Things to Do: Gold Coast & Brisbane

[Guest jorose]

Hi all

 

Looking for ideas of things to do & places to see/visit, restaurant recommendations etc. on a trip to the Gold Coast & Brisbane. We have no kids and definitely aren't interested in Theme Parks. Also, how good is public transport or is it better to hire a car?

 

Hope you well travelled expats can help.

 

Jo.

[Guest Bonnydoon7]

Hi, one thing I would say and that is DO visit the theme parks... they are wonderful fun and not just for kids. I played on the waterslides at Dreamworld, rode on gravity defying VERY scary rollercoasters, laughed myself silly on the logride at Seaworld and played 'catch the seashell' with a dolphin, had the pants scared off me on the Batman Ride (not literally of course) at Movieworld, and many more happy experiences and that was some years ago. There have been lots more things added over the last few years. You could easily laugh for days at these excellent parks and enjoy heart-thumping fun you haven't had since you were a kid.

[Guest jorose]

Yeah, definitely not into rides; projectile vomiting isn't a good look

[Guest Bonnydoon7]

PS They have a bus running up and down the main highway linking all the different areas of the Gold Coast, very cheap fares.

We sometimes hire a car but public transport is easy and cheap, generally the weather is nice even if it is raining, and you will soon dry out if you do get wet. I've never experienced it to be cold and windy, just beautiful or rainy, sometimes very very rainy, and we've spent a lot of time on holidays there. They do have storms and you definitely stay indoors when an electrical storm visits - scary, and they do get bad weather sometimes, I've just never experienced it.

[Guest Bonnydoon7]

Lots of things to do at the parks that don't fling you around fast.....

[Mr Technical]

Lots of things to do at the parks that don't fling you around fast.....

 

 

Just out of curiosity Bonnydoon7 - are you going to Bonnydoon as in The Castle????? If you don't know what I am talking about this will be a very strange message.

[Guest sithewindows]

We went last Easter and hired some bikes in the park, we rode for a few miles along the river then got on a river taxi to get back.

[Guest Bonnydoon7]

Just out of curiosity Bonnydoon7 - are you going to Bonnydoon as in The Castle????? If you don't know what I am talking about this will be a very strange message.

 

EXACTLY!! YES!! You get a gold star because you are the only person who has realised it! I think the film is an absolute classic and have seen it so many times I know it off by heart... do you like it? I love the way they love each other and are so satisfied with their lives and think we'd all be a lot better off if we took a leaf out of their book. Another classic Aussie film is "The Dish" - have you seen that? And also "Danny Deckchair" and "Strictly Ballroom" are great films. Aussie humour takes after British humour with its oblique and dry style, very enjoyable.

[Guest Bonnydoon7]

We went last Easter and hired some bikes in the park, we rode for a few miles along the river then got on a river taxi to get back.

There's also an amphibious vehicle called the Aquaduck that you can catch on land and then it floats away along the broadwater. Looks like fun - looks like a duck too.

[Mr Technical]

EXACTLY!! YES!! You get a gold star because you are the only person who has realised it! I think the film is an absolute classic and have seen it so many times I know it off by heart... do you like it? I love the way they love each other and are so satisfied with their lives and think we'd all be a lot better off if we took a leaf out of their book. Another classic Aussie film is "The Dish" - have you seen that? And also "Danny Deckchair" and "Strictly Ballroom" are great films. Aussie humour takes after British humour with its oblique and dry style, very enjoyable.

 

"we're going to BonnyDoon, we're going to BonnyDoon" we love it, so much we visited BonnyDoon just so we could sing "we're going to BonnyDoon". When my in-laws came over on holiday they went to BonnyDoon as well and actually stayed there and the rumour was the bloke that ran the caravan park had killed his wife and put her down a mine shaft!!!! They had an interesting time!!!!!!!!

 

Seen The Dish another classic and Strictly and we love Muriels Wedding. We have not seen Danny Deckchair, so we will watch that now.

