10 Must-Visit Attractions on Australia's Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is renowned for its theme parks, and Dreamworld is the biggest of the lot, home to 40 attractions — including five massive roller coasters, among the best in Australia — as well as the DreamWorks Experience, Tiger Island, ABC Kids World and Corroboree, which provides an insight into Indigenous Australian culture and native animals. Amusement park aficionados will also love the water-themed Sea World and film-focused Warner Bros. Movie World.

The Gold Coast’s not all about bling, surf and theme parks — the region’s expansive hinterland provides some lush green rainforest to go with all that golden sand. And the UNESCO World Heritage listed Springbrook National Park as one of its must-visit highlights, home to a dense forest and rich diversity of bird life, perched atop an ancient volcano. Make sure you don’t miss the impossibly Instagrammable Natural Bridge cave and waterfall.

Australia’s premier water park attracts more than one million visitors a year, making it the biggest in the country and one of the biggest on Earth. The Giant Wave Pool and Calypso Beach are designed for families, and there’s even more high-octane rides for older kids — names like Black Hole, Kamikaze, Mach 5 and Tornado hint at just how hair-raising these adrenaline-pumping rides are.

The Gold Coast Suns’ AFL outfits aren’t world-beaters on the field, but their boutique stadium is one of the best places to watch footy anywhere in Australia. Away fans have flocked to the Goldie for some winter sunshine and an easy victory on the road since the Suns entered the comp in 2011 — Steven Seagal has come closer to winning an Academy Award than the Suns have ever got to claiming a premiership flag in their seven lowly seasons to date.

Nestled in the Gold Coast hinterland, the sanctuary is known around the world for its huge numbers of wild rainbow lorikeets that fly in for a feed. But that’s not the only native Aussie animal visitors are able to get up close and personal with — kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles, dingoes, wombats, echidnas, emus, quokkas and cassowaries are only a handful of the park’s adorable attractions.