This post was originally written and posted on the Expedia Blog here …
Having grown up in Brisbane, for me the Gold Coast was one of the places we visited all the time for some family fun. As an adult I realise how lucky I am to have lived my whole life near one of the most amazing destinations in the world, but as a kid I had no idea. It doesn’t matter how many times I visit the Gold Coast, each time I’m once again blown away by how amazing it is. Since having kids, it’s become a frequent holiday destination. There’s just so much to do and the kids always have a blast.
Based on the experiences from when I was young and now with my own family, here’s my Gold Coast Guide for families:
Amazing Playgrounds To Visit
There are some pretty amazing outdoor playgrounds on the Gold Coast and we’ve found our kids love going to them as much as other attractions with a higher price tag.
A few of the best places to play include:
1. Broadwater Parklands, Southport: This parkland is just a short 5 kilometre drive north of Surfers Paradise and goes on for a three kilometres stretch along the foreshore of Southport. This playground has heaps of different play equipment options for the kids – bike tracks, a jumping pillow, flying fox, seesaw, scooter track and lots of general play equipment. There’s sure to be something for every little one! There’s also a patrolled section of Broadwater beach in high season where the kids can safely swim.
2. Kurrawa Pratten Park, Broadbeach: This is another fantastic playground for kids. Plenty of grass for kicking a ball plus two main playground areas makes it a popular choice. It also has great slides, swings, climbing equipment, a flying fox and lots of fun. The park is also right on the beach and has fantastic BBQs and picnic areas.
3. Pirate Park, Palm Beach Parklands: This park is one of the most amazing parks on the Gold Coast. It’s themed around a pirate ship and is a pretty sweet setup if I say so myself. There are tunnels, slides and climbing equipment, all right near Currumbin Cove.It also has BBQ and grass areas if you’re keen to stay for lunch.
Free lorikeet feeding at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: This is a fantastic piece of local knowledge every family holidaying needs to know about. If you don’t want to fork out the $49 to spend a day at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, it’s handy to know that twice a day at 8am and 4pm you can feed wild lorikeets for free!!
Visit one of the amazing family beaches below:
- Rainbow Bay – This beach has great waves for kids, they are gentle but fun and there are life savers at this beach all year round.
- Coolangatta/Greenmount Beach – This beach stretches 800m and is north facing. It is protected by the headland which makes is mostly safe for kids. There are also 2 lifeguard towers along this beach.
- Currumbin/Currumbin – This place is great for families as there are a number of watersport activities you can participate in including surfing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding.
- Tallebudgera Creek – This place is great for kids who don’t like waves. You can swim and kayak and have a great relaxing family day at Tallebudgera Creek
- Burleigh Heads – This beach is said to be the best on the Coast. It is great for swimming, surfing and boarding.
- Broadbeach – We personally have spent most of our time at Broadbeach. There are long stretches of beautiful beach and lots of grass areas for kids to play in and families to picnic. There are lifeguard towers all along this beach.
Currumbin Rock Pools
If you’re more of the adventurous family looking for some outdoor fun, this is the spot for you. With a variety of pool depths, rope swings, rock slides and ledges to jump off, this is a place for the wild at heart. It’s around a 15 minute drive from Currumbin Beach and has picnic tables, BBQs and grassy areas to play.
Theme Parks
- Dreamworld: From Wiggles World and the recently launched ABC World for the littlies, Dreamworks hub for the primary kids and the BIG 9 thrill seeking rides for the older kids everyone will find fun at Dreamworld.
- Movie World: With a mix of fantastic rides and action packed shows, your kids will love meeting their favourite movie characters at Movie World.
- Wet n Wild: If water parks are what your kids love then Wet’n’Wild is for you.
- Sea World: If your children love animals then they won’t be disappointed with a trip to Sea World. It’s a great mixture of rides and live animals shows and is great for kids of all ages.
Accommodation
There are a few resorts on the Gold Coast which are fantastic for a family holiday which I would recommend.
Turtle Beach Resort: This resort has four outdoor pools and its own water park. It’s definitely worth checking out for your next family holiday.
Sea World Nara Resort: The good thing about staying at this resort is they do some great packages that include unlimited entry into the Sea World theme park. Is this offer available on Expedia? Are there any other reasons? Good pool??
Paradise Resort Gold Coast: Our family has stayed here a number of times over the past year. It has a pretty amazing water park in the middle of the resort, an onsite skating rink, rocking climbing wall, laser tag and FREE kids club.
QT Gold Coast: This hotel is more for the parents but I couldn’t recommend places to stay on the Gold Coast without mentioning the QT Gold Coast. Hubby and I have stayed here twice (without the kids woohoo) and it’s one of my favourite places to stay. The dinner buffet is to die for.
So they are my hot tips for where to stay and what to do with your family when holidaying on the Gold Coast.
This post was originally written and posted on the Expedia Blog here …
