After discovering that there were a lot of fun things to do in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, after making two trips to the Gold Coast - one during Christmas last year and another this year on Easter, I have decided to do another blog of fun things to do, this time in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Australia. There is so many things to do, with different activities for everyone!
Brisbane
âBrisbane is a city in southern Queensland, Australia, and is located between the regions of the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. It is a beautiful city, with quite a lot of great things to do, and features a river, surrounded with upmarket restaurants in the city. It is one of the largest cities in Australia also, making it a great place to visit due to the city being vibrant and lively. The city also has a lot of wildlife, giving Milford Sound in New Zealand a run for their money. â
ââThings to do in Brisbane
Gold Coast
Gold Coast is a beautiful coastal region in Queensland, and with the region being well known for it's beautiful beaches, adrenaline fueled activities, good shopping precincts and plenty of good hospitality precincts, you can never go wrong in the Gold Coast. One of the most notable areas in the region is Surfers Paradise, Burleigh and Broadbeach. With Queensland being known as Australia's adventure capital, and the Gold Coast being known for a party area (Surfers Paradise in particular), and lots of family friendly and even free things to do, you can never go wrong in this area. It is also a perfect place for fashion lovers as well, having a huge shopping center as well, and if you're rich enough, a Versace hotel to stay at!
Things to do in Gold Coast
Theme Parks: Wet n Wild Wet N' Wild is a water based theme park, with lots of water slides. This theme park is really fun, with the queues being relatively short in direct comparison to the other theme parks mentioned. And, they have some adrenaline inducing slides, which is also a bonus! Unfortunately though, just as with other theme parks, there is a downside - single riders aren't allowed on some slides, for safety reasons. I did manage to go on some, but was forced to go with multiple groups of people, as my aunt chose not to do any slide. The other downside was that there was a swing that was higher than the Rotorua one at velocity valley, but I wasn't able to go on that also as it had been out of operation for quite a while, sadly (I really was looking forward to the giant swing). Dreamworld Dreamworld is a really fun theme park with several rides, and also entertainment just as with the other theme parks. This theme park has a number of thrill rides, most notably a drop tower, and a roller coaster. The drop tower (dreamworld tower) is much higher than the one at Rainbows End, at a stunning 119 metres high - at least just over twice that of the fearfall, and just under three times that of the Auckland Bungy, and higher than all the giant swings (and the slingshot at Surfers also) that I've been all so far - and every bungy jump in New Zealand and also the one in Australia - except the Nevis, which is 134 metres. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to go to this theme park, but will do so in the future. I have been to this theme park once, but I was very young. A memorable ride that I went on at Dreamworld in my younger days was the Wipeout ride, but unfortunately, that has since been removed. Fortunately, a similar ride is available at SeaWorld, which I went on in December 2022. This theme park also features a zoo, which you can see animals and wildlife. SeaWorld SeaWorld is a marine wildlife based theme park which is also in the Gold Coast, and out of all the theme parks in the Gold Coast, this one is the closest to Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach (it is located at Main Beach, not too far off from Surfers Paradise). The highlights of this park is the dolphin and other animal shows, and the rides. Like the other parks, they also do serve alcohol, which is a good thing (something Rainbows End really needs to do). Unfortunately for adrenaline junkies (like myself included), the rides here are actually pretty tame, on par with Rainbows End. Another downside is that the queues are extremely long, just like Movieworld, and I ended up waiting about one and a half hours to ride the Leviathan roller coaster ride! It was a pity that it was quite gloomy and wet that day I went to SeaWorld, but it was worth it still! Movieworld MovieWorld is a theme park which is located very close to Wet N Wild. This theme park is based on films and their characters. The rides are very fast, thrilling and intense, and the most intense ride - the hypercoaster - is higher than all but two of the bungy jumps in New Zealand (the pipeline and the Nevis bungy), and also most of the swings as well, except for the Shotover canyon swing and the Nevis swing. Due to the height and speed of the rides, and the intense gravity force, this theme park is a great place for adrenaline junkies! The huge downside to this theme park is that, for the very reason that it is thrilling and fun, that it attracts a huge crowd and you would spend 1 to 2 hours waiting just to get on some rides, and I had the