What to do in Gold Coast with kids? Located in eastern Australia, Gold Coast is known as the city of theme parks. You have several amusement parks and water parks located here as well as nature and beautiful beaches. So in that respect, there is plenty to do in Gold Coast for the family. In this blog, we list the best children’s activities in Gold Coast.
Best travel time Gold Coast with kids
You can visit the city of Gold Coast with kids just fine all year round. There is little rainfall in this area and temperatures are very good. Even in the winter months, the temperature is usually still between 15 and 20 degrees. An excellent temperature to visit an amusement park in Gold Coast, for example. For a water park, it can be a bit chilly then.
Of course, you can swim most days during the summer months of November through March, and if you can choose when you visit Gold Coast with kids, these months are most appropriate. Of course, keep in mind that the summer months do tend to be the busiest months (especially the month of December), so the prices of hotels in Gold Coast will also be higher.
Transportation to and in Gold Coast
You can get around downtown Gold Coast just fine on public transportation. In Gold Coast, you have the bus, streetcar, train and ferry you can take to get to your destination. You can purchase a Go Explore day pass, which allows you to use public transportation for an entire day.
If you want to visit the Gold Coast area or explore the entire east coast of Australia, it can be very easy to rent a car. We usually rent our rental cars through Sunny Cars. You pay one price and then that already includes all the insurance and also the deductible. We really like this all-inclusive principle of Sunny Cars and therefore usually go on our trips with peace of mind with our rental car. For more information on renting a car in Australia, take a look here.
Children’s activities Gold Coast
#1 Amusement Parks Gold Coast
You can go to several amusement parks in Gold Coast with kids. The first amusement park you can go to is Warner Bros Movie World. This amusement park is just over a 20-minute drive from downtown Gold Coast, and at this amusement park you have rides for both younger and older kids.
In all, there are 28 different attractions you can get into with the kids. Just keep in mind that with the fast rides, there is usually a minimum height, so be sure to check the website beforehand to see exactly where kids are allowed to go. In addition to the various attractions, there are also 8 different shows you can go to. Therefore, you can easily spend a whole day at this amusement park.
However, there are many complaints online that many attractions are not open due to maintenance. On the website you can see which attractions are currently. This way, you will also have fewer surprises. For more information on opening hours, admission prices and the various attractions, take a look at the Warner Bros Movie World website.
Another amusement park you can visit in the Gold Coast area with kids is Dreamworld. This amusement park is located slightly outside the city center about 20 minutes away by car. You also have attractions for young and old here. In addition, the amusement park also has an animal section that you can visit.
So Dreamworld is a combination of an amusement park and an animal park. It is also possible to buy a combination ticket for Dreamworld’s water park at Dreamworld, but that would be a lot to do in 1 day. The Dreamworld water park we describe below under Gold Coast water parks.
#2 Water Parks Gold Coast
So you can also go to a water park at Dreamworld. WhiteWater World has 11 different slides, some of which you go down the slide with an inflatable belt or a mat. Also at this water park, some slides require you to be a minimum height to slide down the slide. For younger kids, this water park also has several pools with slides.
However, the queues at the various slides in this water park can add up when it is busy. So keep this in mind and at least try to avoid visiting this water park on weekends. You can buy several tickets on the Dreamworld website. Some combination tickets are for multiple days and also include SkyPoint which is a viewpoint.
The second water park you can visit in Gold Coast is Wet n Wild. This water park is a 15-minute drive from downtown Gold Coast. They have more than 10 different slides here that you can slide down, as well as a lazyriver, where you can float on the water with an inflatable tire.
This water park also has a play area for younger kids. Long lines can also form at the water park’s various slides on busy days.
#3 Animal Parks Gold Coast
You can also visit several animal parks in Gold Coast with kids. For example, you have Paradise Country which is a 20-minute drive from downtown Gold Coast. You mainly have the Australian animals to view here such as, for example, the kangaroo, koala and wombat. You can also book special animal encounters at Paradise Country, where you get very close to the animals and even get to touch them.
Also in this park, kids can go to different presentations of animals, they can take a ride on a tractor and there is a show featuring the characters of the famous series Shaun the sheep.
Another animal park you can visit is the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and this park is 25 minutes away by car from downtown Gold Coast. Here, too, you mostly have many familiar animals from Australia to view. This park also allows kids to get a very close look at the animals and also hold and pet some of them.
A third nature park you can visit in the Gold Coast area is the David Flea Wildlife Park. This animal park is a 15-minute drive from downtown and you can see many of the Australian animals at this animal park as well. Also in this animal park are several shows with animals including a show with crocodiles.
Of course, you have to weigh up for yourselves as a family what you think about holding animals and shows with animals. In this blog, we will mainly show you all the options you have as a family when you take a city break to Gold Coast!
