Whit N Whimsy

Whit N Whimsy is a small, quirky cafe at 3/72 Maple Street, right on Maleny's main strip in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It runs a strong gluten-free cabinet alongside the regular bakes, the coffee is well regarded, and dogs are welcome at the front outdoor seating, which makes it an easy stop between walks.

The dog setup

Dogs sit with you out the front and in the outdoor seating, on a short lead and settled under the table. Inside is for people. Staff have a habit of bringing out a water bowl, but on a busy Saturday morning it can take a while, so a portable bowl in the car covers you. It is a compact space, so a dog that stays put works best here.

Worth knowing

Hours run 6:30am to 1:30pm Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 1pm Saturday, closed Sunday, so this is a breakfast-and-morning-coffee place rather than a lunch spot. The kitchen leans into gluten-free cakes, fresh muffins and rotating homemade bakes, and the cabinet changes daily, so ask what is on that morning. Weekends fill quickly and the strip's street parking tightens with it, arriving early solves both.

Pair it with

Maleny Community Precinct Dog Park is the logical run before coffee: fully fenced, separate enclosures for large and small dogs, and off-lead at all hours off Parkland Drive. Mapleton Dog Park works if you are looping back through the hinterland. One correction to older notes online: Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve prohibits all pets, including on the tracks, with registered assistance dogs the only exception, so leave the dog at the cafe or the dog park rather than the rainforest boardwalk. Landsborough Pioneer Park is a fenced option if you are heading down the range.

More hinterland dog-friendly spots sit on the Queensland list, and the Maleny guide rounds up the rest of town.

Pepsi: dog park first, then the front table. The staff knew my name by the second visit and the water bowl appeared before I even sat down.