Must-see attractions in Gold Coast

Burleigh Head is known to the local Kombumerri clan of the Yugambeh people as Jellurgal, who trace its formation to a creation spirit called Jabreen. As…

Hugging the water's edge on the Southport side of the Broadwater estuary, this large park features free barbecues, beach volleyball, a swimming pontoon,…

A 27-sq-km national park, Springbrook is an ancient volcanic landscape with a 900m-high plateau cut through with gorges and a few even loftier outcrops…

The 200-sq-km Lamington National Park is a Unesco World Heritage Site with more than 160km of walking trails. This is a wonderful place for bushwalking,…

This nicely restrained, old-style operation includes Australia’s biggest rainforest aviary, where you can hand-feed a technicolour blur of rainbow…

The headland of Point Danger marks the border between Queensland and New South Wales. There are amazing views from here both ways along the coast, and you…

Just off Springbrook Rd, the feathery Purling Brook Falls drops a rather astonishing 106m into the rainforest: worth braving the vertigo-inducing lookout.

Queensland’s oldest national park comprises 13 sections stretching across an 8km plateau. Pick up a map at the information centre in North Tamborine for…

This Aboriginal cultural centre at the base of Burleigh Head (Jellurgal) showcases a collection of artefacts and artwork, and offers a variety of cultural…

For an eagle-eye view of the coast and hinterland, zip up to this 230m-high observation deck near the top of Q1; at 322m, it's the world's tallest…

Opened by the naturalist who first succeeded in breeding platypuses and wedge-tailed eagles, this wildlife park has enclosures housing koalas, cassowaries…

A hawker-style street market in a previously abandoned warehouse strewn with fairy lights, this lively space has food, fashion, art and live music. Work…

True to its name, the Best of All Lookout offers phenomenal views from the southern edge of the Springbrook Plateau to the lowlands below. The 300m trail…

At the end of Springbrook Rd, there’s a superb lookout beside the 60m Goomoolahra Falls, giving views across the plateau and all the way back to the coast…

The scenic Natural Bridge, off the Nerang–Murwillumbah road, has a 1km paved walking circuit leading to a huge rock arch spanning a water-formed cave –…

Canyon Lookout affords jagged views through the valley all the way to Surfers Paradise.

A contemporary art space in a small back-street converted warehouse, 19 Karen has group shows and exhibits emerging local talent and international artists…

This long-running market highlights local designers, makers and collectors, with fashion and lifestyle stalls, lots of live music and a strong local…

Australia's biggest theme park has stomach-churning thrill rides (with names like The Giant Drop and The Claw), whiz-bang multi-sensory rides (such as the…

This is the place to head if you're interested in Australia's surfing culture. Check out the evolution of surfboards from 1915 to present day, with over…