Discover the Gold Coast

There's a lot more to the Gold Coast than Surfers Paradise. This sparkling stretch of Queensland serves up more variety than you'd ever think possible.

If Australian cities are siblings, then the Gold Coast is the adventurous youngest child - a mecca of adrenaline-fuelled experiences, world-class surf breaks and one of the largest shopping malls in the country, all wrapped around 70km of talcum-powder beaches. And because this chunk of southern Queensland enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year, there's ample opportunity to get outside and enjoy it.

Find out more about travelling to Australia during this time on our travel alerts page.

Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia.

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About our flights to the Gold Coast

Air New Zealand offers non-stop flights to the Gold Coast from Auckland and Christchurch. On all flights you have a choice of Seat, Seat + Bag, The Works and Works Deluxe fare types. The flight time to Gold Coast from both Auckland and Christchurch is around three hours and 45 minutes.

Beaches and water fun on the Gold Coast

Unsurprisingly, water is the fuel that powers tourism for Australia's sixth largest city. If you're a surfer, you'll want to check out famous surf spots like Burleigh Heads and Snapper Rocks, where the Quicksilver Pro Gold Coast is held each year. If you prefer to command a kayak, water bike or stand up paddle board, you'll enjoy the spectacular cobweb of canals (more than Venice and Amsterdam combined) that criss-cross five main rivers, as well as numerous creeks and lakes. More about beach culture.

Aerial view of Surfer's Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia.

Aerial view of sunny Surfer's Paradise

Theme parks and adventures

When you can drag yourself away from the water, the Gold Coast will literally take your breath away with its theme park rides, which range from white-knuckle experiences to educational fun.

Check out the Corroboree experience at Dreamworld, which brings to life the heritage, culture, wildlife and stories of the Aboriginal people, while excitement junkies should strap themselves in for the DC Rivals HyperCoaster at Movie World, the tallest, longest and fastest roller-coaster in the Southern Hemisphere. More about theme parks.

Woman running on beach with surfboard, Gold Coast, Australia.

Life's good - going for a surf

Eating and shopping

All that action will build up an appetite, but the Gold Coast will feed you in style. With access to some of Australia's freshest seafood and produce, local restaurants, cafes and street food markets excel at creating delicious dishes in every cuisine style.

And when you need to give the credit card a workout, the Gold Coast will come to the party with everything from high end stores and dazzling shopping centres to local markets which showcase local designers. More about city culture and shopping.

It may be famous for its sun-kissed beaches and hair-raising theme parks, but scratch the Gold Coast's surface and you'll find plenty of reasons to keep coming back.

Find the perfect place to stay

Paradise Resort Gold Coast

122 Ferny Avenue

fromNZD170.59

per night

Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel and Residences

6 Orchid Ave Surfers Paradise

fromNZD187.19

per night

See more like this

Keep exploring Gold Coast

Essential information

Best time to go

It's always a good time to visit the Gold Coast though you might want to avoid high summer if you don't like heat and humidity. Most travellers choose autumn, winter or spring.

How much will it cost?

This will depend on your tastes and what you want to do. As a rough guide, not including air travel and hotels, you should allow about AUD $150 to $200 a day per person for food and entertainment.