Areas of Interest in the Gold Coast

At 323 metres, the Q1 Tower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. It offers stunning views from the Observation Deck, although this is only at around 235 metres.

Cruises are a great way to explore the Waterway canal system and Broadwater.  Wyndham Cruises operated from the wharf behind Tiki Village in Surfers paradise, and the fare includes morning or afternoon tea.

The Pacific Fair Shopping Centre is one of the best malls for shopping, although the Centro Mall is in an excellent location in the main tourist hub.  Within the Centro Mall there is also a store called Sundaze, which sells a huge range of swimwear, essential to enjoy the beaches.  Carrara Markets is held on weekends, and there is an arts and crafts market held on Wednesdays and Friday evenings.

Many visitors end up at the Gold Coast for the theme parks.  Sea World, Wet n Wild Water World and Warner Bros, Movie World are three of the most popular. A fun pass can be bought to cover all three attractions, although Dreamworld theme park in Coomera also worth a visit is not covered.

Burleigh Heads National Park has some extraordinary walking trails, which guide visitors along the coast and through the rainforest.  Cascade Gardens are also beautiful with forest walks and a bird sanctuary. It is also popular as a picnic spot.

Eating Out in the Gold Coast

The Fisherman’s Wharf Tavern is located on Seaworld Drive and serves breakfast until 11 am on weekends.  An excellent choice to order is honey and cinnamon toast, served with grilled bananas and vanilla ice cream.  For lunch the Fisho’s Feast seafood basket is delicious.

The beaches have many Surf Lifesaving Clubs of which many have bars and restaurants.  Kurrawa SLSC offers good value traditional food such as fish and chips or Thai beef salad.  Northcliffe SLSC is also recommended on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Thornton Street.

Moo Moo Wine Bar and Grill is a stylish restaurant with an excellent wine list.  Their signature dish is a 1kg spice rubbed Wagyu rump roast.  Although this dish seems expensive it is intended to be shared. 

Gold Coast Night Life

Melbas is an excellent cocktail bar offering a huge range of ingredients and combinations but not too expensive.  The Opium bar is perfect for Vodka lovers, in the Phoenician Resort complex.

Local Information

Situated in the south east of Queensland, the Gold Coast City has sun, sand, surfing, bars and rainforest walks.  The visitor information centre is along the main tourist hub in Surfers Paradise.  Buses run along the Gold Coast with fares operating on a zone system.

From the Airport to the Gold Coast

The Airtrain runs from Brisbane Airport to Nerang Station every half an hour and takes around an hour and a half.