Surfers Paradise Beach

Surfers Paradise is the heart of the Gold Coast, where a wide golden beach runs for kilometres in front of a line of high-rise towers. The SkyPoint observation deck, near the top of the Q1 tower, looks along the whole coast to the hinterland mountains.

Most families come for the theme parks: Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Dreamworld and Wet'n'Wild are all within about half an hour's drive. We suggest two or three park days with a lighter beach day in between, and an evening at the beachfront markets.

Swim only between the red-and-yellow flags, where lifeguards patrol. The Gold Coast is about an hour by road from Brisbane, and Indian restaurants are easy to find around the main streets of Surfers Paradise.