FREE stuff to do on the Gold Coast

It's not all money money money, in fact, there are plenty of fun things to do on the Gold Coast which won't cost you a cent.

The beach is the obvious choice, but if you don't like salt water, you can easily spend a day without getting your feet wet. Here's a list of fun things to do on the Gold Coast which are free.

• Go for a swim at the beach - almost all open surf beaches are patrolled by lifeguards and are protected from sharks. In fact, shark attacks are extremely rare on open beaches (just don't go swimming at dawn or dusk with lumps of bloodied raw meat tied to your body). Make sure you only swim between the flags - read our beach guide for more information. If you're worried about the waves, or the wildlife, there's a protected swimming enclosure in Southport, just opposite Australia Fair in Marine Parade. Even the dreaded parking meters haven't managed to encroach upon most beaches up and down the coast.
• Go for a walk on the beach at sunrise, or after dark - few views can compare to the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean and the full moon rising over the water at night is so huge you won't believe it's real. Beaches are generally safe places to walk after dark, but use your common sense (don't walk alone in a totally deserted place like The Spit) at 3am, but if you stick to populated beaches at reasonable hours (ie. 6am to 12am), you really shouldn't have anything to worry about.
• Window shop - most the world's best fashion houses all have dedicated stores in Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach, and there are more square metres of shopping centre on the Gold Coast than many small European nations. See our guide to Gold Coast shopping for more info.
• Visit a national park in the hinterland - none of them charge an entry fee and the views and fauna are breath-taking. You can run through an ancient rainforest, walk under a waterfall, and swim in a mountain stream without paying a cent. More about the Gold Coast Hinterland.
• Go to one of the many excellent world-class museums and art galleries and check out the works of the world's greatest minds. (OK that's a joke, but there is always the Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame in Southport and the Gold Coast City Art Gallery at the Gold Coast Arts Centre in Bundall, there are also plenty of greast beachside sculptures in Surfers Paradise and Currumbin)