Surfing the Gold Coast
If you're looking for the waves that made the Gold Coast famous, you won't find them at Surfers Paradise, the tourist hub of the area. For world-class waves, you want to make Coolangatta, the first town north of the New South Wales border, your base. From any of the many accommodations there, you can walk to Snapper Rocks, Greenmount and Rainbow Bay. In the Australian summer months (December to February), cyclone swells sometimes turn these three surfing spots into one long, adrenaline pumping quarter-mile ride.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
australian parrot image by christine dedman from
Fotolia.com
The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a haven of tranquility in the middle of the bustling Gold Coast. The sanctuary had humble beginnings in 1947 when the original owner of the land, Alex Griffiths, started feeding the lorikeets on his property to keep them from destroying his flowers. It grew from there into a bird sanctuary. In 1967, Mr. Griffiths turned the land over to the National Trust of Queensland. Since then, it has become a home for many species of Australian animals as well as dozens of species of birds. In 2009, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary gained Ecotourism Australia's Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
28 Tomewin St.
Currumbin, QLD 4223, Australia
+617-5534-1266
cws.org.au
Sea World Gold Coast
Sea World is one of the largest of several theme parks on the Gold Coast. Located just 2 miles (3 kilometers) north of Surfers Paradise, it takes only minutes to get there by car, shuttle bus or taxi. Once inside, there is so much to do, it's almost impossible to see it all in a single day. There are water-themed rides for everyone from toddlers to adults, dolphin shows, an aquarium and a separate water park where you can cool off in one of the pools or take a thrill ride on the water slides.
Sea World
Sea World Drive
Main Beach, Gold Coast
Queensland 4217
+617-5519-6200
seaworld.myfun.com.au
Article Written By Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider has been a freelance writer for most of his adult life. His travel and sports articles have appeared in a number of major newspapers and periodicals, including the "Sydney Morning Herald," "Tracks: the Surfer's Bible," "Heritage" and "Rock," Australia's premier rock climbing magazine.
