The Gold Coast has the golden beach at Surfers Paradise, cool, green forests in the hinterland, world-famous theme parks, humpback whale watching, restaurants and nightlife. It’s an awesome collection of experiences to choose from, so we’ve given you a hand by picking my ten must-see attractions for your next holiday on the Goldie!
Search flights to the Gold Coast
Dreamworld
Apparently opening the monthly bills isn’t scary enough for some people – they’re the ones queuing for the Giant Drop at Dreamworld where you “drop” 39 storeys at 135kmh – GAHHHH! The Tower of Terror was also too much for this writer, since I’m afraid of heights and it’s basically a 115m L-shaped plummet. I was more at home on the Flowrider, a continuous surfing wave that’ll have you cutting in like a pro, and the Thunder River Rapids raft, because it offers thrills sans height.
Sea World
Sea World used to be about dolphins jumping through flaming hoops, but now the shows have an environmental message too. I liked the Fish Detective show, where seals try to find out who’s depleting the sea’s fish stocks. The dolphin arena has also been given a new age makeover, with emphasis on the environment; while at Polar Bear Shores you can check out these top carnivores above and below the water. The baby one is so cute!
Movie World
Movie World makes movies come to life, as in the immersive 4D experience of Journey to the Centre of the Earth with moving chairs, wind, scents and mist. The Stunt Driver Car show is my fave, since it shows off actual movie skills. Rollercoasters Arkham Asylum and Green Lantern (steepest drop in southern hemisphere!) were too much for this scaredy cat, but I loved the Wild West Falls ride.
Skypoint Observation Deck
If you’re unsure what the attraction of the Gold Coast is, this viewing platform 78 floors in the air gives you a 360 degree wake-up call. From here you can see down the coast as far as Coolangatta. Inland are the luxurious canal ‘islands’ along the Nerang River, and up the coast is South Stradbroke Island. For those of you with no fear of heights, there’s the option of a 90-minute climb up the building’s exterior stairs. No thanks!
WhiteWater World
I loved the cabanas at WhiteWater World. You hire them out for the day and it’s ‘your’ spot. Considering theme parks are impersonal places, it makes a massive difference. You get a fridge, locker and iPod dock – what more do you need? Rides! Like Triple Vortex, a tube raft that drops into different chambers where you can scream, then along a spout, then back into another chamber for more screaming. The ‘green room’ is how surfers describe a tubular wave, and The Green Room ride simulates this, sort of. Did you know WWW prides itself on being one of the most shaded water parks in the world?
Wet’n’Wild Water World
After putting on my Quiksilver rashie and an inch of SPF 30, I headed for Wet’n’Wild’s H2O Extreme Zone. The Blackhole was a watery spiral in the dark (a kind of rebirth experience). The Tornado was a bit tame, even for me, but Mach 5 was more like it – a fast, straight up waterslide. There were beach areas under the supervision of lifeguards, including a wave pool. An unstructured day of watery fun – and cabanas are available.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Currumbin started out as a place to see flocks of wild lorikeets being fed (still a feature) and has grown to include crocodiles, kangaroos, emus, snakes and koalas. It bills itself as the world’s largest collection of Australian animals, and that’s what you get. Apart from a handful of feeding shows, this is one place the whole family can go without fear of being shot out of a water cannon or dropped from a great height.
Whale Watching
My whale watching experiences were both fantastic, with humpbacked whales breaching close to the boat, including a mother and calf. Starting out from Main Beach marina, we went a couple of kilometres offshore from Surfers, giving a unique view of the beach – breathtaking. We then went up to Stradbroke Island for lunch and a chance to swim and kayak. The ocean outside the protection of the breakwater was rough, but in a fun way.
Tamborine Mountain
The Gold Coast is first and foremost a place of natural beauty. Tamborine Mountain calls itself ‘the Green behind the Gold’, a lush rainforest plateau left over from volcanic activity and about an hour’s drive into the hinterland. Fears aside, I took the rainforest skywalk. I’m a bit of a birdwatcher so I had my Field Guide and it wasn’t hard to find lyrebirds and scrub turkeys as well as tiny scrub wrens. There’s a distillery that produces versions of schnapps and other shots, as well as art galleries, and craft shops. A tranquil respite from the bright lights of… Cavill Avenue.
Cavill Avenue
When I was at boarding school on the Gold Coast, Cavill Avenue was absolutely out of bounds. Back then, this Surfers Paradise main street had a racy reputation, and the bars, strip joints and tattoo parlours are still there; except across the street there are now high-end boutiques and restaurants catering for wealthier visitors. Cavill Avenue is a glitzy, high-energy juxtaposition of old-school kicks and cashed up sophistication. It’s up to you, which you prefer.
(Feature image: Phalinn Ooi)
