Father’s Day lands on Sunday 6 September this year, and if you’re thinking of celebrating Dad on the Coast, why not make a weekend of it? With Mooloolaba about ninety minutes from Brisbane, you can head out on Saturday morning, park the car once, and not think about it again until Monday. Give Dad a proper weekend instead of a two hour window for lunch.
Here’s how to do it.
Sort the accommodation first
Coco Mooloolaba on First Avenue is a good call for families, with plenty of room to spread out and relax. There’s a heated pool and spa plus a landscaped barbecue area, which comes in handy if you’d rather cook one night and go out the next.
Landmark Resort & Spa sits at 11 Mooloolaba Esplanade directly opposite the beach, so in just a few steps you’re on the sand. There’s a heated tropical lagoon pool with a children’s wading pool alongside it, a gym and sauna, and a rooftop barbecue and spa with ocean views that is worth heading up to after dinner.
Or explore more accommodation options here.
Saturday: get a feed fit for Dad
After check in, start the weekend at Dirty Moes on the Mooloolaba Esplanade. The whole menu is built around sharing, which is exactly what you want when you’re with the fam. The Meat Platter is the headline act, loaded with tender lamb shoulder, maple glazed pork, housemade cornbread, sausage and BBQ chicken wings. The best part: Moes are bringing back their crowd favourite brisket, just for Dad on Father’s Day. Order for the table and let everyone fight over the last piece. The drinks list backs it up with a serious lineup of whiskeys and bourbons alongside local craft beer on tap.
If you’re in the mood for simple but classic Mooloolaba bites, Prawn Star is open daily from 11am across three renovated fishing trawlers permanently moored at the marina. Enjoy wild-caught crayfish, bugs, oysters and tiger prawns, cooked right on the boat and share your shells with the fish below. It’s walk-in only and BYO, so grab a cold one on the way for Dad and take your time.
Need a cold brew to quench dad’s thirst? Head over to Blag Flag Brewing, tucked down a laneway just minutes from the beach. It’s the brand’s original venue, a proper hole in the wall with free pool, cold beer and a bit of punk rock energy running through it. Grab a table, order a round and some burgers or beer snacks, and let Dad settle in. Kids are welcome until 9pm too, so it works for the whole crew, and there’s a takeaway shed on the way out if he wants to bring a few home for later.
Sunday: the main event
Three solid options depending on what Dad’s into:
The Pub Mooloolaba is doing all day dining from 11:30am with live local entertainment from 3pm to 6pm, and a Dad’s Day Pack up for grabs on the day. It’s the easy, no fuss option if he just wants a decent feed, a cold beer and a relaxed vibe.
The Dock at the Wharf sits right on the Mooloolaba waterfront and runs live music from 1pm through to 7:30pm. Picture Dad with an ice cold pint watching the boats while the rest of the family settles in for the afternoon. Bookings open from 11:30am and it’s the pick if you want the water views without the fine dining price tag.
Dune by Pavilion on the rooftop at 26/121 Mooloolaba Esplanade is running a Father’s Day long lunch from 12pm to 3pm overlooking the water, with live music across the afternoon. There’s a complimentary ice cream cart, colouring packs to keep the kids busy, and the option to upgrade to bottomless with a two hour share plate and cocktail package including spritzers, classic margaritas, mimosas and select beer and wine to the table. This is the one if you want to make a proper occasion of it.
Bookings are open now for each of these top picks, but do get in quick as they will fill up!
More to explore
Between meals there’s plenty to fill the gaps. Mooloolaba Beach is patrolled and calm enough for everyone to actually relax, and the Coastal Pathway runs right along the shore if Dad’s the type who wants to walk off lunch. Whale season is still going through September, with cruises departing from the Wharf, so if he’s never done it this is your last window before it closes for the year.
Head down to the Spit for fresh seafood, wander the Esplanade shops, or go for an ice cream overlooking the beach.
And then don’t rush home
The best part about making it a weekend in Mooloolaba is Monday morning. Slow coffee, one last swim, breakfast somewhere on the Esplanade before a calm drive back down. Dad gets two days instead of two hours, and you all get away from the norm for a bit.
Meet us in Mooloolaba.