Our long weekend away at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.
I'd heard mixed comments about the Gold Coast ranging from 'it's paradise' to 'tacky teen hang out' but went with an open mind and a suitcase full of swimwear. Maybe it's because we're expats and haven't visited many coastal spots, or because it was only our second weekend away, either way, I was definitely leaning towards the positive end of those comments.
The QT hotel was a good start. Greeted in reception with a drinks table serving iced tea and lemonade; The promise of a dip in the hot tub and pool; Flip-flops (thongs) in the room instead of slippers; and a welcome surf board platter of chocs and macaroons.
We were located towards the northern end of Surfers Paradise beach so a short walk away from the hub and therefore away from the hustle and bustle. Waves were big and, paying attention to the flags and in view of the lifeguard tower, we spent time jumping them and trying to stay on our feet.
We experienced the two extremes of entertainment - the theme park and the places to go for free, spending time at the beach and the Rockpools play park.
The Rockpools was a fantastic area for the kids and we could've spent every day there.When we arrived there was a small festival in the grass area with free bouncy castles, stalls and information stands. The wet play area was a long strip of land with various shallow pools, fountains and a lifeguard. Next to it is a cafe and toilet/shower block.
The other side of the green there is a giant shaded jumping area.
Next to that is the playground.
It was circled by a track on which you could cycle the fixed bikes round. If you brought your own bikes or scooters you could tackle the little bike course. All of these activities run parallel to the shoreline. Out in the bay there is a giant inflatable course. There's also a disabled wheelchair swing. 
There were several theme parks to choose from: Seaworld; Warner Bros Movie World; Magic Mountain; Wet nWild; For our big family day out we chose to go to Dreamworld, which included Whitewater World. Check out our Dreamworld adventure here. 
On our last afternoon we jumped on the Quack-r-Duck Tours which was a way to spend our last couple of hours before heading to the airport that didn't involve getting wet, sandy or shopping. It was an interesting tour by a funny driver who drove us parallel to Main Beach, past Seaworld and out onto Broadwater, around all the multi-million$ homes of Paradise Waters and back onto the temporary V8 Supercar race track. My son got to drive for a bit and steered us across Broadwater without bumping into any other boats.
Gold Coast is a good holiday destination. We only saw a small percent of the area and would happily go back for a weeks holiday. I can't see us living there. There seemed to be a good work/life balance judging from all the people we spoke to there (mainly hotel staff and taxi drivers). Most of which hadn't grown up in the Gold Coast but had moved there for the sunshine and more laid back life.
Tiger Island at Dreamworld
Fun in the waves
Beach Vs Buildings
The area where Pirates of the Caribbean is filmed
