Gold Coast Tourist Magazine Ed. 55

As the heat of the summer sun takes a break and the breeze gets a bit nippier, it’s time to embrace the allure of a new season and swap the sandy shores for some cozy adventures!

If you’re itching for a change of pace, why not tap into some local vibes? Go ahead, strike up a chat with a Gold Coast resident and unveil the hidden gems they hold dear. We, the connoisseurs of coastal culture, are thrilled to share our top spots because nobody knows the Gold Coast like we do. Curious about what to do? Take a peek at our website at insidegoldcoast.com.au

We’ve got the inside scoop on everything from must-try eateries to the coolest hangouts and the hottest events, we curate the ultimate guide to help you make the most of your coastal escapade.

So whether you’re craving a thrilling event or just keen on exploring a local haunt, we’ve got you covered! Your stay here is like music to our ears, so dive in, soak up the fun, and remember to always swi etween t e safety of t e fla s

Managing Editor: Carly King

Artwork: Filipa Scott

Sales: Jess Monro

Sarah Watkinson

07 5576 3044

sales@infomaps.com.au

Inside Gold Coast: Belinda Symons

Bianca Trathen

Kellie Leader

Jacqeline Bojanowski

Mathilde Bouby Adele Micheletti

Website: insidegoldcoast.com.au

Social Media: #insidegoldcoast

Front cover image: Destination Gold Coast

PACIFIC FAIR

SHOP GOLD COAST

FAIR

F R E E S H O PP I N G S H U T T L E

Available f or gues t s v isi t ing t he Gold Coas t and opera t es in a loop nor t h to S ea wor ld

Resor t and sou t h to B ur leigh H eads.

T he ser v ic e r uns dail y, 9am–5:30 pm.

S ee pac i fic f air.c om.au f or t imet able.

V I S I T O R P R IV I L E G E S P A S S

Collec t your c ompliment ar y V isi tor Pr i v ileges

Pas s f rom t he V isi tor Lounge to rec ei ve over 80 exc lusi ve ret ailer offers.

O P E N 7 D A Y S S hop ‘t il 6pm, dine ‘t il la t e. V isi tor Lounge w i t h luggage loc kers, s hower f ac ili t ies and pra yer room. Free W i Fi a vailable.

AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST SHOPPING CENTRE

Your Outlet for entertainment, eats and over 200 popular international and iconic Australian stores

o ering up to 70% o every day!

Open Daily: Mon – Sat 9am – 5:30pm Thurs 9am – 7pm, Sun 10am – 5pm

Harbour Town Eats dine ‘til late

OUTLET

15 minutes

Just north of Surfers Paradise

Complimentary Harbour Town Tourist Shuttle service daily

HARBOURTOWNGOLDCOAST.COM.AU

Village Roadshow Theme Parks

Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Conditions apply. Book online or phone using code TMAG10. Valid for VIP or Cabaret tickets Tues –Fri. Present Voucher

30 The Shooting Centre

31 Putt Putt Golf Mermaid Beach

32 iFly Barefoot Fish

33 Slideways Go Karting Centres

The activities on the Gold Coast bring smiles to people of all ages and stages. With exhilarating rides, exotic animals and endless waterslides to help you cool off on hot summer days, your Gold Coast holiday offers a full spectrum of interactive entertainment –from dazzling big budget Gold Coast theme parks to small, hilariously kitsch museums.

Discover something new from pure, adrenalin-packed fun to natural indulgence, the contrasts of the Gold Coast unite to deliver every holiday experience you could desire.

We all love theme parks and sunny beaches, but many people forget about all of the other activities that makes the Gold Coast such a well-rounded and varied holiday destination.

Today, underrated Gold Coast attractions such as winery tours, walking trails, island adventures and mountain drives are just as popular as

theme parks and beaches.

www.quackrduck.net.au

cruising & watersports

2 Jet Ski Safaris

34 Quack’R Duck

35 GC Jet Boat & Parasail

36 Aquaduck

Arro Jet Boating

37 Spirit of Gold Coast Cruises

38 Hop On Hop O Ferry

39 Surfers Paradise River Cruises

The vast range of waterways makes the city a haven of fun filled pursuits wit ood ti es assured a on the numerous aquatic attractions. e roadwater aters to e ery on water a ti ity i a ina le w ere t rill see ers an oose fro et oatin parasailin ite surfin di in or a et s i safari. n oy snor ellin ruisin or stand up paddle oardin for a ore rela ed pa e. ou will find oat ra ps and fis in platfor s in ost su ur s waterfront par s and ar e ue areas to en oy wit t e fa ily. o not iss t e wal in tra s alon ost ea es and waterways to ta e in t e eautiful s enery of t e old oast.