[jim and adel]

Without kids I'd rather go to Brisbane than the GC, but then without kids I'd give both a miss and go to the Sunshine Coast! Plenty of decent restaurants in Brisbane, and a good city to explore. Train links are good, too. GC, I'd stick to north or south of Surfer's and avoid the bit in the middle (Surfer's itself, which is just too tacky). South - Around Burleigh Head is nice, with good restaurants. North - kick back on Tedder Avenue in North Beach and chill.

 

For a trip out (accessible from Brisbane or the GC), the hinterland is great to explore - plenty to do and see at Tamborine Mountain.

 

Jim

[Keith & Linda]

EXACTLY!! YES!! You get a gold star because you are the only person who has realised it! I think the film is an absolute classic and have seen it so many times I know it off by heart... do you like it? I love the way they love each other and are so satisfied with their lives and think we'd all be a lot better off if we took a leaf out of their book. Another classic Aussie film is "The Dish" - have you seen that? And also "Danny Deckchair" and "Strictly Ballroom" are great films. Aussie humour takes after British humour with its oblique and dry style, very enjoyable.

 

Dont forget 'Kenny' the dunny man!

[Admin]

Well worth a drive up to http://www.oreillys.com.au/

[Keith & Linda]

Hi all

 

Looking for ideas of things to do & places to see/visit, restaurant recommendations etc. on a trip to the Gold Coast & Brisbane. We have no kids and definitely aren't interested in Theme Parks. Also, how good is public transport or is it better to hire a car?

 

Hope you well travelled expats can help.

 

Jo.

 

Hi Jo I live in Brisbane, and at present working in Adelaide. My wife and I very regulary go down the Gold Coast on a Sunday arvo for a walk on the beach's there, whilst Surfers Paradise is a so called must see! been there done that destination, there are plenty of other things to see and do, and we also show our overseas visiters when the come. Our favouite spot is Currumbin both the river and beach which has a great Life saving club right on the beach with half decent food, but most of the Surf clubs are good destinations for reasonable food. Inland from Surfers you have Mount Tamborine, which is a little like Hahndorf. Whale watching season is on at present this can be done form the Gold Coast (sea world) or from Redcliffe north of Brisbane (our preferred ). In Brisbane you can catch a city cat ferry cheapest way to tour the river, and you can get on/off at several spots, southbank and City botanical gardens for example, there is also a small free city ferry covering a smaller section of the river. You can go north to Australia zoo of Steve Irwin fame, then onto Montville (another Hahndorfy place) and onto the sunshine coast.

With all the above and more, I think a car would be the better option. should you wish to ask me any further questions then you can always PM me.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

Keith

[kevinr]

Hi Jo

as fellow mancunians who have been to the Gold Coast a few times as my wife's sister lives there can I suggest that you take a boat ride up the tweed river. You can hire a bar b boat bring your own food and if you want to fish and catch your own you can. You sail up the river and can watch the dolphins. Transport is good and the bus cheap. There is a train that runs from Brisbane airport along the Gold Coast to Robina which takes about 90 mins. Kirra beach is very nice as is the surfers club where you can sit watching the surfers on the waves whilst eating good food

hope you enjoy it

[Guest shella_n]

We lived on the Gold Coast for a few months.... I would definitely recommend Tambourine Mountain _- it's beautiful up there.

 

You can also do the Skywalk ( or whatever it's called) where you walk up the roof of the tallest building ( their equivalent of walking over the harbour bridge) would be great views up there.

 

Do not bother with the London eye type thing - it's crappe.

 

Kirra beach is lovely and the skydivers land there if you fancy having a go at that.

[Guest jorose]

Thanks you so much for your replies so far.

[emmie]

Allowing a person to combine a love of the water, national parks and wildlife makes kayaking the perfect hobby, social activity or sport for all who have an affinity with nature and water.

 

Allowing a bird to fly free uncaged makes the world less hostile for the bird, and it's environs benefit from the perfect synchronicity of wing span and velocity.

[Keith & Linda]

Allowing a bird to fly free uncaged makes the world less hostile for the bird, and it's environs benefit from the perfect synchronicity of wing span and velocity.

 

Does that mean it can crap on your head and get away with it?