Things to do

Most popular things to do on the Gold Coast

    
The Main Tourist Attractions
The Gold Coast is a dedicated tourist town and there's enough things to do to keep you occupied for months. It's not just mini-golf and wax museums either; take a tour of the river and canals in an aqua-bus, head up in a hot air balloon or learn to surf:

    

Theme Parks
The big four, which you've probably heard of, are Dreamworld, Sea World, Movie World and Wet'n'Wild, but there are quite a few more. Pat a koala, watch some outback horsemen and woman race around a stadium, mingle with the native birds:

    

FREE Stuff to do on the Gold Coast
There's the beach of course, they don't charge you to use that, in fact they don't even charge you to park on the waterfront anymore, but if you're looking for a budget holiday, there's plenty of stuff to do for free.

Other popular things to do on the Gold Coast

    
Bars, Cafes and Pubs
While there are some tacky, overpriced tourist cafes and bars, the half a million locals still need somewhere to go out for a coffee or beer, so if you head past the obvious tourist traps, you'll find some great places to hang out:

    

Bushwalking
The Gold Coast Hinterland is a magical, breath-taking place of great natural beauty. It's full of wildlife (mostly not deadly) and bushwalking is hugely popular all year around:

    

Registered Clubs
There's a surf club on every beachside corner, and a bowling club not far behind. Twin Towns and Seagulls are two of the biggest clubs in Australia, and every major suburb has it's own RSL. All of them have cheap meals and cheap booze:

    

Boat Cruises
With more canals than Venice, a gorgeous river and a broadwater that will take you all the way to Brisbane, getting around the Gold Coast on a boat is one of the nicest way to see things. Choose from a party cruise, intimate gondola or anything in between:

    

Scenic Drives
Winding through the hinterland are some of the most scenic drives in the country, and if you follow the beachside routes and coastal roads south to Byron Bay you'll discover the alure of the Northenr NSW coastline:

    
    
Major Events
For what is a relatively small city, the Gold Coast has a huge major events calendar, including: The ASP Surfing Titles; Lexmark Indy 300; Magic Millions horse racing carnival; Gold Coast Airport Marathon; Schoolies week celebrations and much more.

    

Golf Courses
The Gold Coast has more golf courses per head of population than anywhere else in the world. No matter what your handicap, or budget, you'll find somewhere to have a round:

    

Fishing
The continental shelf isn't far of shore and there are hundreds of creeks, estuaries, lakes and rivers to throw a line in, so if you can't catch something on the Gold Coast, you've probably lost your hook:

    

The Live Music Scene
It's not Melbourne, or Brisbane, but the Coast is home to some fantastic local talent and there are more live music venues out there than most people realise, check out The Chophouse, Soundlounge and Shark Bar and hear the new breed:

    

Nightclubs
From world-class dance venues with guest superstar DJs, to the downright seedy joints with suspicious-looking patrons, the Gold Coast has more square metres of dance floor per capita than anywhere in the world:

    

Pamper Yourself
Paris Hilton loves the place, arabian royalty regularly vists, and there are enough rich citizens to support some of the best day spa and pampering facilities in the world:

    

Restaurants
The Japanese and Korean influences are strongly represented in Gold Coast food culture, but there is award-winning cuisine in just about every flavour on the planet. Try Tedder Avenue or the beach at Burleigh Heads for the best eats:

    

Scenic Flights
You don't need wings to get a birds-eye view of the Coast - a helicopter will do just fine. All sorts of flying craft will take you up, up and away at almost any time of day and prices are pretty competitive:

    

Scooter Hire
Locals hate them, but scooters are one of the best ways to get around downtown. You only need a car licence, and if you're lucky, Audrey Hepburn will jump on the back with you:

    

Scuba Diving
Moreton Bay is a world-renowned scuba diving area with an abundance of coral reefs and wildlife, including the rare dugong, dolphins galore, wrecks and enough colourful fish to stock albums of underwater photography:

    

Surfing
Strange then that the worst surfing beach on the Gold Coast is called 'Surfers Paradise' - head north or south and you'll immediately run into some of the best, most consistent waves in the country, but if you're just learning, Surfers Paradise is ideal:

More Things to on the Gold Coast from WotToDo.com.au