misfortune to line up for the hypercoaster close to two hours in intense heat (fortunately they did have cooling systems in place to keep people nice and cool). Other adrenaline activities: The slingshot ride is located close to Cavil Avenue in Surfers Paradise, and when you pay to get on the ride, you get lowered slightly before being propelled 90 meters above ground level with 6g's of force at 160km per hour. â Jet Boating in Surfers Paradise is also a must do, not only is it really fun, but the duration of it is long and you get drenched in water, which is part of the fun! Also the views as well are just another great excuse to go jet boating in Surfers Paradise. The upside of Jet boating in the Gold Coast, like many other places with a warm or a hot climate, is that you can do it at any season of the year, without having to wear a jacket, unlike Queenstown and Taupo in New Zealand, both places can get extremely cold (although very hot, and close to that of the Gold Coast or even further north in the summer, sometimes both Taupo and Queenstown can even be hotter at the best of times in the summer, if you're lucky). âSkypoint climb (for my experience, see my blog here) is a really fun group activity for those who want to see Surfers Paradise from above, and the greater Gold Coast region. The climb is much higher than Auckland's Skywalk, and and you get a great view of the coast line and the wider Gold Coast region. Other adrenaline inducing water activities: These include parasailing, wakeboarding, kayaking, jet skiing, surfing, body boarding at the beach and as mentioned earlier, jumping in the waves. Other general adrenaline activities include:
Beaches: Burleigh beach in the Gold Coast is a beautiful beach, being a good place to swim and catch some waves. It is also a really good area for dining, with lots of restaurants on offer. Broadbeach beach is a really popular beach with beautiful white sand, clean water and large waves. Getting dunked in the waves is really fun - and is a free way of getting an adrenaline rush also! Surfers Paradise beach is a beach in Surfers Paradise, with this beach being extremely popular due to the fact it is located in the Surfers Paradise area, and also Shopping: The Pacific Fair shopping mall in Broadbeach makes an excellent place for shopping, they have a great range of designer stores and also some fabulous eating and drinking places as well! If you are not an Australian citizen or resident, you can claim tax if you make purchases over $AUD 300, and get a portion of your money back. Robina shopping centre is also another shopping centre in the Gold Coast, however, it is not as big or notable as the Pacific Fair shopping mall. But it still has some good shopping options, and the things there are also slightly cheaper depending on what you choose to buy, as the major brands are at the Pacific Fair mall. Other fun activities: Infinity attraction is a fun and a sensory maze in which you have to make your way through darkness, and also through mazes which involve flashing lights and mirrors, and you will also encounter some colorful rooms which you make your way through as well. Due to the intensive flashing light effects, and the darkness of the maze, and the nature of the attraction, this activity is not recommended for those with photosensitive epilepsy, or those with vision issues. Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum is a fascinating sensory museum that allows you to interact with objects, while you get to learn some interesting facts about notable people, and things that actually are true and that happened in real life. There is a tunnel which you can walk through, with lights spinning around you (CAUTION: If you have photosensitive epilepsy, or are prone to dizziness or falling or feeling ill as a result of flashing or moving lights, do not walk through this tunnel). Allow for 45 minutes to an hour to complete this museum. At the end of the museum tour, you get to spend some time playing a fun game, involves shooting characters on a 3D screen. This game is not for those with photosensitivity epilepsy as well, due to the flashing effects.
Tips:
Remember that in Brisbane, and also in the Gold Coast, there is something for everyone. The advantages of travelling to Brisbane is that you can travel to either the Gold Coast, or the Sunshine Coast. From adrenaline fueled activities, to pamper time, to luxury and high end shopping, and to beautiful white sand beaches and wildlife, Brisbane and both the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast has something for everyone to do, depending on what you want to do.
Photo on blog cover by AGE Rappell on Unsplash â
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For the Easter holidays, we went overseas - for the first time this year, and the 3rd time since the lockdown ended, and travel restrictions were completely relaxed. This trip was a far cry from much of what this year had been - stress and anxiety from Cyclone Gabrielle, the Auckland flooding (although I was in Waitomo, having just done the black abyss adventure that day), a terrible incident at the Plane Sailing festival involving some rogue intoxication team staff from Trademark Live, and having friend and family conflicts online resulting from that.
