Things to Do in Gold Coast

A multimedia experience engaging all of the senses, Infinity is a journey through mazes of special effects that create a dream-like atmosphere. Sound fields, lights, music, and visual illusions challenge the mind and stretch the imagination of those who navigate the funhouse.

There are 20 different environments, each with its own unique interactive experience. Ranging from a laser room to a time warp, electron maze, and inter-dimensional space, visitors are treated to a feast for all the senses throughout. The creator of Infinity has an art background, and the innovative and immersive displays on an “electronic canvas” push the boundaries of artistic expression, eliciting powerful emotional responses. Truly a unique experience, Infinity lives up to its name by altering one’s sense of time, space and what is possible.

Located in the Gold Coast Hinterlands, Tamborine National Park is known for its natural beauty, rich biodiversity, and breathtaking views over the Gold Coast and the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Scenic Rim to the west. Queensland’s first national park, Tamborine is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

Part of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Gondwana Rainforests, the startling landscapes of Springbrook National Park are among the many highlights of Queensland’s Gold Coast Hinterlands. Carved out by an ancient volcano, the rugged plateau is now a natural wonderland of forested gorges, jagged cliffs, and cascading waterfalls.

One of Australia’s biggest marine parks, Sea World Gold Coast is home to dolphins, rays, sharks, polar bears, and seals. The family attraction has thrilling rides, educational exhibits, and daily live shows, and it’s also involved in marine life rescue and rehabilitation efforts along the Gold Coast.

Located on the grounds of the Cedar Creek Estate Winery on Mt. Tamborine, the Glow Worm Caves Tamborine Mountain are one of the best spots on the Gold Coast to view glowworms. See thousands of these creatures during the daytime in a darkened, controlled environment designed to mimic their natural habitat.

Arguably Queensland’s most popular dinner shower, Dracula’s Cabaret on the bustling Gold Coast is an evening of sexy, scary, and spectacular burlesque theater and comedy. The adventure begins the moment you enter the soaring, Gothic style castle, where gargoyles peer down from six stories up and fruit bats circle overhead. Ride the ghost train into the theater and prepare for a scare at each turn, before perusing a menu of ghoulish cocktails and settling in for the show. The entertaining wait staff, or “Draculettes,” keep the humor flowing throughout dinner, and set the stage for a wild evening of scary and sexual comedy. Aside from the vaudeville cabaret and intricate, detailed costumes, the visual effects are out of this world and are accompanied by live, fast-paced music that will have you on the edge of your seat. Add in death-defying aerial performers and mind-bending optical illusions, and Dracula’s Cabaret is an unforgettable evening of fun on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

With big-name designers, gourmet restaurants and a dramatic waterfront location, just moments from the dazzling Palazzo Versace hotel, the Marina Mirage is the Gold Coast’s most glamorous shopping complex. Extensively redeveloped in 2008, the luxurious mall is home to more than 80 boutiques, from high street favorites like French Connection and United Colors of Benetton, to designers like Guess, Calvin Klein, Hermes and Tommy Hilfiger.

As well as the clothing, accessories and jewelry boutiques, there’s a range of fine dining options overlooking the waterfront, including award-winning restaurants and cafés like Omeros Bros, Vanitas and the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. That’s not all – there’s also a day spa and beauty salon, a farmer’s market held twice a month and a scenic waterfront promenade from which to view the marina’s glitzy yachts and cruise ships.

True to its name, Best Of All Lookout has the best view in Springbrook National Park. Here, in this subtropical rainforest an hour from the Gold Coast, visitors will find an Antarctic Beech forest left over from the days of Gondwanaland, which in collection with the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage area for its unique geology and ecology. At Best Of All Lookout, visitors will peer out towards the peak of Mt Warning, which is famously known as Australia’s first place to greet the rising sun. From the viewing platform at Best Of All Lookout, the sandy coastline of Coolangatta can often be seen on clear days, as can the valleys of New South Wales that stretch all the way out towards the coast. Even though the hike to the lookout is short, keep an eye out for local wildlife like wallabies and curious padmelons, and since leeches and ticks are common in the area, be sure to wear long sleeves, pants, and boots to ward off the bush.

Part of Australia’s Gondwana Rainforests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lamington National Park is a paradise for nature lovers and adventure seekers. Covering 77 square miles (200 square kilometers), it’s known for its rich biodiversity, ancient trees, over 500 waterfalls, and more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) of hiking trails.

Set minutes from the Gold Coast beaches, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the best places in Queensland to see native Australian animals. Founded in 1947, the sanctuary encompasses 27 hectares (66 acres) of rain forest; its resident fauna includes kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and rainbow lorikeets.