Outdoors · Gold Coast · Australia
8 best outdoor things to do in Gold Coast
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Surfers Paradise Beach, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Burleigh Head National Park. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 21–28 hours across 6 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 21–28 hours
- Areas
- Surfers Paradise, Currumbin and Burleigh Heads
Outdoors in Gold Coast
Beach · Surfers Paradise
1.Surfers Paradise Beach
Swim between the red-and-yellow flags; rips are common, and the flags move with conditions each day.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Kids
- Outdoors
Zoo · Currumbin
2.Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Join the lorikeet feeding session; flocks of rainbow lorikeets land on your arms and plates.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Iconic
- Outdoors
Nature · Burleigh Heads
3.Burleigh Head National Park
Walk the coastal track in the early morning, then grab breakfast on James Street.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
Theme park · Oxenford
4.Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast
Visit on a hot weekday outside school holidays and bring water shoes for the hot pathways.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Active
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · Coolangatta
5.Snapper Rocks and Point Danger
Bring binoculars between June and November; Point Danger is one of the best spots to watch whales from land.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Zoo · Burleigh Heads
6.David Fleay Wildlife Park
Time your visit for the keeper talks and the nocturnal house, where you can see gliders and other night animals.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Main Beach
7.The Spit and Federation Walk
Walk out to the end of the seaway wall at high tide to watch boats come in through the channel.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Experience · Main Beach
8.Whale-watching cruise
Choose a morning trip in calm seas, and take seasickness tablets if you are prone to it.
- Time needed
- 2.5–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Couples
- Outdoors
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Surfers Paradise | Surfers Paradise Beach | Half a day |
| Currumbin | Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary | Half a day |
| Burleigh Heads | Burleigh Head National Park and David Fleay Wildlife Park | 1–1.5 hours + 2–3 hours |
| Oxenford | Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast | Full day |
| Coolangatta | Snapper Rocks and Point Danger | 1–2 hours |
| Main Beach | The Spit and Federation Walk and Whale-watching cruise | 2 hours + 2.5–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 4 free, 1 low cost, 2 mid-priced, 1 expensive. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 6 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Surfers Paradise): Surfers Paradise Beach, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Currumbin): Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Burleigh Heads): Burleigh Head National Park → David Fleay Wildlife Park, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Oxenford): Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast, at least 6 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Coolangatta and Main Beach): Snapper Rocks and Point Danger → The Spit and Federation Walk, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 6 (Main Beach): Whale-watching cruise, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- August: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 5 rainy days, moderate crowds. The driest month, with clear skies and peak whale-watching; the sea is at its coolest.
- September: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 6 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm spring days and school holidays; whales heading south with calves.
- July: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 6 rainy days, busy crowds. Cool mornings and sunny days; school holidays bring families from southern states.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Surfers Paradise — High-rise beachfront, Cavill Avenue bars and the evening beachfront markets
- Main Beach — Low-key upmarket strip of Tedder Avenue cafés between Surfers and The Spit
- Burleigh Heads — Headland national park, a famous point break and the coast's best café scene
- Palm Beach — Laid-back southern beach suburb of low-rise apartments and local eateries
- Coolangatta — Southern border town of sheltered bays and world-class surf at Snapper Rocks
More of Gold Coast
All things to do in Gold Coast · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Gold Coast?
Surfers Paradise Beach. The Gold Coast's most famous beach is a wide stretch of sand backed by high-rises, with lifeguards on duty year-round and the 'Surfers Paradise' sign at the end of Cavill Avenue.
+Which of these are free in Gold Coast?
Surfers Paradise Beach, Burleigh Head National Park, Snapper Rocks and Point Danger and The Spit and Federation Walk.