Top Three Adventure Experiences on the Gold Coast
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Whether you're taking a day trip or are planning an extended family holiday, here are my three top adventure experiences on the Gold Coast, that I just know the whole family will love.
Glow Worm Caves
Cedar Creek Estate, 104 - 144 Hartley Road, North Tamborine, QLD
Open every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day | Opens @ 10.00am | Closes 4.00pm
Twilight Tours every Friday and Saturday 4.00pm to 6.00pm with last tour at 6.00pm
Call (07) 5545-1666
I wish I were a glow worm,
A glow worm's never glum.
Because how can you be grumpy
When the sun shines out your bum?
This is one experience you have to see to believe!
Encounter first-hand the results of a ground-breaking conservation effort, by embarking on a guided - with a biologist - glow worm tour through a purpose-built cave, that is filled to overflowing with thousands of tiny glowing glow worms.
The
Glow Worm Caves offer visitors the
ONLY opportunity in Queensland to actually observe glow worms during the day. Over the course of thirty minutes, guests will get up close and personal with a glow worm and learn all about their life cycle and behaviour. The glow worm cave showcases a colony of native Mount Tamborine glow worms. The very reasonable admission prices, which range from $1 for children under 4; $15 for children aged 4 to 12; and $23 for adults, helps support and ensure the continued survival of the glow worm species in South East Queensland.
Read all about the Glow Worm Caves Conservation Initiative here.
The
Glow Worm Caves have been specially designed to maintain ideal conditions for the delicate glow worms throughout the year, providing the perfect environment for a healthy colony. This basically means that visitors are guaranteed a successful viewing inside the glow worm cave all year round.
Glow Worm tours run every day from 10.00am to 4.00pm and last for approximately thirty minutes. A maximum capacity of twenty people per tour is permitted.
Group tickets and family passes are also available for visits to the Glow Worm Caves. To
purchase entry tickets or
gift cards to the Glow Worm Caves, please click highlighted links.
*NB! Please note no cameras are permitted inside the cave.
Sea World Marine Park
Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, Gold Coast, QLD
Open every day of the year except Christmas Day | Anzac Day opening hours 1.30pm to 5.00pm
Call 13 33 86
Sea World is the premier marine mammal park, oceanarium and theme park located on the Gold Coast in Queensland. With the inclusion of educational animal presentations, superb marine exhibits, live roaming entertainment, adventure playgrounds as well as fun family carnival rides, Sea World provides world-class adventures for the whole family.
Entry tickets to Sea World can be purchased at the gate, but if you're looking for discounted tickets, there are often online specials to be found, usually on Sea World's own website. The
Sea World specials can be combined with other theme parks on the Gold Coast, providing not only one day's activities but theme park entertainment for numerous days! It's a win-win for everyone in the family - fun in the sun!
All entertainment, excluding food, refreshments and
exclusive Animal Adventures , are included in the entry price at Sea World.
The mammal presentations at Sea World commence from 10.15am in the morning and are scheduled to run in sequential order, ensuring day-trippers can pre-plan and enjoy all the shows. For example:
If
Sea World day trippers miss out on the morning presentations, all presentations have encore performances in the afternoon - which also means if you absolutely love a specific show, you can see it twice! And, it's all included in the one entry ticket.
In addition to all the fabulous animal presentations, there are a variety of shows happening throughout the day:
Plus ... the kids will absolutely love the exhilarating
carnival rides designed for the whole family. My observations on our recent visit, is that once families had seen all the mammal presentations and shows, the afternoons were enjoyed, relaxing at a picnic spot in the vicinity of the carnival rides, whilst having a snack or two to eat.
Pack a picnic and plan to spend a whole day at Sea World Marine Park - there is so much to see and do. Make sure you get there early, secure a parking spot and be ready when the doors open!
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
333 Geissmann Drive, Mt Tamborine, QLD
Open every day except Christmas Day | Opens @ 9.30am | Last walks at 4.00pm | Closes 5.00pm
Call (07) 5545-2222
If you're looking for a fun, out-of-the-ordinary outing, then head for
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk at Mt Tamborine in the Gold Coast hinterland. A totally unique and exciting way to explore the lush-green foliage of the rainforest canopies, Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk is set in thirty acres of privately owned rainforest, next to the crystal clear rock pools of Cedar Creek.
On our day of choice to visit the Rainforest Skywalk, the Gold Coast had not yet enjoyed its summer rains, so the rock pools were quite low on water, but the quirky experience of walking in the treetops, more than made up for it!
The Skywalk commences directly from the
Eco Gallery and takes approximately forty-five minutes to complete - at a leisurely pace. The whole walk is only 1.5kms and successfully combines forest floor trails, three hundred metres of high-tech steel bridges through the highest points of the rainforest's upper canopy, plus a forty metre cantilever bridge, that soars a spectacular thirty metres above the creek and rainforest below. I can only imagine how magnificent it would be now, after the rains, with the sound of running water in the creek below.
Walker's Information
Walkers walk at their own pace and are not accompanied by a guide
Flat walking shoes are recommended
The walk is suitable for larger-wheeled strollers - there are a few steps that will require negotiating
Wheelchairs can access the walk but only up to the first Skywalk bridge
Bookings are not required, unless the walk is to be done by a large group
The Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk has its very own Rainforest Eco Gallery, showcasing information on local rainforest animals, birds and reptiles. Look out for the fascinating information panels on local and indigenous Australian history too.
Once visitors have enjoyed their walk and the Eco Gallery, head to
The Birdwing Cafe - also part of the
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk Centre. Here day-trippers can relax on the deck, overlooking the magnificent rainforest whilst enjoying a delicious variety of cakes, tartlets, brownies or cheesecakes. And, of course, one will find it difficult to bypass the fabulous Gift and Souvenir Shop, with their tantalising display of pretty gifts and take-home goodies. Well worth a pop-in!
These are my top three adventure experiences on the Gold Coast, knowing full well that there are many more incredible adventure spots to be found … one just has to make a plan to get there. With the Gold Coast and the Gold Coast hinterland only an hour's drive south of Brisbane and two hours drive south of the Sunshine Coast, why not book a family stay away at one of Australia's leading tourist destinations and create happy family memories with new adventures.
All images courtesy of author, unless otherwise indicated
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124442 - 2023-06-13 01:41:56