The Gold Coast region is big on theme parks. During peak season expect them all to be quite busy. Before you go, investigate ticket discounts for combined travel and entry, multi-park and multi-day passes. Members of Australian motoring associations can purchase discounted tickets from them before you travel.
Movie World, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild are owned by the same company, so check out one of their combo tickets if you're planning on hitting two or more of them.
Dreamworld and WhiteWater World offer the same kind of deal.
* Sea World is the oldest and also one of the most established theme parks in Australia. It first opened in 1958 before moving to its present site in 1971. It is the closest to heart of the Gold Coast and will be interesting for those who like marine animals. Lots of shows and live acts, and you could easily spend a day here without going on any rides, such as the corkscrew roller coaster, and speed water slides.
* Dreamworld is a traditional theme park with a popular tiger zoo and is the home of the Australian Big Brother House. The park itself is quite small but it is one of the best places to go in Australia if you are after thrill rides. Also includes Wiggleworld a great little kids area named after the Wiggles group.
* Warner Bros. Movie World is a Warner Bros. movie themed park. WB Movie and Loony Toon characters wander around all over the place. It is the most themed of the Gold Coast parks and includes the fastest (and in fact only really good) rollercoaster in Australia (Superman Escape). Once again a good place for the thrillseekers.
* Wet'n'Wild, +61 7 5573 2255. 10AM - 5PM (9PM during Jan) except Dec 25 and April 25 (1.30PM - 5PM). Water theme park with a wide range of slides, a wave pool, 'dive-in movies' at night in the wave pool (if you wish) and even a river where you can just lie in a tube and float around and around! A definite must during the summer, though best left to a day that isn't stupidly hot or the queues are too ridiculous. The water is heated in winter. Adults $49/Children (4-13yrs) & Pensioners $32.
* Australian Outback Spectacular, 133 386. Nightly Tues-Sun (except Dec 25 ), ~7PM. is a new Epic Outback Show, complete with stampeding cattle, wild horses and an Australian Dinner. Free stockman's hat! Adults $99/Pensioners $89/Children (4-13yrs) $65.
* WhiteWater World, +61 7 5588 1111. 10AM - 5PM except Dec 25 and April 25 (1.30PM - 5PM). is a newer water park next to Dreamworld, said to be just as good as Wet'n'Wild, if not better. Combined tickets available. Adults $45/Children (4-13yrs) & Pensioners $30.
* Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for feeding huge flocks of rainbow lorikeets, which will perch all over your head and arms. This park has expanded to have a number of animal exhibits. The lorikeet feeding takes place just inside the entrance, but there are also hundreds of native Australian animals on display in natural bushland and rainforest settings around the park. You can get close to the usual assortment of kangaroos, emus, wallabies, etc. in open enclosures.
* Easy hike up Burleigh Mountain, half an hour busride south of Surfers Paradise (take route 700 (Tweed Heads) bus from Cavill Avenue, get off at the Gold Coast Highway/Ikkina Road stop.). This small mountain is situated at the mouth of Tallebudgera Creek as it joins the ocean and is flanked by swimming spots along the river and beach. The mountain is just beside the main road, and is an easy walk to the top. At the top you can visit the information centre, see the remains of Aboriginal middens, rock formations left behind by ancient eruptions of Mount Warning, and try spotting whales and sea eagles from the lookouts over the southern coastline. FREE.
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