Discover why they call this Australia's adventure playground.
Queensland’s Gold Coast is Australia’s playground, with sun, surf, adventure and entertainment within a stone’s throw of each other. Its most famous beach, Surfers Paradise, is a destination in its own right and is the kind of attractive vista that beach holiday postcards are made of.Located along the state’s southeast coast, the Gold Coast covers a 57 kilometre strip of over 30 golden beaches and boasts an average of 245 days of sunshine every year. As its name suggests, its enviable waters attract the eye of surfers who travel across the world to ride its waves.
Travel away from the buzz of Surfer's Paradise and its hub of restaurants, bars and entertainment and you’ll soon discover theme parks where families can be entertained day-long and the Gold Coast Hinterland, where you can embark on walks through lush subtropical rainforest and capture views of the surrounding mountain ranges.
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What's there to do on the Gold Coast?
While best known for its beaches and theme parks, there's loads to do on the Gold Coast to suit any taste and traveller.
The area has some of Queensland's most luxurious resorts (hello, Palazzo Versace) to unwind at, snorkelling just offshore at Wave Break Island and plenty of waterways to explore by boat.
Travel inland from the stretches of sand and you'll hit the lush Gold Coast hinterland, where you can tour waterfalls, rainforests and natural rock pools. If you've got plenty of time to spare, consider heading down the coast to laid back Byron Bay or north toward bustling Brisbane.
Getting around the Gold Coast
If you want to see more of the 57-kilometre stretch of the Gold Coast than what's around your hotel, you'll need to hop on public transport, in a ride share or hire a car.
TransLink services the Gold Coast with trains, trams and buses. Areas that are included are Helensvale, Nerang, Robina, Varsity Lakes, Ormeau and Coomera.
Paying for transport. You need to use the electronic go card to travel on TransLink transport. Simply tap on and off and the card will automatically deduct the correct amount. You can purchase go cards at select local retailers, Queensland Rail station ticket offices or fare machines at bus stations. The minimum cost is $10. This price includes $5 for the card, which you get back when you return the card, and $5 of travel credit. You can also pay cash for transport.
Best apps for getting around. MyTransLink app can plan your journey, give you real-time It'sinformation for when transport is departing from your stop, and will find the closest stops to you. The trip announcer feature allows you to follow your journey while on-board with an audio or visual option to alert you when to get off.
Does the Gold Coast have Uber?
Yes! Ride share services Uber and Ola are both available on the Gold Coast.
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Domestic flights from $99 each way with Virgin Australia
Available on select flights from August 2020 - May 2021 to Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Perth, Darwin, Melbourne and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Gold Coast.
Available on select flights from July - December 2020 to Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Perth, Gold Coast, Melbourne and more. Sample fare is Brisbane-Newcastle with Jetstar.
Available on flights from July - December 2020 to Hobart, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and more. Sample fare is Gold Coast-Sydney with Jetstar.
Available on select dates on activities like rally driving, go karting, quad biking, and more. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Melbourne and more.
Available on select dates and activities like hop-on hop-off bus tours, zoos and animal interaction, treetop adventures and more. Destinations include Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne and more.
Available on rentals from 1 April - 31 August 2020 at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth and more. Minimum rental period of 7 consecutive days. T&Cs apply.
Available on rentals from 1 April - 31 August 2020 at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth and more. Minimum rental of 2 consecutive days. T&Cs apply.
Available on rentals from 1 April - 31 August 2020 at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth and more. Minimum rental period of 4 consecutive days. T&Cs apply.
Available on select dates from June - December 2020 to Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Cairns and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Launceston with Jetstar.
Vouchers are valid for 3 years after date of purchase. Package includes overnight accommodation and Unlimited entry to Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Wet'n'Wild and Paradise Country. T&Cs apply.
Up to 50% off family Sea World stay with unlimited theme park entry
Available on stays from 15 July 2020 - 24 December 2021. Package includes accommodation, unlimited theme park entry to Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Wet’n’Wild and Paradise Country for the duration of your stay, and more. Valid for four people. T&Cs apply.
Available on flights from September - November 2020 to Hobart, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sydney, Cairns and more. Sample fare is Brisbane-Proserpine with Virgin Australia. T&Cs apply.
Available on stays until 31 August 2020 across Australia by registering to the promotion by logging into your ALL account. Offer is for members of ALL only. Membership is free. T&Cs apply.
Available for travel until 31 December 2020 when you 2 nights or more. Prepayment required. Destinations include Sydney, Adelaide, Cairns, Canberra and more. T&Cs apply.
Valid for travel on select dates in 2020 with Avis, Budget, Sixt, Europcar and more. Destinations from Gold Coast include Brisbane, Toowoomba, Lamington National Park and more. T&Cs apply.
Stephanie Yip is the travel editor at Finder and has been writing about travel and lifestyle for over a decade. She has written for Travel Weekly, Escape, Showpo, The Nibbler and Hostelworld. She was also the editor of kids magazine DMAG. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Technology Sydney and has visited 55 countries (and counting).
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