Gold Coast Attractions, Entertainment and More

Things to do on the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is Australia's favourite holiday playground - its been that way since the 1950s when Surfers Paradise was established as a one hotel, beachside town and has grown up over the last half century with more and more attractions have popping up, making the region one of the most tourist-oriented in the world.

We've compiled a brief guide to some of the most popular things to do on the Gold Coast, it's by no means exhaustive, but it is regularly updated and is as unbiased as possible. Although, if you're doing anything in this beautiful QLD sun we bet you'll be very happy. For a complete list of things to do on the Gold Coast check out WotToDo.com.au.

Most Popular Things to do on the Gold Coast

The Main Tourist Attractions

The Gold Coast is a dedicated tourist town and there's enough things to do to keep you occupied for months. It's not just mini-golf and wax museums either; take a tour of the river and canals in an aqua-bus, head up in a hot air balloon over Mount Tamborine or learn to surf on one of our pristine beaches: Check out our list of the main Gold Coast tourist attractions...

Theme Parks

The big four, which you've probably heard of, are Dreamworld, Sea World, Movie World and Wet'n'Wild, but there are quite a few more. Get up close and pat a koala, watch some outback horsemen and women race around a stadium, or mingle with the native birds at breakfast: Read more about Gold Coast theme Parks...

FREE Stuff to do on the Gold Coast

Visiting the Gold Coast doesn't have to be expensive, there's plenty of free things to do here! Visiting the beach is probably the most attractive free thing to do but there are plenty more. If you are planning a budget holiday take a look at stuff to do on the Gold Coast that doesn't cost a cent.

Other Popular Things to do on the Gold Coast

	Bushwalking The Gold Coast Hinterland is a magical, breath-taking place of great natural beauty. It's full of interesting wildlife and bushwalking is hugely popular all year around: Find some great bushwalking treks here...
	Boat Cruises With more canals than Venice, a gorgeous river and a broadwater that will take you all the way to Brisbane, getting around the Gold Coast on a boat is one of the nicest way to see things. Choose from a party cruise, intimate gondola or anything in between: Cruises
	Scenic Drives Winding through the hinterland are some of the most scenic drives in the country, and if you follow the beachside routes and coastal roads south to Byron Bay you'll discover the alure of the Northern NSW coastline: Drives
	Scuba Diving Moreton Bay is a world-renowned scuba diving area with an abundance of coral reefs, wrecks and wildlife, including the rare dugong, dolphins galore and enough colourful fish to stock albums of underwater photography: Scuba Diving
	Surfing Strange then that the worst surfing beach on the Gold Coast is called 'Surfers Paradise' - head north or south and you'll immediately run into some of the best, most consistent waves in the country, but if you're just learning, Surfers Paradise is ideal: Learn to Surf
	Major Events For what is a relatively small city, the Gold Coast has a huge event calendar, including: The ASP Surfing Titles; Armor All Gold Coast 600; Magic Millions horse racing carnival; Gold Coast Airport Marathon; Schoolies week celebrations and much more.
	Scenic Flights You don't need wings to get a birds-eye view of the Coast - a helicopter will do just fine. All sorts of flying craft will take you up, up and away at almost any time of day and prices are pretty competitive: Scenic flights and helicopter rides
	Golf Courses The Gold Coast has more golf courses per head of population than anywhere else in the world. No matter what your handicap, or budget, you'll find somewhere picturesque to have a round: Golf Courses
	Fishing The continental shelf isn't far of shore and there are hundreds of creeks, estuaries, lakes and rivers to throw a line in, so if you can't catch something on the Gold Coast, you've probably lost your hook: Fishing
	The Live Music Scene It's not Melbourne, or Brisbane, but the Coast is home to some fantastic local talent and there are more live music venues out there than most people realise, check out the Soundlounge or Cooly Hotel and hear the new breed artists which are thriving in South East Queensland: Live Music
	Nightclubs From world-class dance venues with guest superstar DJs, to the downright seedy joints with suspicious-looking patrons, the Gold Coast has a lot of dance floor out there. Take a look at our list of places and plan your next night out: Nightclubs
	Pamper Yourself Paris Hilton loves the place, Arabian royalty regularly vist, and there are enough rich citizens to support some of the best day spa and pampering facilities in the world. Take time out from the beach and Pamper yourself at a day spa
	Restaurants The Japanese and Korean influences are strongly represented in Gold Coast food culture, but there is award-winning cuisine in just about every flavour on the planet. Try Tedder Avenue, Broadbeach or the beach at Burleigh Heads for the best eats: Restaurants
	Scooter Hire Locals hate them, but scooters are one of the best ways to get around Surfers Paradise. You only need a car licence, and if you're lucky, Audrey Hepburn will jump on the back with you: Scooter Hire
	Escorts Coming to the coast for business or pleasure and don't have the time to meet new people? Try one of the Gold Coast's Escort Services, and have as much fun as you're prepared to pay for ;)
	Bars, Cafes and Pubs The Gold Coast is quickly becoming known for it's quirky cafes, live music venues, bars and pubs. You'll find some great places to grab a coffee or get a beer at one of the many Bars, cafes and pubs located in Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, Broadbeach and Nobby's.
	Registered Clubs There's a surf club on every beachside corner, and a bowling club not far behind. Twin Towns and Seagulls are two of the biggest clubs in Australia, and every major suburb has it's own RSL. Visiting the Surf Club is especially popular for a Sunday Session in the sun and all of the clubs have cheap meals and cheap booze too: see our list of clubs and RSL's here...