Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Gold Coast (Australia). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Jet Rescue, and Polar Bear Shores. Also, be sure to include Southport Broadwater Parklands in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Gold Coast (Queensland).
Table of Contents
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
Sports venue in Broadbeach, Australia. The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre is located on the Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The venue was opened on 29 June 2004 at a cost of A$167 million and is linked by a covered walkway to The Star Gold Coast. Managed by the Star Entertainment Group, the Centre caters for 10 to 6,000 people.
Situated in Broadbeach, the GCCEC is within walking distance to tourism hotspots, five-star accommodation, shopping facilities and public transport.[1]
Address: 2684-2690 Gold Coast Highway, 4218 Broadbeach
Jet Rescue
Roller coaster. Jet Rescue is a steel launched jet ski roller coaster made by Intamin that opened on 26 December 2008 at Sea World on the Gold Coast, Australia. The ride has a very twisted and banked layout with several fast directional changes. Unlike other family launch roller coasters, Jet Rescue features two launches. The ride features a unique jet ski style of seating with lap bar restraints. The ride is based upon Sea World's Research and Rescue Foundation performing the rescue of a sea lion.[2]
Address: Sea World, 4217 Main Beach
Polar Bear Shores
Polar Bear Shores is a polar bear exhibit at the Sea World theme park on the Gold Coast, Australia. As of 2017, the exhibit features three polar bear[3]
Address: Sea World, 4217 Main Beach
Southport Broadwater Parklands
Park in Southport, Australia. The Southport Broadwater Parklands is a large community park located in Southport. It is designed for large community gatherings and families. The park has many different areas for children and barbecue areas for families. The park went through a major redevelopment and was re-opened by the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, on 23 August 2009. Southport Broadwater Parklands has become a popular family attraction.[4]
Circle on Cavill
Apartment complex. Circle on Cavill is a $551 million commercial development with two residential towers built by the Sunland Group and positioned in a key city block in the heart of the Surfers Paradise CBD, neighbouring with Towers of Chevron Renaissance shopping mall and resort apartment complex. Circle on Cavill is bounded by the main Surfers Paradise Boulevard at the western end of Cavill Mall and river end of Cavill Avenue, between the Gold Coast Highway and Ferny Avenue, in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
The street address for the Circle on Cavill residential apartments is 9 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise. The South Tower was completed around March 2007 and the North Tower was completed around July 2007. Both towers are joined on level 4 lounge which takes in the view of the Nerang River. The tallest point of the north tower is approximately 220 m and reflects a recent trend to building upwards in Surfers' skyline, also reflected in the construction of Q1 and Soul.[5]
Point Danger
Lighthouse in Tweed Heads, Australia. Point Danger Light, also known as the Captain Cook Memorial Light, is an active lighthouse located on Point Danger, a headland between Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, marking the border between Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. It lays claim to be the first lighthouse in the world to experiment with laser as a light source.[6]
Address: Tweed Terrace, 4225 Coolangatta
Metricon Stadium
Stadium in Carrara, Australia. Carrara Stadium is a stadium on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.
The stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football, serving as the home ground of the Gold Coast Suns, who compete in the Australian Football League. In addition, the venue is used occasionally for cricket, including Big Bash League matches. Carrara Stadium received substantial redevelopment work prior to the entry of the Brisbane Bears to the VFL/AFL in 1987, but following the Bears relocation to the Gabba in 1993, it was used for other sports including rugby league, rugby union and even baseball. The stadium has hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games as well as the athletics competitions. The venue would host Cricket for the 2032 Summer Olympics if Cricket is approved by the International Olympic Committee.[7]
Address: Nerang - Broadbeach Road, 4211 Carrara
Cbus Super Stadium
Stadium in Robina, Australia. Robina Stadium, also known by its sponsored name Cbus Super Stadium, is a rectangular football stadium in the Gold Coast suburb of Robina, Queensland. The main usage is as the home ground to the National Rugby League's Gold Coast Titans; this venue sometimes hosts the A-League team Brisbane Roar FC.
Robina Stadium is also used for Rugby Union, Soccer, Rugby Sevens, Rugby league Test Matches and has hosted Rugby league World Cup matches.
Construction of the venue started in 2006, and finished in February 2008, in time for the 2008 National Rugby League season, when it became the new home of the Titans.
The venue will be used for the 2032 Summer Olympics and will host preliminary Football.[8]
Address: Stadium Drive, Gold Coast
The Star Gold Coast
Casino in Broadbeach, Australia. The Star Gold Coast is a casino and hotel located in the suburb of Broadbeach on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The casino, which was Queensland's first, is situated next to the Nerang River and is operated by Star Entertainment Group. It opened in November 1985 as Conrad Jupiters. In 2017 it was rebranded as The Star, Gold Coast.
One per cent of the casino's gross gaming revenue is deposited in the Gambling Community Benefit Fund. This fund was established in 1987, supports non-profit community-based groups and is administered by the Government of Queensland.
