Things to do
Things to do in Gold Coast
The 70 km of sand that defined the Australian holiday: Surfers Paradise's towers, the point breaks, the theme parks — and the Gondwana rainforest behind.
Photos for Gold Coast are still on their way. Every listing below is real.
Top things to do in Gold Coast
Australia's playground: surf beaches, theme parks, and the hinterland.
- Surfers Paradise Beach — The famous strip: the beach, the towers, the night markets (Wednesday/Friday/Sunday).
- Burleigh Heads — The point break and the national park: the surf, the headland walk — the local's beach.
- Theme parks (Dreamworld etc.) — Dreamworld, Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet'n'Wild: the park days — multi-day passes pay.
- Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary — The lorikeet feeding, the koalas — the wildlife day.
- Springbrook National Park — The Gondwana rainforest: the Natural Bridge, Purling Brook Falls — the hinterland day.
- The Spit & Seaway — The sand spit: the surf lifesaving, the diving, the sunset.
Free things to do in Gold Coast
Gold Coast is generous if your budget isn't. All of these cost nothing or close to it:
- The beaches — 70 km of sand: free.
- Burleigh Headland walk — The national park walk: free.
- Surfers night markets — Browsing: free.
- The Spit — The spit: free.
- Cascade Gardens — The Broadbeach park: free.
Festivals & the religious calendar
The town's own festivals:
- Blues on Broadbeach (May) — The free blues festival: the streets' stages — the Gold Coast's best weekend.
- Gold Coast 600 (Supercars) (October) — The street circuit race: the city's motorsport peak.
- Quiksilver Pro (Snapper Rocks) (March) — The world surf league opener at the Superbank.
- Christmas / summer holidays (December–January) — The peak season: the beaches at full tilt.
And the national calendar:
- Australia Day (26 January) — The national day: barbecues, citizenship ceremonies, harbour events. (Contested — many mark it as Invasion Day.)
- Christmas / summer holidays (December–January) — Christmas in summer: beach days, the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Sydney–Hobart yacht race start on Boxing Day.
Exact dates are confirmed yearly — check local listings before booking around a festival.
Sports: Surfing
The Gold Coast is Australia's surf capital: the Superbank (Snapper Rocks to Kirra) — one of the world's great waves, the Quiksilver Pro opener. The Titans (NRL rugby league) play at Cbus Super Stadium; the Suns (AFL) at Carrara. Beach volleyball and the surf lifesaving carnivals are the summer sports.
The Indy-style Supercars (October); the cricket at the beach (unofficial).
Tickets: official site
What's new in Gold Coast
The light rail (G:link) keeps extending south. The theme parks' new rides open regularly. The surf comps' March dates are confirmed yearly.
Submit your event
Running something in town? Dayfari lists community events free — gigs, markets, fundraisers, club nights, temple and church programmes. Submit your event and it can appear in the town feed within a day. No account needed to suggest; the Dayfari team reviews every submission.
Common questions
How many days do I need in Gold Coast?
Two full days covers the highlights above. Add a third for the day trips — see our day-trips guide.
What can I do in Gold Coast for free?
Plenty — see the free list above. The town's festivals and markets are the other great free shows.
When is the best time to visit Gold Coast?
Time it for a festival if you can — the calendar above is the cheat sheet. Otherwise, the shoulder seasons dodge the crowds.
More to explore in Gold Coast
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