Best things to do in Gold Coast

Not to be confused with the SeaWorld chain in the United States, Australia's Sea World Theme Park offers a mix of massive marine animal exhibits, dazzling shows, and thrilling rides. See how dolphins care for their young at the Dolphin Nursery Pool, observe penguins on land and underwater at Penguin Encounter, and get up close with sharks at Shark Bay. Polar Bear Shores serves as Australia's only polar-bear exhibit, and Ray Reef contains over 100 rays for you to feed. The seal show has an engaging storyline with both seals and humans acting it out. The rides area includes both thrilling roller coasters such as Sea Viper and children's adventure areas like Beach Break Bay.

Hollywood's gotten a few silver-screen stars, such as Russell Crowe, from the Land Down Under. It makes sense then that the world's movie capital would have an Australian outpost. Standing as the country's only movie-related theme park, Warner Bros. Movie World provides movie-themed roller coasters, motion simulators, and river cruises. You can snap photos with celluloid heroes who roam the park, including Batman, Austin Powers, and Marilyn Monroe. The park even houses movie studios responsible for bringing Scooby Doo, Peter Pan, and other films to the big screen.

Sitting along the Brisbane River, South Bank Parklands sits in the heart of Brisbane. Towering over the park at 60 m (197 ft), the Wheel of Brisbane Ferris wheel offers you a panorama of the city and its surrounding. When your ride finishes, head to Streets Beach, a manmade beach spreading out over 2,000 sq m (21,500 sq ft) and containing a base of 4,000 cubic meters (5,200 cubic yards) of sand with another 70 tons brought in every summer. Here you can swim in chlorinated fresh water and relax under the shade of a palm tree. Other attractions include the traditionally designed Nepal Peace Pagoda and flowering bougainvillea on the 443 curling steel columns of The Arbour. Numerous restaurants and cafes offer dining options.

With a name like Surfers Paradise Beach, you know the waves here have to be pretty good. The town beach for the Gold Coast City suburb of Surfer's Paradise offers 3 km (1.85 mi) of golden sand. Give surfing a shot on the gentle breaks here or ride bigger waves if you're more experienced. This is also one of the most popular places for beach volleyball in Australia--join a social game if you're up for making some local friends. If you're here at night on Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday, shop for crafts and vintage items from more than 100 stalls at the free Beachfront Markets.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary and is home to over 100 koalas and 70 species of other Australian native animals. Established in 1927, the sanctuary offers guests the opportunity to get up close and personal with the wildlife in a natural, intimate setting. From koala holds to kangaroo feeding, free-flight raptor shows and sheepdog demonstrations, there is something for everyone.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is accredited by the Zoo and Aquarium Association for positive animal welfare. The health and wellbeing of the sanctuary’s animals are at the forefront of everything we do, along with our extensive research and conservation efforts.

Lone Pine is open every day from 9:00am to 5:00pm (1:30pm to 5:00pm on ANZAC Day) and is just 12kms from the Brisbane CBD.

Buy tickets online, simply visit www.lonepinekoalasanctuary.com/tickets

For daily schedules simply visit www.lonepinekoalasanctuary.com/whats-on/

For COVID-19 information visit www.lonepinekoalasanctuary.com/covid-19-information/

If you have any questions or need anything of us, please email us at service@koala.net

As Australia's largest theme park, Dreamworld offers over 40 rides--including five roller coasters--a mix of activities, and wildlife exhibits. Check out the Ocean Parade, DreamWorks Experience, and Gold Rush Country attractions. Take a giant plunge from the Tower of Terror II and scream aboard Buzzsaw, the highest inversion ride in the Southern Hemisphere. Enjoy Dreamworks' animations and surf aboard a stationary wave in the FlowRider pool. Wildlife areas contain more than 500 native animals plus Bengal and Sumatran tigers.

The Mount Coot-Tha Summit Lookout provides panoramic views of Brisbane and its environs. Bus tours often stop here, and you can easily reach the Lookout with Bus 471 from the city. Signs point out key landmarks to give you a lay of the land, and you can eat at either the cafe or restaurant should hunger strike.

For a bird's-eye view of the coast, go up to SkyPoint Observation Deck, located 230 m (750 ft) above ground. If you want to try something more daring, go for the SkyPoint Climb, which involves an open-air walk on the top of the iconic Q1 building and lasts 90 minutes.

Sheltered from strong winds, the northeast-facing Burleigh Heads Beach is considered the Gold Coast's premier spot for swimming, body boarding, and surfing. The beach is home to hundreds of native birds and is lined by Norfolk Island Pines, which are reputably the oldest planted trees on this coast. The beach offers a wide strip of white sand where you can spend the day relaxing in the sun as well as several green areas often used by locals for weekend games of cricket. This area is rarely crowded and has lifeguards on duty every day. Nearby is a small village, which includes several cafes and shops.

Come to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to feed Rainbow Lorikeets, a wildly colorful type of Australia parrot. Alex Griffiths originally founded the sanctuary in 1947 to prevent these birds from eating his flower plantation. Today, visitors provide twice-daily feeding to giant flocks of the free-flying parrots. Navigate on a Segway the rest of the 27 hectares (67 acres), where you can cuddle with koalas, hang out with kangaroos, and observe crocodiles and Tasmanian Devils.