Barefoot on a paddleboard in the middle of Tallebudgera Creek, I lean into a shaky sun salutation, arms to the sky.
Above, a pair of pale-headed rosellas swoop and soar, cawing softly in the early morning light. “Wow,” whispers Sarnia, my gentle-voiced yoga teacher from her own board. “They’re your birds.” Later, back on solid ground, I look up the symbolic meaning of my avian companions: time to challenge perspectives.
Paddleboarding on the Gold Coast. Photo from Tourism and Events Queensland.
For decades, warm weather, golden sands, family entertainment and a short travel time has lured thousands of New Zealanders to the sunny Gold Coast.
Like many Kiwis, I first came here as a child, enamoured with the shimmering skyscrapers lining the sand and the speed of the rollercoasters I wasn’t yet tall enough to ride. This time, however, I’m far from Superman rides and wave pools – right down the Southern end, where the slower pace of life promises something decidedly different.
Seven minutes’ drive from the airport and I’m beachside, checking into my accommodation. Kirra Point Holiday Apartments is one of many new builds in the area. A mixed-use high-rise, the apartments are palatial: a study in polished marble, fine linen and plush carpet.
Lunch across the road at local favourite Siblings is right where I want to be – on the beach and in front of a plate of tempura oysters. I eat at a sun-drenched table next to the boardwalk, observing a moving tableau of Gold Coast life: surfers rinsing off in the outdoor shower, kaftan-wearing retirees sipping rosé, barefoot children chasing ibis over the sandy berms. Is the sky wider here? Or the sun brighter? It certainly feels that way, as I roll up my trousers to reveal the palest legs in a 50km radius.
Surfing at Currumbin Beach. Photo from Tourism and Events Queensland.
I hire a bike and pedal the flat coastline to Elephant Rock, the highest point on Currumbin Beach. Warm wind at my back, I propel past lifesaving clubs, couples reclining on picnic blankets and a series of colourful roadside motels, lovingly restored homages to the simple holiday motels of decades past. Here, past confronts future, old confronts new, and signs of a place in motion are all around: construction sites, renovations, roadworks. In the afternoon haze, the spread of the coast lays itself out before me and the distant skyline of high-rises shimmers like a premonition.
The next morning, post-sunrise paddleboard yoga, I head across the border to Kingscliff for some more time on the water. Kayaking down the Cudgen Creek, we narrowly avoid huge jumping mullets leaping out of the water before paddling gingerly through wetland mangroves. Eddie from Watersports Guru is both knowledgeable and passionate about the area, answering our questions and pointing out birds as we glide past: we spy kingfishers, herons, even a pair of raptors.
After spending all day on the water, I’m longing to get in it. Luckily, there’s enough time for a quick swim in the hotel pool before dinner, to the horror of the rugged-up locals. Made from hardier Kiwi stuff, I have the entire pool deck – the pink sky, view of the ocean and chatter of the lorikeets – all to myself.
Dinner is a short walk along the promenade to some of the best Italian I’ve had in a long time – oozing burrata pizza, flavourful arancini and a beautifully fresh rocket and parmesan salad from Baskk, Coolangatta.
Get up close with all sorts of Australian wildlife at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo from Tourism and Events Queensland.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a must-visit attraction at the South end of the Gold Coast. Heading through the gates, it’s clear there’s lots to see: a sun-bathing ring-tailed lemur, a colony of sleeping koalas, a tree-climbing binturong and an 800kg crocodile named Boss Hog. The new restaurant space means visitors can watch the resident pack of kangaroos from the deck, wine in hand. But my personal highlights are unexpected: a herd of eight goats who clamber over me at feeding time, and a room of tiny tinker frogs – delicate, fingernail-sized creatures at the centre of a gargantuan conservation effort.
Lunch is had amongst the greenery of Palm Beach’s The Collective, ordered via iPad from four on-site restaurants, before heading north towards the Gold Coast’s busy centre. A brief stop at the HOTA Art Gallery for its Italian Renaissance exhibition, and a cocktail with panoramic views at the rooftop bar, and then I’m checking in to my accommodation: a city-centre escape. The newest concept from QT hotels, QT Cabins are a series of standalone glamping-style rooftop units, equipped with lovely finishing touches and luxury amenities, including locally sourced linens and complimentary snacks.
Check out the striking HOTA art gallery in Surfer's Paradise. Photo from Tourism and Events Queensland.
The Gold Coast gets 300 days of sunshine a year, but I awake on my penultimate day to discover I’m here for one of the remaining 65. Plans to go scuba diving are scuppered, replaced by a morning at Soak Bathhouse. I can’t complain – 90-minutes of moving between mineral pools, hot spas, steam room, cedarwood sauna and finishing with an icy plunge – and I’m feeling sufficiently pruny and pampered.
When the weather clears, I head again for the water, joining Armando from Jetcar Australia in a bright yellow aqua-car, a design lifted straight from the marinas of Dubai. Zooming past the sprawling riverside mansions, people waving at us from the banks, it’s the closest to the flashy, thrill-seeking side of the Gold Coast I’ve been all week.
On my final morning, I am whisked away via Pineapple Tours’ shuttle bus to nearby Tamborine Mountain, to discover the ‘green behind the gold’. The lush hinterland is home to many things: vineyards, waterfalls, nature walks, a coffee plantation. In many ways, it feels closer to the green hills of home than an hour’s drive from Surfer’s Paradise. I share a hearty pub lunch with a fellow traveller and two resident Bernese Mountain Dogs at St Bernard’s Hotel, amidst visits to a gin distillery, a glow worm cave, a wine tasting, a selection of artisan shops and a gallery walk through rainforest tree canopy.
Beautiful waterfalls abound in Tambourine Mountain. Photo from Tourism and Events Queensland.
If I’ve spent the past week learning that there is much more to the Gold Coast than theme parks and beaches, then my final day is testament to that. It serves as both a relaxing and fitting end to my trip: a lasting reminder that no place is ever just one thing, should you care to look a little closer.
Story by Emily Draper for the Summer 2024 issue of AA Directions Magazine. Emily Draper is a contributer to AA Directions magazine.
Explore more from AA Directions magazine while you're here:
- Explore the delicious Tasman Great Taste Trail around the upper South Island.
- Singing together in a choir is a great way to connect with others.
- Meet the founder of the Z World Manu Championships, Scott Rice.
