If your idea of a beach holiday stops at the smell of sunscreen and building sandcastles on the beach then you need to be introduced to the Gold Coast.
From the beach to the rainforest draped mountains, from resort shopping to lunch at a country pub, the Gold Coast and its hinterland can provide exactly the holiday you’re looking for.
Encompassing a sweeping 70 km long stretch of coastline, the Gold Coast’s vibrant centres like Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach and Coolangatta tempt you to relax into the holiday lifestyle. A short drive from the beaches and you discover the Gold Coast is also Australia’s theme park capital, with four major theme parks.
Remember to visit the wildlife sanctuaries, art centres, working farms and plantations, or try fossicking for thundereggs, or ice skating. If your idea of the perfect holiday is extreme, and action is your game, then the Gold Coast is your playground.
Everything from horse riding to two-seater mini-speedboats, to being catapulted into the air on a giant rubber band is available to the brave at heart. How much excitement can you pack in a day? You don’t know until you try.
Hinterland
Behind the coast the land changes to secluded green valleys sheltered by the Great Dividing Range and two spectacular national parks - Mt Tambourine and Lamington National Park.
The Lamington plateau is named after Baron Lamington, a former state governor, as is another of Queensland’s claims to fame, the Lamington Cake. In around 1898 some ingenious Queensland cook rolled chunks of sponge in chocolate and coconut to keep the cake fresh - or so the story goes - but nobody knows for certain who it was decided the cake must be called a ‘Lamington’.
Lamington National Park is almost 20,000 ha of peaks, cliffs, gorges, waterfalls and rain forest. Some of the oldest trees are up to 3000 years old. More than 100k of walking tracks lace the park. Tambourine Mountain National Park shelters Zamia Grove, a collection of plants whose origins date back to the dinosaurs, and Witches Falls, declared a National Park in 1908 and the oldest park in the state.
The Gold Coast is all about action - on the beach, in the hinterland, and everywhere in between. Grab your bikini or boardshorts for a day of beach action - volleyball, surfing, parasailing, jetskiing and bungee jumping just to name a few.
The lorikeet feeding at Currumbin Sanctuary is legendary. Twice a day, literally hundreds and hundreds of these stunning colourful parrots descend on the park to be hand-fed by visitors. Currumbin Sanctuary is also home to kangaroos, koalas and other native animals and birds.
The Gold Coast is also known for its theme parks, a must-visit during any holiday on the Coast. Choose from Wet'n'Wild, Movieworld, Seaworld and Dreamworld or visit all four!
The Gold Coast is full of award-winning attractions enough to give the family a day or two of something different.
Warner Bros. Movie World
Turn off the Pacific Highway at Oxenford, is about forty-five minutes drive south of Brisbane International Airport.
At Movie World real movie magic happens every day. Warner Bros. Movie World is the only movie related theme park in Australia. On the Gold Coast, you and your family can experience all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
Meet your favourite stars. Enjoy behind-the-scenes action, comedy stunts, exhilarating rides, shows and attractions.
Open 10 am - 5.30 pm all year round except on Christmas day, when it is closed, and on Anzac Day when the park opens at 1.30 pm, closing at 6.30 pm.
For further information www.movieworld.com.au
Sea World
An award-winning marine park, Sea World is famous for its dolphins and sea lions.
Now it’s famous as the home of Australia’s first giant observation wheel. Similar wheels may be seen around the world but this is a first for Australia. The Sea World Eye, 60m over Sea World, offers sweeping views of the Gold Coast and offers, from air-conditioned Gondolas, a unique view of Sea World’s Polar Bear Shores and Shark Bay.
There’s still plenty of action with the daredevil stunts of the international ski team or a trip into the mysterious world of the Bermuda Triangle - only one of the great adventure to be enjoyed at Sea World. More than just a theme park, Sea World is committed to educating guests about the marine environment and playing an active role in Australian marine research and rescue.
Sea World is on Main Beach, only three kilometres north of Surfers Paradise.
Open 10 am - 5.30 pm all year round except on Christmas day, when it is closed, and on Anzac Day when the park opens at 1.30 pm, closing at 6.30 pm.
For further information: www.seaworld.com.au
Wet'n'Wild Water World
The Gold Coast's fun, rides and entertainment goes wild at Wet'n'Wild Water World, on the Pacific Highway at Oxenford, where the fun and excitement of the world's latest water slides and leisure pools is combined with a shaded twenty-acre subtropical garden - have a day (or two) of spashtacular fun.
This year, try the all-new Extreme H20 Zone, an enormous new thrill slide area that is sure to get pulses racing, featuring gigantic, king-sized slides offering adrenaline addicts the ultimate extreme aquatic experience at Wet'n'Wild Water World.
The Tornado - the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere - completes the Extreme Experience.
Wet’n’Wild is only 20 minutes north of Surfers Paradise, or 45 Minutes south of Brisbane.
Open 10 am all year round except on Christmas day when it is closed, and on Anzac Day when the park opens at 1.30 pm. Closing times vary throughout the year.
For further information: www.wetnwild.com.au
Dreamworld
Dreamworld was dedicated by its founder "to the happiness of all people". The minute you enter the park, it is like entering another world where something new and exciting happens at every minute and at every turn. From thrill rides to tigers to water slides there's something for everyone at Dreamworld. Catch the Bengal tigers at play with their handlers in one of only two interactive tiger attractions in the world, cuddle a koala, hit the dodgem cars or take your chances on the fastest, tallest thrill rides in the world - the Tower of Terror, the Giant Drop and the latest & greatest, The Claw! It's all there at Dreamworld.
Dreamworld is open all year - every day except Christmas, from 10 am to 5 pm, with extended trading hours during peak holiday seasons.
For further information: www.dreamworld.com.au
WhiteWater World
WhiteWater World, Australia’s new water park, is next door to Dreamworld and delivering thrills for all ages. Promised to be the hottest water rides on the planet, WhiteWater World boasts all four of the "world's best" water slides.
There's also the Nickelodeon’s Pipeline Plunge and the toddler playground, Wiggle Bay. WhiteWater World is brought to you by Dreamworld.
For further information: www.whitewaterworld.com.au
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has the largest collection of native Australian animals in the world. Feed the colourful lorikeets which visit twice daily, walk amongst the kangaroos, pose for a photograph with a koala or have a totally wild encounter with wombats, Tasmanian devils, wallabies, and freshwater crocodiles, all in their natural environment. Nighttime is when the majority of Australia's unique fauna become active and the Wild Night Tours really put the spotlight on our nocturnal friends. Don’t forget to have 'Breakfast with the Birds' or 'Lunch with Nature'.
The Gold Coast is all about action - on the beach, in the hinterland, and everywhere in between. Grab your bikini or boardshorts for a day of beach action - volleyball, surfing, parasailing, jetskiing and bungee jumping just to name a few.
The lorikeet feeding at Currumbin Sanctuary is legendary. Twice a day, literally hundreds and hundreds of these stunning colourful parrots descend on the park to be hand-fed by visitors. Currumbin Sanctuary is also home to kangaroos, koalas and other native animals and birds.
Open 8 am - 5 pm all year round except on Christmas day, when it is closed, and on Anzac Day when the park opens at 1 pm.
The park reopens for the Wild Night Adventure at 7 pm each night. Bookings for Wild Night Adventure must be made before 3 pm for that night’s tour.
For further information www.currumbin-sanctuary.org.au
For further information about anything on the Gold Coast contact:
Gold Coast Tourism Bureau Ltd -
Phone: (07) 5592 2699
Website: http://www.goldcoasttourism.com.au