The Top Things To Do In Surfers Paradise, Australia

Looking for things to do in Surfers Paradise? Look no further! Located on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia, with its blue skies, sunshine, miles of surf beaches, nightclubs, tall skyscrapers, theme parks, and rainforest hinterland, Surfers Paradise has been a popular international tourist destination since the 50s. So now that you’ve booked your holiday and probably ticked Sydney and Melbourne off your list, you will need some ideas for what to do in Surfers Paradise, where to go, and things to see, once you get there.

Things To Do In Surfers Paradise

Explore The Beaches and Waterways

The Gold Coast has 70km of coastline with squeaky white sand, rolling surf, and plenty of tanned and fit lifesavers patrolling the beaches, making it one of the best places to visit in Australia. There are also miles of waterfront canals and tidal waterways with inland beaches so you’re never far away from the water on the Gold Coast.

I highly recommend you take a surf lesson and experience for yourself the thrill of riding a wave, or sign up for a paddleboarding class and explore some of the waterways.

From May to November is the whale watching season, one of the most fun Surfers Paradise activities. From May to July the whales head north to breed, and from August you’ll see them heading south again with their young. Take a half-day boat tour from Surfers Paradise to get a closer look at the whales. It’s an unforgettable experience and one of the super cool things to see in Surfers Paradise.

You can also take a leisurely cruise, exhilarating jetboat or kayak through the canals and waterways, and check out how the Australian rich and famous live.

Join a free early morning Tai Chi class on the beachfront at Burleigh Beach, then take a stroll along the beach walkway and join the locals getting their morning exercise, walking their dogs, jogging, skateboarding, strolling, scooting on their scooters or exercising with their personal trainers.

Check whale-watching tour tickets here.

Check boat tour tickets here.

Check jetboat tickets here.

Have Breakfast at The Beachfront Surf Clubs

You really must have breakfast at one of the many beachfront surf clubs. There’s no better way to start the day than sitting out on the beachfront deck under the brilliant clear blue skies, watching the surfers and beach walkers and listening to the waves breaking, while sipping on your coffee and eating a delicious breakfast.

Theme Parks Are Popular Surfers Paradise Attractions

You are spoilt for choice with theme parks and it pays to check out the ticketing options before you go, as there are always many special options available. Public transport is available to all the parks from Surfers Paradise and other places in the Gold Coast.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Not really a theme park but this is among the best places to visit in Surfers Paradise to check out all the iconic Australian animals, birds, flora and fauna. The day at Currumbin starts with the free noisy and colorful lorikeet feeding. Once inside the park, you can wander around the open animal enclosures, cuddling a koala,r feeding the kangaroos, or hop on the mini-train to take a break from walking. The shows are interesting and entertaining and include the Free Flight Bird Show, the Crocodile Show, the Big Fang Theory Show, the Aboriginal Dance Show or Blinky Bills Studio Adventure. You can do a  tour of the Wildlife Hospital or if you like your adventure sport, there’s the Treetop challenge with zip line rides and challenges.

Get entry tickets for Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary here.

Sea World Surfers Paradise

SeaWorld is the closest theme park to Surfers Paradise and a great park for all the family. It features a variety of shows, attractions, rides suitable for all ages, and marine animal adventures with stingrays, sharks, polar bears, dolphins, and penguins.  It is also an important marine research and rescue center. SeaWorld Surfers Paradise provides a lot of ‘Edu-tainment’ and information on research and rescue programs.

Click here to get your SeaWorld Surfers Paradise tickets here.

Click here to get a 3-day pass for SeaWorld, Movie World and Wet’n’Wild.

7-day passes for SeaWorld, Movie World and Wet’n’Wild are available here.

Enter here to get a 14-day combo pass for SeaWorld, Movie World, Wet’n’Wild and Paradise Country.

Wet’nWild

Wet’n’Wild is Australia’s biggest water park and a visit here is among the fun things to do in Surfers Paradise. It has a wide selection of leisure pools and water slides for all the family. The bold and brave can take their chances on the Extreme H20 Zone which features a ride in the dark and a near-vertical kamikaze slide or there’s the SkyCoaster for extra thrills. The FlowRider attraction can help you learn to surf or bodyboard.

Click here for Wet’n’Wild ticket prices.

Movie World

Movie World is among the top Surfers Paradise attractions. It’s always fun to run into your favorite movie stars and you will find them in the daily Streets Star Parade and the Looney Tunes Dance Party.  There are plenty of movie-themed rides such as the DC Rivals Hypercoaster or the Green Lantern Coaster. This is one of the best theme parks for toddlers with the Kids Zone featuring rides just for them.

Enter here to buy Movie World tickets.