However, the two weeks leading up to the trip were on a much higher note (including St Patrick's Day!), and more happy - only two days prior to departing Auckland, I did a bungy jump in Taupo (sadly, wasn't allowed to go nude, due to some strange policy regarding children, as Auckland and Queenstown bungy sites allow nudity), and a week earlier, Posie Parker was forced out of the country after being juiced with tomato juice as people protested against her transphobic and hateful behavior.
We left on the 31st of March in the morning, and arrived early morning in Brisbane. The flight was smooth initially, but halfway through the flight, it got violently turbulent - to the point that it actually became frightening, and I even screamed a bit. We were so relieved to exit the plane after such a scary flight, even by my standard as an adrenaline junkie. After arriving and checking in, we spent the first day shopping. It was hard to decide what I wanted to buy. I saw a nice Fendi mini bag which functioned as a keychain that I wanted to buy, but my aunt (who I was travelling with) disagreed and didn't like the style. Ultimately, we ended up buying a blue-colored sequin Furla bag. Later in the trip, we did go back to Fendi again, but this time we settled for a wool shearling headband.
The next day, we did the Sea World Cruise in Surfers Paradise, where we were treated to delicious food, including fresh seafood and tasty desserts. We had to purchase drinks onboard, as they weren't included, but the cocktails that we purchased were absolutely delicious, refreshing and sweet.
Once lunch was over, we were given commentary about Surfers Paradise, and the surroundings. We were treated to lovely views of lovely swimmable beaches, natural scenery, the city coast, and even wealthy suburbs which featured large mansions (and are much more beautiful, cheerful and colorful than the estates and the mansions in the Taupo/Wairakei area, Auckland and Queenstown)!
On the way back from the cruise, I had delicious ice cream from Gelatissimo Surfers Paradise, which sells really good gelato. I highly recommend anyone visiting Brisbane or the Gold Coast goes to this ice cream place at least once during their trip.
The next day, we went to Wet'n'Wild a water based theme park, which is also in the Gold Coast. The waterslides were really fun, and the queue wasn't actually that bad! I wanted to go on every waterslide, but unfortunately, the staff did not allow me to ride some due to the fact that I was a solo rider! My favorite slide was the Aqualoop, as it was thrilling and gave me an adrenaline rush, when the trapdoor suddenly opened and I dropped at a very fast speed!
We also saw some wildlife at the theme park, including sulphur crested cockatoos, lizards and other birds!
On the fourth day of our trip, we went back to Surfers Paradise, this time, for me to do the SkyClimb at the Skypoint tower. The skypoint climb is 270 m above sea level, which is considerably higher - and the views are also much more scenic - than that of the SkyWalk (which I also did but last year, during the Diwali Festival) in Auckland's CBD. For this reason, the adrenaline rush is actually greater and it was also more fun and thrilling than the Auckland version! Bonus point: It's cheaper too, despite the Australian currency being higher than the New Zealand currency. The whole experience lasts around 90 minutes, and according to the site, it is Australia's highest building climb.
Above: The Skywalk in Auckland.
After I did my Skyclimb, I went to the observation deck, to level 77 - in the same tower - and my aunt (who I was travelling with) and I had lunch up there. We had fish and chips, and fried chicken as well, and ordered cider to drink with our lunch. The food was absolutely delicious and it was worth it.
Once we had our lunch, we walked around, taking photos of the beautiful scenery of Surfers Paradise from the observation deck. The views were magnificent, and stunning, with 360 degree views of the beach and the city.
We woke up the next morning to go to the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. We walked in the gardens for about 1 and a half to 2 hours approximately. We took lots of photos, the scenery was very nice, with many exotic plants (in addition to common plants), and water fountains. We also saw more wildlife - from crows and parrots to lizards and even a turtle.
After walking in the botanical gardens, we had lunch and did some more shopping again, and bought a Fendi headband (as shown in the image above). We returned back to our hotel for a rest, before heading out for dinner.
We woke up on the 5th of April, early morning, to go to Mooloolaba, which is a small coastal town in the Sunshine Coast. We had a nice feast of prawns, barramundi fish and chips, and fried calamari, and a refreshing cocktail, then I went swimming at the beach. Later, we walked around the area and took some photos but unfortunately we had to leave early as it is a long way back to where we were staying. We stayed in central Brisbane, close to the river and the shopping mall, where there were designer stores - from which we bought the designer accessories from.
