Family Adventure Holidays

Gold Coast - Australia’s Tourism Capital!

April 5th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

The Gold Coast on the coast in sunny Queensland has it all – beautiful weather, pristine golden sand beaches, fabulous surf, resort style hotels with roomy apartments ideal for families, world class shopping and so much to do for a family wanting an adventure holiday. No wonder it is the favourite destination of American, British and Kiwi travellers.

Kids of all ages will love the 5 theme parks – Dreamworld, White Water World, Movie World, Sea World and Wet and Wild will give them hours of action packed and safe fun.

Surfers Paradise beach Learn to Surf Schools abound in Surfers Paradise – the heart of the Gold Coast. You can’t come to the Gold Coast with-out having a go at surfing. The waves are great, the life guards are on duty, the hotels are right on the beach, and the water temperatures are warm. If that is too strenuous then sunbathe, take a dip and stroll, jog or powerwalk the 41 km of beach! When you’re hungry and thirsty Cavill Mall leads up from the beach and is crammed full of juice bars, ice cream stands, alfresco cafes, bars and shops.

Over the winter the whales migrate and take in the Gold Coast. Whale-watching fast catamarans are very popular with Gold Coast being one of the best viewing areas as they frolic their way north to have their calves and then bring the babies back a couple of months later.

Swimming with the dolphins is another eventful day trip to nearby North Stradbroke Island or stay over at the Tangalooma Resort there.

Shopping is really great on the Gold Coast. The biggest and best is Pacific Fair right in the heart of Broadbeach – just a 10 minute bus ride from Surfers Paradise. It has lots of shops from boutiques to big department store, 2 food courts, cinemas if you need a rest, and ample free car parking. Or take a 20 minute car or bus ride to Harbour Town – the huge factory outlet mall in Runaway Bay. You will be sure to bag a bargain and there are lots of shops – adventure for the whole family!

The Gold Coast is ringed by beautiful mountains –we call it the Hinterland with lots of action packed things to do including glow worms, hiking, bush walks, mountain lodges in the rainforest, and wine trails. Mt Tambourine is great to explore with its awesome views, craft shops, wineries and friendly locals. It is usually a bit cooler in the mountains too if you come in mid-summer.

Australia has some unique wildlife - cuddly koalas, kangaroos, kookaburras, lorikeets, wombats to name a few. No visit is complete without a trip to Currumbin Wild Life Sanctuary. You can interact with the animals there, enjoy shows, get your photo taken cuddling a koala – it is well worth spending a day there and is 30 minutes south of Surfers Paradise. Or you could take a day trip to world renowned Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo – that is about 2 hours drive north.

Last but not least is the night life. Surfers Paradise is the hub with plenty of night clubs to choose from so you can dance the night away. Or for high (or low) rollers the Jupiters Casino at Broadbeach is popular. Try Dracula’s next door for dinner first for an extra thrill. Sunday afternoon is a popular time too on the Coast for long lunches and bands – my favourites overlooking the water are the Northcliffe Surf Club and Fisho’s Tavern.

Gold Coast is great – my family had several holidays here and we liked it so much we decided to stay! You’ll love it too.

Janet