Dreamworld and Whitewater World

Dreamworld and Whitewater World are great value if you’re a family holidaying on a budget, as the two parks are on the same site and the same ticket. Whitewater World is a family water park and Dreamworld is mainly about the rides. However, Tiger Island is one of the key attractions and is home to both adult and cub tigers from the Bengal and Sumatran tiger species.

Surfers Paradise Shopping

Stroll along the famous Cavill Avenue Pedestrian Mall named after the founder of Surfers Paradise, Jim Cavill. It is in the heart of the Surfers Paradise shopping and entertainment district with a range of restaurants, shops, and nightclubs, and in the evenings there are live music performances and buskers.

The Beachfront Markets (shopping hours Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights from 4pm to 9pm), are right on the beachfront at Surfers Paradise with over 120 stalls selling a wide variety of goods. You are bound to pick up some treasure as a memento of your trip or gifts for friends and family back home.

Take a tram to the last stop at Broadbeach to the Pacific Fair Mall or a bus out to Robina Shopping, two popular Surfers Paradise shopping malls. Both are recently renovated upmarket shopping centers that feature all the main Australian department stores, speciality shops and great food courts.

There is a bus route to Harbourtown Mall, a popular Surfers Paradise outlet mall, or you might be able to connect with their shuttle service. You will certainly pick up a bargain or two, with a huge range of brand names selling their seconds or surplus stock. 

Take Some Day Trips From Surfers Paradise

To go on one of the most popular day trips from the Gold Coast, take the tram to Helensvale, then hop on the train to Brisbane City, Queensland’s capital city. It’s about a two-hour trip one way. Wander along the main shopping area of Queen Street, past the casino and over the other side of the river to  South Bank with its 17 hectares of parklands, top-class eateries, stunning river views, markets, entertainment and the Wheel of Brisbane. Take a ferry ride up or down the river to get a relaxing look at Brisbane. You can also check this post to see other things to do in Brisbane to find out what the largest city in Queensland has to offer.

Visit The Hinterland

The Hinterland is a great place to explore any time of year, but especially so in the summer when it can get very hot and humid down on the coast. Within an hours drive from Surfers Paradise, you can be experiencing a completely different vista up in the cooler hills and mountains of the hinterland with its rainforest walks, arty mountain villages, wineries, and great cuisine. 

In Springbrook National Park check out the waterfalls and tumbling creeks and glow worm caves. Take a dip in the natural swimming hole called Warringa Pool.

One of the most popular spots is O’Reilly’s Treetop Walk in  Lamington National Park, 15 meters above the rainforest floor. There are 100 miles of walking tracks through the Park.

Tambourine Mountain is another popular Hinterland destination with its 12 beautiful walking tracks, wineries and an award-winning distillery making liqueurs, vodkas, and schnapps.

Book a tour to the hinterland here.

See The Region From Above

For the more sedate and possibly romantic amongst you, book yourself on an early morning hot air balloon flight over the scenic Gold Coast and finish off with a champagne breakfast. Among all Surfers Paradise activities, this is probably the most romantic of all.

If you’re after a bit more adventure and excitement how about an exhilarating tandem skydive onto Kirra Beach or, if that’s not for you, you can also try an indoor skydive experience, which is also quite exciting.

If you’re feeling fit and brave you can do the 298-step external Q1 Skypoint Climb for amazing 360-degree views right in the center of Surfers Paradise, or if you would prefer, just take the fast elevator to the Observation Deck.

Check prices for hot air balloon flights here.

Check prices for indoor skydive here.

Dine Out

You won’t starve to death on the Gold Coast! Every way you turn there’s a great restaurant or cafe to tempt you. There’s every type of cuisine to suit every budget. I don’t envy you having to make that dinner decision.

TripAdvisor recommends Brazilian Flame Bar & Grill, Cafe Alfons, Citrique Restaurant, Chapter and Verse Bar and Lounge, and Misona Japanese Steakhouse, as being the top five restaurants in Surfers Paradise, but the choice is yours!

Enjoy The Surfers Paradise Nightlife

Surfers Paradise nightlife offers plenty of pubs, nightclubs, live music and bars. The best reviews on Trip Advisor were for SinCity the Nightclub, House of Brews, Melbas On The Park, The Island Rooftop and Stingray.

If you want to try your hand at some gambling, there’s the big Star Casino at Broadbeach and all of the Surf Clubs and RSL Clubs have poker machines.

A fun and entertaining dinner and evening can be had at the Australia Outback Spectacular or Dracula’s Cabaret.

So, out of these things to do in Surfers Paradise and beyond, which one is your favorite?

About The Author: Maureen and Roger Spencer lived on the Gold coast for five years and had their own holiday resort. You might want to check out some of their suggestions from So Many Places! So Little Time – Online travel magazine and blog.”. You can follow them on Pinterest or Facebook.