The seven acre complex includes eight bars, seven restaurants, conference facilities, a ballroom, theatre, health spa and gym. The hotel, with 592 rooms, stands 66 metres (216 feet) and has 21 floors. The complex is governed under the Jupiters Casino Agreement Act.[9]
Address: Gold Coast, Broadbeach Island, Broadbeach
Q1 Building
Skyscraper in Surfers Paradise, Australia. Q1 Tower is a 322.5-metre supertall skyscraper in Queensland, Australia. The residential tower on the Gold Coast was the world's tallest residential building from 2005 to 2011. As of March 2022 it is the thirteenth-tallest residential tower in the world, the tallest building in Australia, the second tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, and the third-tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, behind the Autograph Tower in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand. The Q1 officially opened in November 2005.
The landmark building was recognised as one of Queensland's icons during the state's 150th-birthday celebrations.[10]
Address: Q1 Resort & Spa, 4217 Surfers Paradise
Sundale Bridge
Bridge in Southport, Australia. The Sundale Bridge is a bridge located in the Gold Coast region of South East, Queensland, Australia. Officially known as the Gold Coast Bridge, but locally referred to as the Sundale Bridge due to its proximity to the site of the former Sundale Shopping Centre, the bridge spans the Nerang River linking the suburbs of Southport and Main Beach. Opened initially in 1966, the bridge replaced the Jubilee Bridge, and comprises four separate decks and pier structures built at various stages and for a variety of purposes.[11]
Address: Gold Coast Hwy., 4215 Southport
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium
Top attraction, Museum, Specialty museum, History museum, Sculpture
Address: Cavill Mall, 4217 Surfers Paradise
Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens
Botanical garden in Benowa, Australia. The Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens, formerly known as the Rosser Park Regional Botanic Gardens, and before that simply Rosser Park, are located on Ashmore Road, Benowa, Gold Coast, Australia. The south-west boundary of the park extends down to the Nerang River, the Royal Pines Resort Golf Course runs all along the northern boundary and Benowa Waters residential area is located to the south.
The gardens have a large variety of plants, including raised vegetable, fruit and herb gardens. These gardens contain a variety of vegetables such as tomatoes and chilis. This creates a centre of learning for all children and adults and makes it possible for one to see how easy it is to grow these vegetables.[12]
Sundale Apartments
Tower. Sundale Apartments is a 55-storey tower in Southport, Australia, occupied by Meriton Suites and privately owned apartments. The building is one of the tallest on the Gold Coast and is the tallest in the Southport area. It is located in the Meriton Retail Precinct Sundale Southport and trades as Meriton Suites Southport.
It was built by the billionaire developer Harry Triguboff for $400 million, with the first units going to market in 2014.[13]
Nerang
Town in Australia. Nerang is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Nerang had a population of 16,864 people.[14]
Gold Coast/Surfers Paradise
Town in Australia. Surfers Paradise is a coastal town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Surfers Paradise had a population of 23,689 people.
Colloquially known as "Surfers", the suburb has many high-rise apartment buildings and a wide surf beach. The feature of the heart of the suburb is Cavill Mall, which runs through the shopping and entertainment precinct. Cavill Avenue, named after Jim Cavill, an early hotel owner, is one of the busiest shopping strips in Queensland, and the centre of activity for night life. One of the features of the area is the Surfers Paradise Meter Maids designed to build goodwill with tourists.
Surfers Paradise is the Gold Coast's entertainment and tourism centre and the suburb's high-rise buildings are the best known feature of the city's skyline.
In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, Surfers Paradise was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "location".[15]
Mudgeeraba
Town in Australia. Mudgeeraba is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the suburb of Mudgeeraba had a population of 13,624 people.
Mudgeeraba's essential character remains one of a nineteenth-century village, and contains important evidence of its earlier form and building. Most older houses are situated on large blocks of 0.5 acres (2,000 m2) to 2 acres (8,100 m2), alongside much larger farming properties situated in the area.[16]
Gold Coast/Tweed Heads
Town in Australia. Tweed Heads is a town in New South Wales. It is located on the Tweed River in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia, in Tweed Shire, next to the border with Queensland and adjacent to its "twin town" of Coolangatta, which is a suburb of the Gold Coast. It is often referred to as a town where people can change time zones – even celebrate New Year twice within an hour – simply by crossing the street, due to its proximity to the Queensland border, and the fact that New South Wales observes daylight saving whereas Queensland does not.[17]
Reedy Creek Baptist Church
Astronomical observatory. Reedy Creek Observatory is an astronomical observatory the location for observations of near-Earth objects by John Broughton, an Australian amateur astronomer.
The observatory is located in Reedy Creek, a suburb of Gold Coast, Queensland, at 66 metres (217 ft) above sea level.[18]
Address: 10 Gemvale Rd, Gold Coast
Carrara Markets
Market, Shopping, Flea market, Farmer's market
Address: Gooding Drive, 4211 Carrara