beach versus bush

Take the Gold Coast challenge and sample its twin beauties – Surfers Paradise and the hinterland

WORDS JOANNA HALL

Queensland’s

Gold Coast has something of a split personality – Surfers Paradise and the beaches to the east, and the forested hinterland rising quietly in its shadow out west.

Surfers is undeniably an iconic Australian holiday destination with attractions and an energetic style all its own. There are few places in the world where you can swim with dolphins, shop for designer clothes, go bungy jumping and swim on 40km of beautiful beaches – all before lunch.

But only a half hour’s drive inland lies a very different world. Instead of seaside excitement, the Gold Coast hinterland is all rugged mountain wilderness. You won’t find any queues or nightclubs; it’s a place to slow down and enjoy nature’s bounty.

Visitors in the know enjoy both sides of the Gold Coast’s geography – the beach, and the green behind the gold. All you need is a little time, and a list of the must-dos. We compare the two and try to pick a favourite.

The Coast

Surfers Paradise is entertainment HQ. If it’s happening at all, it’s happening here – and ’til late. The coast can provide something for everyone, from surfers and shopaholics, to kids and thrill-seekers.

Joel “Parko” Parkinson, Billabong Team Rider and pro surfer “The Gold Coast is the best place in the world to live. I travel for six months of the year, but when I’m home all I want to do is surf my local beach, go fishing and get behind my team, the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans!”

A major draw card for visitors to the coast is the surf, which is arguably the most consistent in the world. If you’re a newbie who wants to give surfing a go, or you just want to hire a board, head to the Cheyne Horan School of Surf. Lessons start from AU$40 and surfboard hire from AU$15 an hour.

The fearless can try plummeting 14 storeys through the air at the Gold Coast’s only bungy jump, right in the heart of Surfers, Bungy Australia, where prices start from AU$99. Or try “Zorbing” – rolling down a hill in a 3.5m wide padded bubble, from AU$23 per adult, AU$14 per child.

A morning surf and stroll is a
Surfers Paradise ritual

Another mind-blowing experience is Infinity. The first of its kind in the world, this new attraction will leave you reeling as you enter a maze of 20 multi-sensory worlds that buzz with effects, music and illusions, testing the boundaries of your imagination. This journey into virtual reality costs AU$23.90 for adults and AU$15.90 for children.

Less out-of-this-world but just as thrilling is swimming with the dolphins at Sea World. Book a Dolphin Aqua Adventure Program for AU$175 per person from 14 years of age, AU$95 for children aged five to 13 years.

For something more pedestrian, hit the shops. Shopaholics will rejoice – in Surfers, late night shopping happens every night of the year and ranges from high-end Elkhorn Avenue to bargains at Harbour Town Shopping Centre.

who can resist meeting a dolphin?
Photo: Courtesy of Sea World

After a hard day on your feet, a spa or salon treatment may be in order, and it’s hard to beat the Lattouf Aveda Spa at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa. A full service spa and beauty salon, you can indulge in anything from a pedicure to a therapeutic Vichy Shower.

When it comes to eating out, visitors to Surfers are spoilt for choice. Most of the action centres on Cavill Mall, where you’ll find everything from sandwich
the Gold Coast is one
long playgroundshops and Asian takeaways to stylish bistros and traditional Aussie tucker. For contemporary French-Australian cuisine, splash out on Absynthe. The tasting menu of at least six courses is an indulgent experience.

 

Afterwards, say good-bye to the coast by taking a ride up to the observation deck on levels 77 and 78 of the Q1 Building. Boasting the highest point above the Gold Coast, by day or at night, the unparalleled 360-degree view from the surf to the hinterland and beyond is the ultimate Kodak moment. AU$17.50 for adults and AU$10 for children (family tickets available).

The Country

 

Springbrook National Park’s Natural
Bridge Photo: Tourism QueenslandSpanning the length of the Gold Coast, the hinterland is dominated by stunning national parks and is a food-, wine- and nature-lover’s paradise.

Just 30 minutes from Surfers Paradise is Springbrook National Park, boasting hundreds of kilometres of walking trails, that make it the perfect place to swap four wheels for two feet. Sights include Purlingbrook Falls, the region’s longest single-drop waterfall, and Best of All Lookout, a place which lives up to its name with a panorama over the region. But top of the list is the Gold Coast’s most famous natural icon – Natural Bridge, a unique grotto where a sparkling waterfall plunges through the roof of a cave into a sun-dappled rainforest pool.

worm world at Cedar
Creek EstateIn contrast, Tamborine National Park is a haven for lovers of food and wine. A visit to just a handful of the region’s wineries confirms why this is one of the fastest growing wine regions in Australia. Most of the wineries are actually just “cellar doors” for grapes grown in the Granite Belt further west, but Witches Falls Winery is one of the few that makes wine on its premises, and is worth a tasting stop.

Another is Cedar Creek Estate, which also boasts its own glow worm cave. Take the insightful tour, led by a qualified entomologist (bug expert; AU$10 adults, AU$5 children).

No visit to Tamborine would be complete without sampling the local food. Witches Chase is an artisan cheese producer of camembert, washed rind feta and, unique to Queensland, blue cheese.

Another favourite spot with the locals is The Polish Place, which serves traditional Polish meals in a stunning garden setting with views to the Great Dividing Range.

For a special occasion, Queensland’s restaurant of the year 2006, Songbirds at the Forest, is a feast for the senses. Located in the rainforest near Tamborine Village, it has an idyllic setting and a menu of modern cuisine that draws on local produce.

And the vote? Come and see for yourself!

FIND IT:

Cheyne Horan School of Surf
Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, cnr Esplanade and Hanlan sts, Surfers Paradise, tel: 1800 227 873
Bungy Australia
16 Palm Ave, Surfers Paradise, tel: +61 (7) 5570 4833
Zorb Gold Coast
232 Old Pacific Hwy, Pimpama, tel: +61 (7) 5547 6300
Infinity
Chevron Renaissance Centre, cnr Surfers Paradise Blv and Elkhorn Ave, Surfers Paradise, tel: +61 (7) 5526 8935
Sea World
Sea World Drive, Main Beach, tel: +61 (7) 5588 2205
HarbourTown Shopping Centre
Cnr Gold Coast Hwy and Oxley Drv, Biggera Waters, tel: +61 (7) 5529 1734
Lattouf Aveda Spa
Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa 158 Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradise, tel: +61 (7) 5592 9800
Absynthe
Grd Flr, Q1 Building, Hamilton Ave, Surfers Paradise, tel: +61 (7) 5504 6466
Q1 Building
Hamilton Ave, Surfers Paradise, tel: +61 (7) 5630 4700
Witches Falls Winery
79 Main Western Rd, North Tamborine, tel: +61 (7) 5545 2609
Cedar Creek Estate
Cnr Long and Hartley Rd, North Tamborine, tel: +61 (7) 5545 1666
Witches Chase
93 Beacon Rd, North Tamborine, tel: +61 (7) 5545 1696
The Polish Place
333 Main Western Rd, Tamborine Mountain, tel: +61 (7) 5545 1603
Songbirds at the Forest
Tamborine Mountain Rd, tel: +61 (7) 5545 2563