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Australia’s high-rise holiday nirvana, the 35-kilometre strip south of Brisbane known as the Gold Coast, is the holiday capital of the nation. |
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Here, beachside relaxation, alfresco dining, holiday theme parks, and brand-name shopping form the basis of holiday activities in year-round sunshine. Surfing at the many patrolled beaches is as popular as partying at the nightspots and these frenetic activities can be complemented by a car trip to the lush sub-tropical hinterland rainforests for a hiking expedition.
The Gold Coast’s diverse accommodation options include up-market seaside hotels, tower apartment blocks set on the beachside, casual backpacker hostels, any number of family-friendly motels, and charming hinterland B&Bs. Antigua Beach Resort, just a short walk from Broadbeach and its patrolled beach is a perfect well-equipped four-star property, while the Aquarius Backpackers, with its choice of rooms or dorms, provides a budget alternative and offers free pick up and shuttle buses to the local nightspots.
Southport includes the coast’s commercial district, and its tree-lined streets are packed with places to dine. The food scene is diverse – superb seafood such as fresh crayfish, barramundi, coral trout and king prawns form the foundation of many delicious dishes, and local wines are a welcome accompaniment to any meal.
 The café-lined boulevards of Main Beach, just across the river from Southport, offer boutique shopping, and nearby Surfers Paradise, the Gold Coast’s nightlife zone, has some of the world’s tallest residential apartment buildings. At Broadbeach, you’ll find more fine dining and nightlife. Set just off the coast, South Stradbroke Island, a narrow 20-kilometre-long sandy island is great for fishing and walking.
The theme parks
 The four major theme parks (Sea World, Movie World, Wet ‘n’ Wild and Dreamworld) are extremely popular with families. Sea World, on The Spit at Main Beach, has rides, a spectacular water show, a monorail, and a waterslide, as well as many aquariums where a variety of marine life is on show. Water fun is the basis of Wet ‘n’ Wild and you can hardly move here in the summer. Movie World, dubbed “Hollywood on the Gold Coast”, is Australia’s single most visited attraction. Oversized cartoon characters roam the streets, movie stunts are performed regularly, and Lethal Weapon, an inverted, suspended rollercoaster gives you the most frightening ride of your life. Dreamworld, at Coomera north of Surfers Paradise on the Pacific Highway, is mainly for kids. There is a wildlife sanctuary here, but it is the Tower of Terror, a scary freefall ride, that packs the visitors in.
The hinterland
 Just 30 minutes’ drive from the beaches and all the coastal activity, there are more than 100,000 hectares of National Parks and reserves that have a network of bushwalking trails. Long-established mountain lodges such as Binna Burra and O’Reilly’s, in Lamington National Park, cater to nature lovers and are popular even in winter, when guests gather around open fireplaces to rest after a hard day’s hiking.
One thing’s for sure, a holiday on the balmy Gold Coast and its subtropical hinterland is a memorable experience.
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