Meteo Noosa (Sunshine Coast) in ottobre

Regulars are specific about how the whale season winds down: boats generally finish by the long weekend in early October, and by then the bay mostly holds mothers and calves rather than the bigger, more active groups of August and September - the calves themselves, though, are described as bolder and more curious, often approaching boats directly. Regulars also flag a weather-driven risk this late in the season - once past early September, northerly winds pick up more often, making the bay choppy enough to cancel trips on a bad day. Our row backs a settled, mild spring, 27.1C over 17.1C nights, with 98.4mm of rain across 6.4 days and a moderate 16.1 kph wind. The sea holds 23.8C. The record: humidity 73 percent, 10.6 hours of sun and AQI 34.

Noosa's forum generally rates March as a great time to visit - daily temperatures comfortably over 26C, a bit cooler and less humid than the peak of summer, and not as crowded. Some posters flagged February/March as technically the wettest stretch of the year, but the pattern described is an afternoon storm after a hot, humid day rather than extended rain ruining the trip. Overall the consensus was mostly lovely and sunny with a few showery days mixed in, still great for beaches, hikes and outdoor dining.

Forum posters describe September as warming up nicely - typically around 25C by day - but with noticeably cooler evenings, and generally arriving just ahead of the thunderstorms that mark the start of the wet season further into spring/summer. Posters call September one of the lower-rain months of the year on the Sunshine Coast, along with July, and rate it a pleasant, comfortably uncrowded time to visit. Swimming is a genuine question mark this early in spring - some posters say the water still runs too chilly for comfortable swimming in September, so beach time is more about walking and scenery than getting in the water for many visitors this month.