We went to the Pacific Fair mall in Broadbeach, in the Gold Coast the next day. We went shopping once again, this time to buy clothes. I bought a matching set - a mesh top and skirt, both are stretchable and versatile to wear. We had lunch in the mall, then I attempted to swim at the beach, having swum there last year - but unfortunately, swimming was not permitted due to the weather and wave conditions! At least the next time I go back, I will have that opportunity to swim at Broadbeach and also Surfers Paradise.
Then on the next day, we went to Southbank, across the river in Brisbane. We had early lunch, then I got tickets to the Ferris wheel, having had my photo taken first - before going up on the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel ride was amazing, you get to be on it for a few rounds with plenty of opportunities for photos (I took some photos while on the ride). The ride also gave some commentary about the history of Brisbane and Brisbane city itself. After the commentary finished, I was allowed a few more rounds on the Ferris wheel. We also went to the markets in the same area but nearby, where I bought a straw hat and an artwork of John Lennon - the markets there sell amazing stuff and lots of interesting things, from souvenirs to decoration and jewelry and more. Then, we had dessert and an Easter chocolate drink at Max Brenner, which is a well known dessert café, where they make really good cakes and chocolate drinks which I highly recommend if you are looking for good desserts, if Max Brenner is in your area.
On the second-to-last day - and the last full day in Australia, I did the bridge climb in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. It was my first time ever doing a bridge climb, I have not done it before - not even the Auckland Harbor Bridge climb at the Auckland Harbor Bridge, in Westhaven. The bridge climb is about 80 to 90 meters above sea level. The duration of this bridge climb is about 2 hours, including getting harnessed up and the safety briefing. I got lovely views of Brisbane city, and the river and the guide gave us commentary about the city, the surroundings and the bridge itself.
âLater, we went to the Le Bon Choix café, for dessert. We ordered a Moulin Rouge cake, and the Amaliyah cake as well, and both came with Easter eggs - as pictured. We also ordered iced chocolate. The desserts were really delicious and well presented, and I also recommend this place for dessert as well.
Finally, the last full day we had to pack our suitcases to go back home and check out, but as we had plenty of time left, we went back to the same place we went to for dessert the day before - to have breakfast, as supermarkets were not open due to it being Easter day, and also the fact that we didn't want to carry excess food with us. We enjoyed breakfast and another round of dessert, and spent some time in this café.
Later, after breakfast, we stopped by Opa Bar Mezze, which is a Greek restaurant by the Brisbane river, and had lunch and wine there. After lunch, we sat by the river for a while, to take photos. Then we slowly made our way to the train station to take a train back to the Airport, taking photos outside a historical garden for a while on the way back.
We left for the airport to catch the flight back home - and fortunately, the flight was much smoother this time around. When we got back home, I only slept a few hours even though it was already midnight - because the Easter show at the Auckland showgrounds was on that same day (we were back at home past midnight, in the very early hours of the morning), and I got to see two of my cousins at the Easter show, go on some rides, and ordered lunch at the Easter Show from her BBQ Pitstop food truck! Unfortunately though, due to the weather conditions, I could not ride the Turbo Boost, as it was extremely windy and it was also raining, but at least I'll have other chances to ride it in the future.
Despite all the troubles that we have been through this year, including friendship issues that have resulted as an aftermath of the 2021 Delta lockdowns as well as an incident at the plane sailing festival, the floods and the cyclone, we have had the best Easter in a few years, in part due to being able to go overseas without anymore travel or Covid restrictions, and in part due to the fun things we did before the trip, in Australia and also at the Easter show. We love Easter, it is a fun time of the year due to the fact that we eat Easter treats, and also the fact that we also go on holidays. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, and I look forward to more trips, both domestic and international trips this year. Let's hope that the Easter holidays next year - and in the future - will be just as good, or better.
Note: I took the photo featured on the blog cover. The image can be found on my Instagram page, in this link here. |
AuthorI am Natalie Dunn. I am a feminist who believes in gender equality and rights for everyone. I have many passions in life such as fashion, beauty, adventures and travelling. Archives
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