Fun-filled Gold Coast experiences that will entertain the whole family

It’s hard to look past the Gold Coast when planning an Australian holiday that will entertain the whole family.

Though the grown-ups will find great pleasure in the range of boutiques, restaurants and bars, it’s the experiences meant for kids that will have the adults truly surprised and delighted. Kaleidoscopic mazes, sprawling animal farms and zip lines through the trees are just some of the activities that can fill your days on the Gold Coast.

Here are some of our favourite things for families to do while staying on the Gold Coast:

The Gold Coast might be an iconic beach destination, but it’s the waterways behind the coastline that really offer a good time. Parasailing, jet skiing, kayaking, snorkelling and jet boating are just some of the experiences that will see you soaking in the saltwater and sunshine for your good time. Big kids over the age of 14 could even sign up for a hydrofoil lesson—those unfathomable surfboards that seem to drift a metre above the sea!

What family holiday is complete without an up-close encounter with something fluffy and cuddly? Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Paradise Country are the Gold Coast’s favourite places to admire Australian mammals. Koala cuddles, echidna encounters and capybara pats are just some of the experiences available right here on the Gold Coast.

Witnessing Australia’s East Coast humpback migration is an experience to stay in your heart and mind for a lifetime. The Gold Coast offers state-of-the-art vessels from which to admire these great ocean giants. Hear whale songs live through an underwater microphone, get perfect scenes from numerous viewing platforms and glide through the seas with ease thanks to large, modern boats on offer. There’s nothing quite like that first breach to make the kids squeal with delight.

Just try bringing your kids to the Gold Coast without tackling a theme park or two. As much as you’ll act like they are dragging you along and it’s just for them, you’ll be surprised how much the adults will enjoy these fun-filled days out. From watching Polar Bears at Sea World to screaming through rides at Dreamworld and Warner Bros. Movie World. On the hot days, you can’t look past a splish-splashing kind of day at Wet ‘n’ Wild or White Water World.

Beautiful one day, glorious the next. The Gold Coast climate is idyllic, to say the least, inspiring a smorgasbord of outdoor experiences for your picking. Choose from a bus that quacks whilst driving off the side of a boat ramp into the water with an Aquaduck or QuackrDuck experience, a treetop challenge swinging through the canopies of Currumbin or Mount Tamborine or a hit of go-karting. And that’s before we even discuss the vineyards in the hinterland or mystery picnics.

The great thing about the Gold Coast is that it has spent many decades as one of the most important tourist destinations in the country. The result is many out of the ordinary things to do. From the dazzling maze of Infinity to the Australian Outback Spectacular Show, along with Topgolf, a magic show, a horror-themed cabaret show called Draculas, the Spirits of the Red Sand Indigenous experience and our very own Wax Museum. There are remarkable experiences here that you won’t find anywhere else in the country—and everyone in the family is likely to love them.