The Best Outdoor Activities on the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. Its mixture of exciting theme parks, beautiful beaches, great weather and a vibrant city will leave you with more to do outside than inside. This article will give you some direction on the best of the many activities to do outside on the Gold Coast.

Beaches

With the 70 kilometre stretch of golden sandy beaches, the Gold Coast well and truly lives up to its name. Some of the best beaches in the world are literally a stones throw away from most accommodation and the city center of Surfers Paradise which is great for even half a day of relaxation. One of the most notable beaches in this area, Broadbeach, is just south of Surfers but is still not far from vibrant markets or a range of restaurants. Other popular beaches include Burleigh or Palm Beach which are about 20 – 30 minutes drive south of Surfers and are a great option to really get out of the main crowded beaches. If lazing in the sun gets tiresome, there’s plenty to do at the beaches, with volleyball nets and kayak hire available. And if you’re a surfer, check out Kirra, where you may even spot a world famous pro. The prime surfing spot is Kirra Point, famous for its long right-handers.

Theme Parks

The first thing many tourists will think about the Gold Coast is its world famous theme parks. Movie World, Dreamworld and Wet’n’Wild are the top three in this area. Movie World offers a mixture of high adrenaline rides including the Superman ride which takes you from 0–100km per hour in 2 seconds. But it also offers parades with notable movie characters like Batman and Superman – perfect for some indulgence of the selfie variety. Dreamworld and Wet’n’Wild are very much parks for the adventurous and adrenaline junkies, but also offer a range of activities for those not so keen on this type of activity. These theme parks are definitely worth the visit but are quite expensive so it may be best to enquire about getting passes for all of them at a special combo rate at your accommodation.

Nature walks and exploring

Not only is the Gold Coast full of beautiful beaches it is also close to some truly outstanding nature and forest walks. One of these is the Mount Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, which has you walking through the rainforest up on platforms to give you the best views of the area. It’s a relatively easy one to walk and as it is only one and half kilometers long so it won’t take too long to complete. Other good walking tracks include the Springbrook National Park which takes you through some picturesque waterfalls and rainforest sites. In the valley closeby called Natural Bridge, there is a glow worm cave which is well worth the trip.

Wildlife encounters

There is some wildlife at the theme parks but if isn’t enough, then visit the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in which you can hold a koala, feed kangaroos and also experience a part of Australia’s rich Aboriginal culture with some performances. For lovers of all things marine, SeaWorld provides an opportunity to get up close with sea life. It has dolphin shows, seals, sharks and even some polar bears.

More adrenaline?

If Dreamworld wasn’t enough for you, don’t worry – there are plenty of other options available. Since the Gold Coast has got such incredible beaches, it is home to a big surfing population. Hit the waves as there are a number of surfboard hire places, or if you are new to surfing you can get lessons at a surf school for a small price. You could also go parasailing or hire a jet ski, which is fun to do with a small group. And just when you think you’ve seen enough of the beaches, you can view them from above while falling at 200km/hour towards them. Gold Coast Skydive is the only tandem skydive operation on the Gold Coast.

These five examples of the type of activities you can do on the Gold Coast are only the beginning of the possibilities of what you can do with your time outdoors. But if you find yourself faced with a rainy day, don’t worry – we’ve also got a list of things you can do when the weather isn’t like they told you it’d be!