Discover the Gold Coast
Note: Before booking travel to Australia please check you meet all entry and transit requirements for your travel.
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.
About our flights to the Gold Coast
Air New Zealand offers non-stop flights to the Gold Coast from Auckland and seasonally from Christchurch. The flight time to Gold Coast from both Auckland and Christchurch is around three hours and 45 minutes. You can choose the way you fly on all our flights to Australia.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Air New Zealand - seven times Airline of the Year winner
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