From Designer Dunnies to Delicious Donuts (What an Odd Combination)

Kenilworth is a charming little town in the Mary Valley area of the Sunshine Coast, in the South-East corner of Queensland. It boasts a population of less than a thousand permanent residents (according to Wikipedia) and is surrounded by rolling hills, pockets of amazing rainforests and some of the best natural scenery of the area.

Chiara and I first found Kenilworth almost by accident, by scrolling through the Facebook feed and stumbling on one of its drawcards (more on that later, I don’t want to ruin the surprise) and making the spur of the moment decision to go check it out. 

And we were not disappointed. 

Since that first day trip there, Kenilworth has become one of our favourite places on the Sunshine Coast (which is a hard decision, because most of the Sunny Coast is amazing). We have visited Kenilworth several times, and not once have we ever had a bad experience there. 

I guess due to its smaller size, Kenilworth still retains its old-school country charm, with the locals there being some of the friendliest and most courteous around. 

If all this isn’t enough to convince you to travel there and see what I’m talking about, here’s a short list of some of the attractions that Kenilworth has to offer.

1.Visit One of the Most Stylish Public Toilets on the Sunshine Coast.

If you’re lucky enough to roll into town from the north-east on Eumundi-Kenilworth Road, just before town you’ll be greeted with this sight:

If you’re wondering what this is (and the heading up there didn’t give it away), this funky little building off to the side of the road is in fact, a public toilet. 

But not just any public toilet. 

This is one of the most stylish toilet buildings in all Sunshine Coast. I thought it was fun and worth mentioning in this article. 

2. Go for a Ride, I Dare You!

Now, I’m biased. I used to ride a motorbike, and for a period of my life, that was my favourite and the only vehicle I owned. How is this relevant, you ask?

Well, the roads leading to, through and surrounding Kenilworth are some of the most fun roads to go for a bit of a strap on the ol’ crotch-rocket (if you know what I mean). There is a nice mixture for all sorts of riding, from tight twisty corners to large sweeping bends and some nice stretches of straights to just cruise along and relax. 

A particularly nice stretch is just south through the town along route 22 (Maleny-Kenilworth Rd). You’ll encounter a few clicks of next corners, through dense green rainforest. You may want to stop in at the Fig Tree Walk rest area, only 6.5km south of Kenilworth along the Maleny-Kenilworth Rd. 

Because…

3. Go for a Short Walk Through an Amazing Pocket of Rainforest.

Once parked in the carpark of the rest area, take a walk back over the bridge spanning over the Little Yabba Creek and follow the path a short distance (roughly 50-100 meters, not that far). The path soon turns into a timber boardwalk, and that’s when you know you’ve officially started the Fig Tree Walk. 

The Fig Tree walk isn’t a long walk (under 1 kilometer) and it’s relatively flat, so most people will be able to complete it no problems at all. We took our dog for a walk there too, so it’s dog-friendly. 

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However…

The Fig Tree Walk (and surrounding forests there) are home to a very nasty tree that you need to be aware of. It’s called the Stinging Tree (and has several other aliases) and while the trunk and hard surfaces of the tree are fine, it’s the leaves you need to look out for. The leaves are covered in fine hairs, and if you’re unlucky enough to touch or to contact these hairs with your skin, you will regret it. The hairs stick into your skin and cause severe pain, and the recommended way to remove them is with acid (ouch) or hair-removal wax (ouch). Check out this Wiki article to learn more.

Luckily, the leaves are distinctive, and if you stick to the designated paths and wear enclosed footwear, you’ll be fine. 

4. Go Searching for Some Quiet, Tucked-Away Campsites. 

Kenilworth is home to some quiet, out-of-the-way campsites. Just a quick google search will reveal some stunners, and some of them are still relatively unknown (which makes them quiet, which I like). 

One that I liked is called the Charlie Moreland Camping Area. Unfortunately, not dog-friendly, so we couldn’t stay, but other than that there was space to spare and beautiful scenery. 

I don’t want to ruin the areas too much by going in-depth with this article. Part of the fun is the discovery and finding out just how nice they are on your own. 

But I will say, do yourself a favour and check them out. 

5. Dig into Delectable and Delicious Donuts. 

Try saying that ten times fast, I dare you. 

This is the drawcard that brought our attention to Kenilworth originally. Scrolling through social media one day when one of us (I can’t remember who) found a video about a local Sunshine Coast bakery with a food challenge. The challenge was to find hungry individuals that might be able to devour a 1 KILOGRAM DONUT!!! 

Yes, you read that right. 1 kg of tasty fresh donut dough, cream and your choice of filling (you can choose jam, custard or Nutella). It costs around $20 to try this challenge, and the staff at the bakery require 24hr notice so they have time to prepare the beast. If you manage to complete this challenge, you’ll get your name immortalised on a plate nailed to the bakery wall (or roof, seat, fan … seriously, they’re running out of room). 

But the giant donut is not the only reason to visit the bakery. It’s a sweet tooth’s haven, with all sizes and varieties of tasty and tempting treats to cater to just about whatever you feel like at the time. They have pastries, donuts (obviously), cakes, coffee, and savoury options like salad rolls, buns, cheesy scrolls (if you don’t know what they are, look them up, they’re amazing). 

Seriously, it’s worth a drive to Kenilworth Just to visit this bakery.

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In a Nutshell…

Kenilworth is a fantastic little town off the busy highway, with amazing scenery and hidden gems just waiting to be found. 

We love the place, and I’m sure you will too. Especially if you have a motorbike. And love donuts (seriously, who doesn’t love donuts?!?!).

Until next time,

Stay Wild and Free!

-Aaron & Chiara