ON WINGS, WHEELS AND WATER

Live life at full throttle on the Gold Coast, where the enormous range of gnarly action sports will have you flying in more ways than one

Aerial adventures
in the Gold Coast’s only Tiger
Moth bi-plane
Photo: Tiger Moth Open
Cockpit Joy RidesFrom flying like a bird in a hanglider to burning rubber like an ace racing driver and carving through white-capped waves with a high-speed jet boat, the Gold Coast pulls out all the stops when it comes to extreme sports. Blessed with a photogenic mix of surf, rainforests and sun-drenched climate, there’s no end to its offerings for the brave and the bold. We take a spin around the coast to bring you just the tip of the iceberg for the action adventure on offer.

Wings

If you’ve always wanted to stride onto the tarmac, aviation sunnies firmly in place as you prepare to make like a fighter pilot, then the Gold Coast’s only Tiger Moth can take you on the loop-de-loop ride of your life. Offering a stomach-churning routine of barrel rolls, stall turns, wing overs and spins down the coastline, offset by a leisurely cruise back up the coast, pilot Geoff Stillman has flipped his beloved bi-plane through its paces since 1978 for eight to 94-year-olds. He’ll even lend you the obligatory leather hat and goggles (AU$375 for 35 minutes).

Don’t forget to smile while tandem
sky-divingFor a sky diving experience like no other, take a jump – a big one. Gold Coast Helitours whisks you 3,000m above the Gold Coast’s beachfront in six minutes flat, before your instructor helps you climb onto the skip of the six-passenger helicopter. As the helicopter hovers, your instructor directs you to “let go of the frame” and for the next 40 seconds you freefall together. The sheer physical thrill of moving from a standing start to 260km/h in one drop is unparalleled (AU$399 per tandem skydive).

Hanggliding over the Canungra
Valley west of Tamborine Mountain
Photo: Cloud Base ProductionsOnce you’ve sky-dived, learn to soar like an eagle. When the thermal winds play fair, Coasties gather in droves on the western face of Tamborine Mountain to watch as tandem hanggliders take flying leaps into the great open valley space below. Cloud Base Productions’ instructor Jay Longden claims to take first-time gliders on an unforgettable, “almost spiritual”, journey into the sky (AU$185). “You never forget the feeling of flying like Superman with your arms out in front of you, as you lift off from the ground,” says Longden.

For a more leisurely flight, set your alarm for a pre-dawn start and fire the burners on a Balloon Aloft champagne breakfast joy ride (AU$295 for 60 minutes). Named “Best Of The Best” for Adventure Tourism in The Australian Travel and Tourism Awards 2006 and also 2007, Balloon Aloft is Australia’s oldest and largest ballooning company. Their flights take you over the coast, waterways and mountain hinterland for a dream start to the day.

Wheels

There are no speeding tickets at
Le MansIf you’d rather stay on solid ground, follow the petrol fumes to Le Mans Kart Racing. A few laps of its 700m circuit is a surefire way to enjoy some high-octane action (AU$50 for 10 laps). All laps are timed to .01 seconds and drivers who log a lap time of 53 seconds or better can drive in one of the track’s fastest karts, dubbed “Mean Machine”. The park even has regular podium presentations, which make the whole experience very Days of Thunder.

There are plenty of
rewards for the
mountain bikerFor two-wheeled action with growl power, hop on the back of a big burley Harley-Davidson. But it’s easy to get lost in the Gold Coast Hinterland, with its web of scenic back roads. So join an escorted ride with Wildfire Tours to Tamborine Mountain, 40 minutes’ ride from Surfers Paradise (AU$170 for two hours). This operator takes the steep route up the mountain’s southern side and riders are rewarded with uninterrupted 180-degree views of the coast.

Alternatively, make your legs provide the horse power and pedal through the pristine World Heritage-listed Nightcap National Park in northern New South Wales. Mountain Bike Tours’ cross-country guided tours depart Byron Bay (35 minutes’ drive south of the Gold Coast) for an action-packed day spent navigating gorges, downhill track sections and adventure trails in one of the most scenic, and ancient, rainforest settings in eastern Australia (AU$99 including lunch and equipment).

Water

Photo: Paradise Jet BoatingIf it’s early morning, head for the waves at the Gold Coast’s world-famous southern surf beaches. Burleigh Heads’ point pushes out near-perfect, 1.5-metre sets thick and fast. If this is your first time “hanging 10”, consider signing up for a beginners’ lesson with Godfathers of the Ocean (GOTO) surf school (AU$45 per adult lesson). Within two hours, most budding boarders are leaping to their feet and on their way to “shredder” status. GOTO head coach Michael “Munga” Barry, a former pro surfer, says there’s hope for us all. “We take students aged four and up, we even had a granny in her 80s a few weeks back.”

For those craving serious aquatic speed, a burl on a Paradise Jet Boating vessel, powered by a 440hp, 5.8-litre turbo-charged engine, should satisfy. These babies blast north from Main Beach to Sovereign Island with a delicately choregraphed dance of shallow water beach buzzing, “nose-offs”, fishtails, slides and 360-degree spins. It’s utterly terrifying, hold on and scream fun (AU$52 for a 30-minute ride).

If you’re after bicep-building, consider sea kayaking, which is all about upper body strength. The Gold Coast’s Broadwater and western South Stradbroke Island waters provide picturesque and protected water work-out settings. Splash Safaris depart Surfers Paradise most days for a five-hour kayaking, snorkelling and sand dune-hiking exploration, suitable for action buffs of all ages (AU$75 per adult).

Thousands of fish
swarm a scuba diver
off the beach at
Wave Break Island
Photo: Leisure DivingWrap up your holiday by getting really wet. The Gold Coast has a number of top-notch wreck and drift diving spots for certified scuba divers, but if your experience underwater is limited, it’s a good idea to try an introductory dive off Wave Break Island in the Broadwater, 4km north of Surfers Paradise. These fully-supervised dives let you experience breathing pure oxygen from a tank up to 11m underwater. You’ll go face-to-face with parrot fish, angel fish, bream, whiting, eels, even the occasional dolphin. Leisure Diving offers diving and snorkelling (introductory open water dives AU$99, snorkelling AU$35).

You’ve looped, jumped, glided, karted, biked, surfed, jetted, paddled and dived – now all you have to do is book your air ticket. Easy!

FIND IT

Tiger Moth Open Cockpit Joy Rides
Pimpama, tel: +61 (7) 5502 7855

Gold Coast Helitours’ Tandem Skydives
Marina Mirage Heliport, tel: +61 (7) 5591 8457

Cloud Base Productions
Canungra, tel: +61 (427) 876 095

Balloon Aloft
Carrara, tel: +61 (7) 5578 2244

Le Mans Kart Racing
Pimpama, tel: +61 (7) 5546 6566

Wildfire Tours
Robina, tel: +61 (7) 5559 4747

Mountain Bike Tours
Bangalow, tel: (freecall within Australia) 1800 122 504

Godfathers of the Ocean
Burleigh Heads, tel: +61 (7) 5593 5661

Paradise Jet Boating
Main Beach, tel: +61 (7) 5526 3190

Splash Safaris
Southport, tel: +61 (407) 741 748

Leisure Diving
Coomera, tel: +61 (7) 5529 9178