Gold Coast theme parks & adventures
The Gold Coast's famous theme parks (Dreamworld, Wet'n'Wild, Movie World, and WhiteWater World) are guaranteed to please the young and young at heart with some of the tallest, fastest, biggest and scariest rides in the world. But it's not just about adrenaline-pumping spills and thrills with Gold Coast attractions. You can also find long-lasting fun, like kayaking trips, treetop zip-lining, water bike snorkelling tours and stage shows.
Dreamworld
Since opening in 1981, Dreamworld, has expanded to include Tiger Island, where visitors can eyeball the world's most fearsome predator; Main Street, which features wacky interactive shows; and the LEGO Store, which offers one of the largest ranges of the coloured bricks in Australia. However, the main attractions are the thrill rides - The Claw, Buzz Saw, The Gold Coaster and the infamous Giant Drop.
Movie World
Hollywood comes to the Gold Coast at Australia's only movie-related theme park, Warner Bros Movie World. Get out of your comfort zone on movie-themed rides like The Superman Escape, Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster Next Generation and the electrifying DC Rivals HyperCoaster, which is the longest, fastest and tallest hypercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere, reaching speeds of up to 115km an hour. These rides, and the costumed entertainers such as Bugs Bunny and Batman, sit alongside working movies studios where you can take a peek at how the movie maestros work their special effects magic.
Wet'n'Wild
The name says it all - Wet'n'Wild, also known as Wet and Wild. Beat the heat at this watery theme park where you can spend the day lazily floating through tropical gardens, shooting down slides at 60km an hour or washing about in a giant wave pool. Wet'n'Wild Junior will keep the kids entertained with kid friendly water slides and a multi-level interactive play structure, while adrenaline junkies will be satisfied with the 360-degree coils and 30-metre drops. The pools are heated in winter months, making this a year-round pick for Gold Coast activities.
Fun in the forest
Named after the Aboriginal word for the wild lime trees that grow there, Mount Tamborine is a must for nature and adventure lovers. At the TreeTop Challenge you can zip-line through a landscape that looks much the same as it did when dinosaurs roamed the planet. Once you've had enough adrenaline-pumping activity, head to the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, a leisurely 1.5km tree top walk that allows you to explore the stunning upper rainforest canopy via 300m of high-tech steel bridges and forest floor trails.
If you don't want to drive all the way to Mount Tamborine to play in the trees, there's also a treetop challenge at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the top Gold Coast tourist attractions that's right in the city.
A theatrical Australia attraction
Australian Outback Spectacular embraces all things Australian with an Australian dinner and show package featuring Aussie animals, live outback music and a hearty 3-course meal. You'll find this experience between Movie World and Wet'n'Wild Water World at Oxenford on the Gold Coast. 'Heartland' tells the story of two Aussie battlers, Reg and Marge, who are forging a life on the unforgiving land. A three-course dinner is part of the deal.
On-the-water adventures
Get up close and personal with the beautiful ocean along the Gold Coast on the Stradbroke Island kayak and snorkelling tour. Start your adventure from the iconic Broadwater, then it's paddling all the way to Wave Break Island and South Stradbroke Island for snorkelling and beachcombing. There's a good chance of seeing wild dolphins, turtles, stingrays and sea eagles. In winter and spring, humpback whales can also be spotted.
Another ocean-going option is a water bike snorkelling tour. Water bikes are fascinating contraptions that allow you to cycle across the water on twin hulls to Wave Break Island's reef. More than 450 fish species like to hang out here, so the snorkelling is sensational.
Other water-based activities on the Gold Coast include jet boat rides, jet ski hire and parasailing. And of course there's also the option to see the ocean from the sky with a tandem skydive. Indoor skydiving is also a thing on the Gold Coast; it'll give you the thrills of a real sky dive, but without the altitude.