#4 Beaches Gold Coast
The climate in Gold Coast is wonderful, so you have plenty of months when you can go to the beach in Gold Coast with kids. You have several beaches to visit in the Gold Coast area. One of the most beautiful beaches to visit in Gold Coast is Tallebudgera Creek.
This oasis is known for its calm waters, making it also very suitable for families with kids. At this beach there is also a playground in the shade where kids can play. It can be difficult to find a parking spot for the car here during the busy summer months, though.
Along the coast of the city is actually one big coastal strip with all different beaches. Closest to town is Main Beach, where there are plenty of facilities around the beach for families with kids. Other beaches that are fun to visit in the Gold Coast area are Surfers Paradise and Mermaid Beach.
Other children’s activities Gold Coast
In addition to the children’s activities described above, there are other activities you can do in Gold Coast with kids. We list the other children’s activities in Gold Coast below.
#5 Sea World: This is another amusement park you can visit in Gold Coast with the family. Of course, you can see lots of different sea creatures here and there are several shows with dolphins, for example. In addition, you also have several attractions here that you can visit with kids. You have just over 10 different attractions here, including a number of roller coasters.
#6 Springbrook National Park: this is a nature park that is 15 minutes away by car from Gold Coast. You can do several hikes here and in the natural park you have several waterfalls you can see. Some of these walks are short and therefore definitely suitable for hiking with young kids.
#7 Burleigh Heads National Park: this national park is just outside the center of Gold Coast a fifteen-minute drive away. You can hike here and you have a beautiful view of the coastline. With a little luck, you will also see whales swimming in the sea during the hikes.
#8 Whale tour: if you visit Gold Coast between May and November, it is possible to spot whales in the sea. You can book a tour in Gold Coast to go see these whales. For more information on these tours, take a look here.
#9 Gold Coast Botanical Garden: as in many big cities, in Gold Coast you also have a botanical garden that you can visit. Access to the garden is free and you also have in the garden a playground for kids. This is a great budget activity in Gold Coast
#10 Thunderbird Park: this park is about a 45-minute drive from Gold Coast and you can go climbing here with kids as young as 8 years old. They have several climbing courses that vary in difficulty and also more than 10 different ziplines. In addition, there is much more for kids to do in this park. These include miniature golf, laser gaming and digging with an excavator.
#11 Tamborin Mountain: this climbing park is also about a 45-minute drive from Gold Coast. You have some huge ziplines here. The 7 ziplines in this climbing park have a length of as much as 1.5 kilometers. Most courses are open to kids 8 and up, but they also have a course for kids 3 to 7 years old at this climbing park.
#12 Jet Boat Ride: You can also book a spectacular boat ride on the water. You can do this with kids as young as 4 years old, and this boat leaves from Surfers Paradise. You sail at a very high speed along the coast of Gold Coast. Especially with kids, of course, this is a spectacular activity. You can book tickets for this boat ride here.
#13 Aquaduck tour: another tour you can book in Gold Coast is a trip on the Aquaduck. This is a bus that can also travel on water. You get to tour the city and on the water in a tour during this tour. For more information about this tour, take a look here.
Family-friendly restaurant Gold Coast
You can eat and drink great in Gold Coast with kids at the various restaurants. You have plenty of family-friendly restaurants in Gold Coast to choose from. We list below some of these family-friendly restaurants where the kids can also play.
Dune Cafe: This family-friendly restaurant in Gold Coast is located near Palm Beach. The restaurant is next to a large pirate ship playground with a huge slide. This restaurant is also located near a lagoon, so you can also bring your swimming gear to this restaurant. You’ll be fine here for breakfast or lunch.
Bella’s Wonderland: this is the largest indoor playground in the Gold Coast area and here, of course, the focus is more on play than food. You can eat here, of course, and the menu at Bella’s wonderland includes a variety of sandwiches, croissants and egg dishes. So a great place to have lunch at noon for an hour or 2, while the kids can have fun in the large playground. Of course, this is also a great place to go when the weather is not so good, for example.
Pancakes in Paradise: unfortunately, this restaurant does not have a play area, but a pancake restaurant still appeals to most kids. In addition to pancakes, you can also eat fries with a burger at this restaurant.
Family-friendly hotel Gold Coast
You can stay in Gold Coast with kids just fine. The city has several nice family-friendly hotels, where you can stay with the family. We list below some of these family-friendly hotels in Gold Coast that are rated the best by families with kids. Press the blue link for more information.
Budget Hotel: Camden Motor Inn
Mid-range Hotel: The Island Gold Coast
Luxury Hotel: Meriton Suites Broadbeach
Don’t the above 3 options include a suitable accommodation for your family? Then check out the full list of family-friendly accommodations in Gold Coast.
