The last week of July and the first week of August 2015, I decided to leave the cold weather of Melbourne behind and head north for the sunshine to Surfers Paradise in Queensland with my family.
At the airport waiting to check in, I couldn’t wait to get to the Gold Coast, but was really nervous for the first plane trip ahead with my 2 and a half year old daughter. We decided to fly with Jetstar after we picked up some great deals. I have always been quite nervous about flying with her because I don’t want to be THAT family with the crying baby that everyone is annoyed with.
After reading quite a few travel blogs in particular to kids travelling and flying, I was ready for the adventure that lay ahead. I boarded the plane with my daughter in one hand and my camera bag, snacks, drinks, tablet (with lots of Wiggles) and sticker books in the other. We were ready…..
The flight from Melbourne to Queensland is only two hours and was a great first test for my daughter. During take-off and landing I gave her lots of jelly lollies to chew on and distract her (thanks to the advice from my fellow travel bloggers). I must say, I was surprised with how well she did. No tears, no screaming, no tantrums, no problems!
Once we landed, I was grateful that the Sunny Gold Coast lived up to its name. It was a nice 24 degrees in the middle of winter, just beautiful. It was time to board our shuttle bus and head to the Mantra Circle on Cavill for our first week. The accommodation was beautifully located and the apartment was perfect for what we needed.
The next day I wanted to see some of the million dollar houses of the rich and famous and we did that with a cruise with Bluewater Cruises. The weather was just ideal for sitting on the roof of the boat and having a well-deserved beverage.
The day after our cruise we decided to check out Melbas Restaurant on Cavill Avenue for a midday lunch. We had been there many many years ago and it brought back some fond memories.
On Saturday we decided that we were ready to experience Dreamworld for the first time with our daughter. We couldn’t wait to take her to see ABC KIDS WORLD and see Dorothy the Dinosaur and many others who are her favourites right now too.
That weekend we checked into our second hotel the Q1 Resort and Spa and WOW what an amazing place it is. The rooms, the facilities, the location, the whole place was just brilliant.
The following week we decided to experience Seaworld, Movieworld and the Skypoint Observation Deck. Im guessing that Seaworld was my daughter’s favourite because she was able to see Dora The Explorer live on stage and they had a sing along to all the songs.
Other than that, we spent the rest of our time at the two amazing swimming pools at the hotels, spent many of afternoons down at the beach and wondered our way through Cavill Avenues restaurants and shops. We also visited Cold Rock Ice Creamy way too many times. Yes my daughter loves it, but I love it more and yes I had more than one, so don’t judge me!
Overall, I had a fantastic time with my family in Surfers Paradise, Gold, Coast, Queensland. It was a great break away from the usual routine of work and home and I would love to go back again and see all the things that I didn’t get a chance to see and do.
Have you visited Surfers Paradise before and if so, what did you enjoy the most there?
Great post Christine! And awesome photography! I love Surfers and esp. sea world. The weather looked like it was amazing for you too.
Thank you Catherine for the lovely feedback. Yes the weather was beautiful while we visited Surfers Paradise, I can't wait to go back another time and yes I loved all the Theme Parks too. Great for the kids.
Oh looks beautiful. Thanks for the detailed write up.
Have you ever stayed at the QT Hotel?
I love Surfers Paradise but definitely NOT in the school holidays. It's too busy. Great post.
Great read Christine