if you enjoy Australian art and handmade pieces.

Montville Art Gallery is housed in a 1920s Queenslander and displays work by Australian artists, while Illume Creations specialises in glass sculpture and vases.

There are also smaller galleries and craft shops along Main Street, so it’s easy to spend longer browsing than you planned.

Stock up on fudge and chocolate

Fudgyboombahs makes handmade fudge and confectionery right on Main Street. You’ll probably notice the smell before you find the shop.

If you’re trying to resist, good luck. We can’t promise you’ll make it out empty-handed.

Stop for coffee

For Montville coffee with a view, The Edge Café has views across the hinterland from its Main Street location, while The Poet’s Café is another local option. If you’re after a longer lunch, Secrets on the Lake sits among the trees beside Lake Baroon and combines dining with an art gallery.

Visit a vineyard

Flame Hill Vineyard sits just outside Montville on a 300-acre property, with a vineyard, orchard and restaurant.

It’s a good option if you’re driving and have time for a slower lunch before continuing through the hinterland.

Where Are the Best Lookouts and Walks?

Gerrards Lookout

Gerrards Lookout is near Mapleton, on the northern side of the Blackall Range, and looks out across the Sunshine Coast.

On a clear day, you can see along the coast from around Coolum towards Caloundra, with views extending towards Bribie Island and Moreton Bay.

It’s an easy place to stop for a few minutes, particularly if you’re driving through the range and want to stretch your legs.

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve sits between Montville and Maleny and protects a section of subtropical rainforest on the Blackall Range.

There are walking tracks through the forest, along with a lookout towards the Glass House Mountains, a discovery centre and café.

Keep an eye out as you walk, too. Pademelons and other wildlife live in the reserve, although they’re much better at hiding than you might expect.

The café and lookout also make this an easy spot to stop for a cuppa before continuing your day.

Kondalilla Falls

Kondalilla National Park is just north of Montville, making it an easy addition if you have a few hours to spare.

The Kondalilla Falls Circuit is a 4.7 km return walk that takes you through subtropical rainforest to the falls, which drop about 90 metres into the valley below.

There are plenty of stairs on the way down and back up, so give yourself enough time and bring water. The park can also be slippery after rain.

If you’d rather keep things easy, you can enjoy the shorter walks and lookouts around the picnic area without committing to the full circuit.

Lake Baroon

Baroon Pocket Dam, commonly known as Lake Baroon, sits just below Montville, on the way to Maleny.

You can stop for a picnic, go fishing or explore the area around the lake. Kayaking is also popular, although access and activities can vary depending on current conditions.

It’s a nice place to slow the pace down after spending the morning wandering around Montville.

Montville or Maleny?

You don’t really need to choose. Montville and Maleny are only about 15 km apart, so they’re easy to combine into the same hinterland day.

	Montville	Maleny
Feel	Small tourist village with galleries, shops and cafés	Larger country town with a strong local food scene
Best for	Browsing, fudge and views from the range	Cafés, local produce, shops and nearby farms
Views	Views east towards the Sunshine Coast	Views towards the Glass House Mountains
Size	Compact and easy to explore on foot	Larger, with more everyday services
Nearby	Kondalilla Falls and Gerrards Lookout	Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve and Baroon Pocket Dam

If you want a few hours of browsing, galleries and a bit of old-fashioned village charm, Montville is a good fit. Maleny is better suited to a longer food-and-country-town stop.

Or, if you’ve got the time, do both. That’s probably the easiest answer.

How Do You Get to Montville?

Montville is about 100 km north of Brisbane. By car, allow around 90 minutes via the Bruce Highway before heading up into the Blackall Range.

The roads become narrower and more winding as you climb the range, so take your time, particularly if you’re not used to the roads around here.

Main Street parking can fill up on weekends, so an earlier arrival will make things easier.

There isn’t a regular public transport service that makes exploring Montville and the surrounding attractions particularly convenient, so driving is the easiest option for most visitors.

Once you’re in the area, you can combine Montville with Maleny, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, Kondalilla Falls or the Eumundi Markets, which run on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Before You Go

Montville is small enough to explore without much planning, but there’s enough here to keep you happily occupied for a few hours. Start with a wander along Main Street, listen for the cuckoo clocks, grab some fudge and find somewhere with a view for your morning coffee.

If you’ve got longer, add Mary Cairncross or Kondalilla Falls and turn it into a full hinterland day.

If you’d rather leave the winding range roads to someone else, our Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Noosa Tour from Brisbane includes Montville, Mary Cairncross, the Eumundi Markets and Noosa.

Just make sure you leave some room for the fudge.

Frequently Asked Questions