• See homes of the rich and famous

• Fun facts commentary

• Casual 1.5 hour river and canal cruising

• Dolphin spotting

• All cruises include complimentary nibbles

• Fully licenced bar on board

• Sundeck balcony seating

• Inside covered seating

• Spectacular sunset cruises

• City lights cruises

BEST VALUE RIVER CRUISE ON THE GOLD COAST MORNING CRUISE: 10.30am to 12.00pm CITY

2.00pm to 3.30pm

whale watching

41 Spirit of Gold Coast

43 Kokomo Cruises

Four fun facts about whale migration

1 u p a s tra el to t e war er waters in t e a ifi to breed and give birth.

2Humpback whales migrate up to 10,000km, one of the longest migratory journeys of any mammal.

3 Whales can often be seen teaching their newborn babies the art of breeching (jumping from the water).

4 One theory says whales breech to communicate long distances, others say it is to ward off prey and some say it’s simply a playful gesture between friends. We’ll let you decide!

Gold Coast Whale Watching Guide

Whale watching is an iconic experience on the Gold Coast and you should absolutely hop aboard a tour and head out to see these incredible creatures up close in their natural environment.

To see them frolicking, breaching and blowing is an exhilarating experience that will stay with you long after you set foot on land again. An estimated 35,000 whales embark on their migration through the Gold Coast each year. That’s a lot of whales, which is a wonderful thing.

These incredible creatures have made their way back from the brink of extinction to become a global conservation success story – so much so that they are no longer considered a threatened species.

With population numbers increasing each year, there’s a lot of a uati traffi alon t e u p a i way w i a es for marvellous whale watching.

NATURAL WONDER

It’s hard to comprehend the size of these massive mammals until you see them up close. Some of the largest humpbacks reach sizes of up to 16m long and weigh over 30 tonnes (that’s the same as 11 elephants!). They can live up to 90 years old, which means some of the whales you see have been making this journey every year for decades.

A newborn calf is only about 4m long and on their migration south, mother humpbacks use the protected Gold Coast waters as a nursery to rest and play in. The calves are still learnin to swi and rea and wat in t e flop a out as they practice is sure to bring smiles.

An up close encounter with these sentient aquatic mammals on a whale watching tour is awe-inspiring, humbling and deeply moving – an experience you’ll never forget.

FAST COMMUTE

The Gold Coast is in such close proximity to the Humpback Highway that there’s very little travel time involved. Tours depart from numerous locations and you can be watching whales play within 20-30 minutes. This is great news for parents with little people impatient to see all the action. It also means you can go for an early morning whale watching tour and be back on land before lunch with the rest of your day to spend at your leisure, relaxing, shopping or exploring Gold Coast’s other attractions.

EXTENDED SEASON

The Gold Coast has the longest continuous whale watching season in ustralia stret in o er fi e w ole ont s and two school holidays from roughly late May to October. This means there’s ample opportunity to take a whale watching tour. The humpbacks’ migration is one of the longest journeys of any animal on the planet. They embark on a 5000km journey, leaving the icy waters of the Antarctic to head north up the east coast of Australia to the warmer waters of Queensland to mate and birth their young before making the return trip. At different times during the season, you’ll see different behaviours from the whales. Early in June, it’s mainly females with their calves from the previous year – these youngsters are exuberant and playful and love to show off with impressive surface displays. July and August is when large pods pass through and the sight of their spray and splashing out to sea are a common sight from Gold Coast beaches. Pregnant females slowly swim north and many adult males are around at this time, competing for attention from the lady whales (cue acrobatics!). September is when they start heading south again and towards the end of the season over October, there are lots of mothers with newborns – a truly magical sight to see.

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51 The Avenue

52

53

54

55 Labrador Australian Football Club

56 Gold Coast Tavern | Mermaid Beach Tavern

57 TGI Fridays

87 Starbucks

The Coast is a place where night bites, hatted restaurants, street-eats and breweries are all served with a side of alfres o. pla e w ere fi e star feastin eans dustin t e sand fro your feet w ere surfers swap t eir oards for a latte at sun up and little ones rea fro ea side froli s to feast on epi spreads of fis and ips. et er you find yourself a on t e ool rowd at o y Beach, or part of the social scene in Broadbeach or urfers aradise onsider yourself an a ai afi ionado a sausa e si ler or a offee onnoisseur not in says you e ad a ra er of a oliday uite li e ainin a little e tra paddin around t e iddle. on app tit

shopping & beauty

4 Pacific Fair

6 Harbour Town Premium Outlets

59 Australia Fair

60 Australia Fair Metro

61 The Oasis

62 Captain’s Candy

63 Bras in Paradise

64 Chevron Renaissance

65 DeBra’s

66 The Undercurrent

67 Tweed Mall

oppin on t e old oast refle ts t e ity s rela ed oastal lifestyle wit e le ti outi ues i end desi ners da lin s oppin entres and li ely ar ets dottin t e oastline.

