An insider’s guide to the Gold Coast’s best attractions

Our Gold Coast attractions insider, Narelle Bouveng, shares her favourite hidden spots and the best ways to explore the most popular ones.

The Gold Coast has more than 50 kilometres of sand-swept coastline and a backdrop of the ancient Gondwana Rainforest. Beyond the well-trodden tourist hotspots, which beaches are the best to bask on? What theme parks should you rock? Where do you forage in the hinterland? And how do you find the baby waves to keep little groms fully frothed? Read on to find out. These Gold Coast attractions create a paradise for all sorts of family adventures.

Creeks and beaches

There is a beach for every occasion on the Gold Coast. When we have little ones in tow, we find it best to hit the creeks for crystalline waters, shallow spots to splash and plenty of shade to enjoy an afternoon siesta. Tallebudgera Creek is my family’s favourite. You can leave the crowds on the southern side and walk the forest-fringed path on the north to Echo Beach. Echo Beach is a natural cove tucked in behind Burleigh headland that’s protected from the wind and almost always calm and clear.

Tallebudgera is also a great location to spot the resident koalas snoozing in the treetops on the southern side of Jellurgal (Burleigh headland).

Currumbin Creek is another fantastic creek worth visiting. There is a surf spot where the creek meets the sea known as the ‘Alley’ that has great baby waves. For a workout with the kids, hire a SUP for a few hours from Currumbin Boatshed.

There are plenty of spots alongside the creek bank to picnic. But instead of BYO, we like to book ahead for a seafood-inspired lunch at Saltwater at Currumbin or pick up takeaway pizza from Currumbin RSL. The kids love La Bambino (ham, mozzarella and La Bocca Napoli sauce), but La Chuck Norris – with zesty lemon-marinated prawns, roasted capsicum and a crown of fresh rocket from the restaurant’s on-site herb garden – gets my vote. You can eat in here too – the deck is a perennial favourite with local families.

Secret swimming spots

There are plenty of popular family swimming spots like Burleigh Beach and Currumbin. But we prefer to scour the headlands for pint-sized natural pools that double as mum spas. Greenmount, Kirra and North Burleigh have plenty of natural pools to discover at low tide. Overhanging rocks conceal towels and belongings and provide plenty of shade for some seriously competitive sandcastle-making sessions, too.

For our freshwater fix, we head for the hills past Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – which is definitely worthy of a stop – to a sublime swimming spot called Cougal Cascades. Rain fills the pools after it has trickled all the way down from the mountains in Springbrook National Park.

My kids love whizzing down the rocks on the natural slides, but I always make sure they are wearing their oldest swimmers as the rocks give lycra quite the brutal workout. Giant floaties are advised (and save you from extended bursts in the freezing cold water). You’ll be pleased to learn the walk in is only a short distance so multiple trips to the car won’t be a drag, plus prams, wheelchairs and little legs are welcome here, too.

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Gold Coast attractions

There’s no such thing as a free ride. Or is there? Renowned already as a paradise for surfers, did you know the Gold Coast is also a biking nirvana with more than 36 kilometres of mostly flat, ocean-fronting paths to spin the family wheels?

Join the path anywhere from the Spit to Point Danger and plan your cafe stops and ocean lookouts along the way. For something to please the whole tribe, stop in at Custard Canteen on Tallebudgera Creek for great coffee, freshly-squeezed juice and piping-hot Portuguese custard tarts fresh out of the oven.

If you don’t have your own bikes, Cheap As Bike Rentals in Miami hires them out.

Thrills and spills

While the theme parks are perhaps the most compelling reason families flock to the Gold Coast, if your kids are like mine and have ‘been there and done that’, you should consider adding a new twist by booking them on the thrilling DC Rivals Hypercoaster at Warner Bros. Movie World – to ride it backwards! It will cost $15 for this unique thrill, but the bragging rights will be priceless when they recount how scary it was (and how cool mum is for knowing about it) to their friends.

Here’s a little insider intel on Wet’n’Wild. Get online in advance and book yourself a cabana by the wave pool or next to the Junior Zone. It is a central spot to meet in between bouts of sliding and riding, and will keep your crew (up to six people) cool in the shade.

Got little ones that love animals more than rides? Paradise Country’s Koala Breakfast is a favourite in our house. Enjoy brekkie beside the munching marsupials while listening to an educational talk about native Australian animals.

Visit Sea World’s Atlantis precinct. The thrilling area has a trilogy of daring rides: The Vortex, Leviathan and Trident will delight daredevils.

The Gold Coast Hinterland

Leave the beach behind to step back in time where ancient World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforest backdrops the coast.

My kids love Lamington National Park and a chance to wander O’Reilly’s Tree Top Walk. Spanning 180 metres, the walkway is elevated 16 metres above the rainforest floor and offers a chance to walk among the forest canopy. Afterwards, we scamper through the bushland to try to spot shy but adorable pademelons, before returning to the bird feeding area adjacent to the cafe to feed the flocks of cheeky green catbirds, curious crimson rosellas and fire-engine-red king parrots, who don’t mind using your hand – or your head – as a perch.

A trip back down the mountain always calls for a stop in at Mountview Alpaca Farm at O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards, another treasure to be found on the Gold Coast. Here the kids delight in walking alpacas around the lush grounds before splashing about in the creek while we enjoy a little splash of the local vino alongside a pre-ordered cheese plate.

Gold Coast Accommodation

JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa

A luxury five-star hotel boasting brand-new guest rooms and suites, a full-service spa, award-winning service, world-class cuisine and a covetable location on the Gold Coast, JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa also offers endless inspiration and exploration for its younger guests. Your kids will find a mix of enriching cultural, active and creative activities with the Family by JW program.

BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park

With an amazing location for visiting the Gold Coast attractions, BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park is just across the road from Dreamworld, Movie World and Wet’n’Wild, BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park is a pooch-friendly holiday park with accommodation ranging from powered sites to luxury cabins. Splash about in the monster Water Park, heated lagoon-style pool with a slide, kids’ paddling pool and shaded cabanas with poolside café service. There’s also a range of outdoor activities including foot pool, bocce, golf frisbee and an off-road remote-control car track.

Nobby Beach Holiday Village

Nobby Beach Holiday Village, ideally located by some of the Gold Coast’s best cafes, bars and restaurants, provides the perfect base for your holiday. You’ll find great surf and swimming at Nobby Beach. In there park there is a 35-metre water slide, two outdoor pools and a shaded outdoor playground for the littlies. Accommodation includes powered sites that cater for even the largest caravans and motorhomes, through to villas and self-contained homes that are perfect for families. nobbybeachholidayvillage.com.au

This article originally appeared in Holidays with Kids magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue here.

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