I've been in Australia for about two months now, and most of that has been spent in Brisbane - because of its warm weather, its great nightlife and its proximity to lots of other great places around Queensland. Surfers Paradise is situated in Queensland's Gold Coast and is an hour drive from the CBD. I'd say Australians head to Surfers on the weekend just like we Gibraltarians head to Tarifa. They're both known for their beaches, nightlife, and the perfect windy weather to practice your surfing skills. Here's what we got up to in two days in Surfers Paradise.
Where to Stay
If you stay anywhere along the beach you'll be able to get to everything by foot (obvious I guess). We stayed at K Resort Apartments which was a 5 minute walk from Cavill Avenue where you can find a plethora of shops and restaurants and a 10 minute walk from Surfers Paradise beach.
We shared a 2 bedroom apartment between 4 of us and paid £35 each for a 2 night stay. The living room was slightly dated but then again all we were really there for was to sleep, make toast for breakfast and pre drink before heading out. The Wi-Fi wasn't free, so we stuck with our 4G. The apartments had air-con and we also had a bathroom each.
Where to Eat
Since we were on a bit of a budget, we ate in the apartment twice and had breakfast in the room too (and a helping of snacks from 7/11).
Grill'd
If you're after a burger but want to knock of a couple hundred calories then head to Grill'd. They have gluten-free buns, vegan options and even a low carb bun that makes your burger less carby than a sushi roll. I went for the summer sunset burger - complete with bacon, avocado and pineapple. I also recommend trying the chips share plate which comes with their famous Grill'd chips, sweet potato chips & zucchini chips.
SandBar
Located next to the beach, this place is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We came at an in between time of 12pm so all chose an Acai bowl and damn was it good. All bowls were topped with banana, apple, strawberries, coconut, chia seeds, granola (and because I'm a gluttonous individual I also added peanut butter and raw cacao). If we would have come again, I would have definately gone for a Hawaiian poke bowl.
What to do
Party
A trip to the Gold Coast isn't complete without a night out (well that's my opinion with most trips). When we were choosing where to 'settle' in Queensland we originally thought of Surfers but heard it was like the 'Magaluf of Australia' so went for Brisbane instead. I must say, I think I had one of my best nights out in Australia there. We went to Sin City and Bedroom and I think I was running out of breath by the end of the evening because I was singing so many damn songs.If you like your aesthetics then Bedroom is a good choice - there's actual beds in the VIP area and bathroom, and the club gives out free popcorn and candy floss.
Infinity
If you want to experience the biggest trip of your life in 20 minutes, head to Infinity. Tickets are $26 and the attraction basically takes you through a series of rooms and effects that engage all your senses. Think house of mirrors but even more confusing and weird.
Ripley's - Believe it or Not!
I lived in London for a year and never made it to this place but I was always curious, so when we found ourselves with some time on our hands we popped in to see what it was all about. There's about 15 themed rooms and interactive areas (and a lot of bizarre stuff to check out).Surf
I mean whilst you're here you might as well try it right? We probably didn't pick the best time to do this (a.k.a the day after our night out) but luckily we picked 1pm for our lesson so we had the morning to recover. We went with Get Wet Surf School and paid $60 for 2 hours. We were surprised to find we actually didn't suck as much as we thought we would, and I managed to stand up on my board for an impressive 10 seconds.
Rent a scooter
We saw people on these everywhere and there are a dozen shops scattered around the area where you can rent a bike/scooter from. The coast is actually very long, so you could either go on a nice 50 minute scenic walk to Mermaid beach or electric scooter it.Crazy Cat Cafe
If you're travelling in a group then one of you is bound to be a crazy cat person (there were two in ours). The Crazy Cat Cafe have either 50 minute or 25 minute sessions and unlike the one we went to in Japan, you're actually allowed to play with the cats and hold them. They have quite a big menu ranging from shakes to lasagna to cheesecakes.Q1 Climb
If you're after the best scenic view of the Gold Coast, you can either climb to it or simply sit at the top of the Q1 building and enjoy a nice meal and glass of wine. The SkyPoint Climb lasts 90 minutes and you climb a total of 300 stairs, so make sure you've had your kale-spinach-superseed breakfast.iFly
Still haven't quite mustered the courage to sky dive? Then floating in the air in a vertical wind tunnel is a good alternative with iFly. The price is $55 for 'two indoor sky flights' and is suitable for people of all ages.
Tan
If you've done all that and wondering what to do with yourself next, then go take a nap on the beach.
Have you ever been to Surfers Paradise? What's your favourite seaside location in Australia?
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