e old oast as e o e a world lass s oppin and lifestyle destination.

i e i id flo s of e oti irds t e old oast fas ion set a e a loo t at is all t eir own. it ri t flowin a i dresses i sandals and air done up in asual top nots t eir perennial tans i e t e a su ptuous low of ealt .

oppin on t e old oast refle ts t is rela ed oastal lifestyle. ar ets outlet alls outi ues and i end desi ners all ater to t e lo al lo e of olour.

HOLID Y ESSENTIALS

Satisfy

P

YOU’RE SPOILT FOR CHOICE AT THE OASIS

Escape to The Oasis; a destination for food, fashion, fun and wellness.

There’s something for everyone with restaurants, bars and cafés. Plus a fully stocked Woolworths, Level Up Arcade, unique boutiques and an array of health and wellbeing offerings.

Escape to The Oasis for great food and family fun.

Open 7 days Visit our website for latest offers oasisshoppingcentre.com.au

GOLD COAST SHIRTS

Unique Gold Coast souvenir shirts designed by local artists.

hinterland

68 Queensland Wine Centre

Witches Falls Winery

The Polish Place

69 Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

70 Australian Outback Opals

71 Cedar Creek Glow Worms

73 Mountview Alpaca Farm

76 Pineapple Tours

Queensland Wine Centre

e ueensland ine entre is lo ated in the Gold Coast Hinterland tourist area of ount a orine. ro ides wine lo ers wit a great range of local Queensland wines.

Open 7 days – 10am to 4pm

104-144 Hartley Rd, Tamborine Mountain

07 5545 1666

cedarcreekestate.com.au

Witches Falls Winery

Crafting exceptional-quality wine is what we do best at Witches Falls. Discover Queensland’s finest wines at our stunnin a orine

Mountain Vineyard and Cellar Door.

Open daily from 10am

79 Main Western Rd, Tamborine Mountain

07 5545 2609

witchesfalls.com.au

transport & car hire

Hatchbacks, sedans, wagons, SUV’s and people movers

Over 35 years experience

Low insurance excess

Friendly, hassle free service

Usage from Noosa to Byron Bay

74 Surfers Rent A Car

75 Conxion

76 Pineapple Tours

77 Riide

A great way to explore the surrounding regions of the Gold Coast is to hire a car and discover it for yourself.

Baby seats, booster seats and GPS available

From rural Beenleigh in the north to picturesque Byron Bay in the south, west to the hinterland region and the famed Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach in between; the Gold Coast experience is much more than you expect. Just 40 minutes drive from Gold Coast beaches is a hinterland of subtropical rainforest, interspersed with mountain villages, bushwalks, waterfalls and swimming holes, plus valleys of working produce farms and cattle stations.

The World Heritage-listed Springbrook and Lamington National Parks, plus the extended township of Tamborine Mountain offer access to unmatched landscapes, roaming wildlife and an array of flora and fauna represent nature at its finest.

Sheraton

HOTA (Home of the Arts)

PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

The Star Gold Coast

LAKE INTREPID

LAKE WONDERLAND

LAKE HUGH MUNTZ

Home to the world’s largest natural crystals where you can sit in an ancient amethyst cave.

Home to the world’s largest natural crystals where you can sit in an ancient amethyst cave.

Wander the tranquil Shambhala Gardens adorned with sacred statues.

Wander the tranquil Shambhala Gardens adorned with sacred statues.

Enjoy breathtaking views, a delicious lunch and homemade desserts.

Enjoy breathtaking views, a delicious lunch and homemade desserts.

Discover the Jewel of Byron.

Discover the Jewel of Byron.

Open 7 days per week 10am—5pm (NSW time). No entry after 4pm.

Open 7 days per week 10am—5pm (NSW time). No entry after 4pm.

Only 40 mins from Gold Coast Airport at 81 Monet Drive, Mullumbimby

Only 40 mins from Gold Coast Airport at 81 Monet Drive, Mullumbimby

crystalcastle.com.au

crystalcastle.com.au