PARKS + SURF
Gold Coast
Surfers to Coolangatta, Queensland
- Theme parks
- Swimming
- Zoos & sanctuaries
- First Nations experiences
- Beaches & Islands
The Gold Coast runs on choice: a theme park one day, a patrolled beach the next, and the hinterland's rainforest when everyone needs a slow day. Australia's largest professional lifeguard service watches the beaches, and the calm creeks at Tallebudgera and Currumbin suit the youngest swimmers. Whales pass offshore from June to November.
Suited to
- Ages
- All ages
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Getting there
Good to know
- Schoolies takes over Surfers Paradise late November to early December
- Stay Burleigh or Coolangatta for calmer beaches and quieter evenings
- Creeks beat surf for under-5s, Tallebudgera and Currumbin are the picks
- Food and supplies: Supermarkets, cafes and every cuisine along the coast; apartment self-catering is the family default.
Stays
Beachfront strip
Towers a block from patrolled sand at Main Beach, Surfers and Broadbeach, on the tram line so the car can stay parked. Also the loudest end.
Southern beach towns
Burleigh through Coolangatta: headland-protected water, calm creeks, quiet evenings. The tram now reaches Burleigh Heads but stops short of the southern end, so you drive to the parks.
Council tourist parks
Council-run camping sites and cabins across the road from the sand or the creek, cheaper than the towers; three sit on South Stradbroke, boat access only.
Theme-park end
Coomera and Oxenford, inland at the northern end: short mornings to the park gates, bought with a drive to the beach on every other day.
Hinterland
Springbrook and Tamborine, 30 to 45 minutes inland: rainforest and cooler nights, but every beach day and every park day becomes a car day.