Exlplore the Gold Coast with your family

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There is nothing more exciting than hearing the roar of the crowd and seeing a wetsuit clad presenter being hurled into the air by a dolphin. The children’s faces light up with delight and the crowd clap madly as both the presenter and dolphin finish their routine and make their way to the front of the pool. So where was this? At Sea World, one of the many theme parks on the Gold Coast of Australia.
The theme parks are one of the main attractions for those visiting the Gold Coast and well worth visiting while you are there. The region is a buzz with such a wide variety of things to do that your family will never be bored.  Activities range from hands-on experiences like yabby pumping and feeding kangaroos to the excitement of the theme parks. You can even chill out on the beach or at one of the numerous playgrounds along the coastline if it all gets too much.
Cute Koalas, slithering snakes and jumping kangaroos
For those with little ones, I recommend adding Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (http://www.currumbin-sanctuary.org.au/) to your list of things to do. This not-for-profit organisation reinvests all its proceeds back into caring for its animals and their environment. It just a short fifteen minute drive down the coast from Surfers Paradise and it will give your family a chance to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s wildlife.
When you arrive take the train trip around the park, this will give you a good view of the park without tiring out little legs. You can get off and on the train as much as you like and there is even a separate carriage for your pushchairs. The pathways are all suitable for pushchairs if you choose to walk between attractions.
I would recommend the ‘Cold Blooded Reptile’ and the ‘Free Flight Bird’ show. The reptile show explains about the different snakes that can be found in Australia and introduces you to a couple of very poisonous ones. Don’t worry though; there is a glass fence between you and the snakes. Once these guys are safely back in their containers, three non-venomous constrictors are introduced to the audience. At the end of the show your child can have their photo taken with one of the snakes draped over their shoulders. The expressions on their faces are priceless. The other show is the Free Flight Bird show which is held in the open. It’s extremely exciting as each group of birds is introduced to the audience, some flying just inches above your head. The bird show is not suitable for anyone who has a fear of birds as they can fly very close to the audience.
One of our favourite spots was the Kangaroo area where you can walk around the same enclosure as the kangaroos. Keepers are there and can show you how to feed them. I was surprised how soft their fur was and how gentle they were around children.
Fun at the Theme Parks
A trip to the Gold Coast wouldn’t be perfect without at least one visit to a theme park (http://myfun.com.au/). There are several different ones to choose from:
·         Paradise Country Aussie Farm Tour (http://paradisecountry.myfun.com.au/) at the farm you can meet kangaroos and emus and you can even get your photograph taken cuddling a koala...
·         Sea World (http://seaworld.myfun.com.au/) this is an amazing place to see, and you can even get up close to some of the marine animals. It even has its own resort at its doorstep!  This park is ideal for families, with pre-schoolers and school age children will catered for.
·         Warner Bros. Movie World (http://movieworld.myfun.com.au/). This park is based around movies themes and you will find shows, exhilarating adventure rides and much more.
·         Wet’n’Wild Water World (http://wetnwild.myfun.com.au/) While Wet’n’Wild does offer a place for young children to play at the aquatic playground Buccaneer Bay. Some parents have commented that they feel this theme park is more suitable for parents with school aged children rather than those with toddlers or preschoolers.
On this trip we chose Sea World. The park is really family-friendly. For those with little ones, the Sesame Street area is perfect with rides and a show all designed around keeping your child entertained. My children’s highlights of the park included the sea lion and dolphin shows and both I would recommend.  My son, Andrew’s favourite attraction was the pirate ships at Castaway Bay. I recommend taking a spare set of clothes or rain jacket as you’ll get wet. Each boat is set up with water cannons that you pump to squirt water at the people watching you on land. However there is a catch, there are water cannons on shore as well … with those in the boats getting drenched. Lots of water, lots of fun!
 Cost of food: Food was very expensive here, with a sandwich costing over $7 Australian. The website states that only fruit and bottled water can be taken into the park.
Maintenance: If visiting over the winter months, take a few minutes to check out online the parks maintenance schedules prior to your visit. Over winter several rides are often closed for maintenance Look under the ‘Attractions’ tab and then ‘Attraction Maintenance’.
Yabby pumping, crab catching and seafood galore
If you love seafood, want to give the children a bit of hands on fun and like the idea of cruising a river then you can’t go pass a yabby pumping, crab catching cruise (www.goldcoastcruising.com) on the Tweed River. While Tweed isn’t on the Gold Coast it is less than 30 minutes from Surfers Paradise.
This three-hour cruise is ideal for families, providing a sheltered area for those with very young children and plenty of hands on activities for those with older children. With no waves to contend with your children are unlikely to suffer from seasickness, a bonus for any parent.
A typical cruise would go something like this. The first activity is yabby pumping. If you’re unsure what a yabby is, it’s a small shrimp, ideal for bait but not for eating, which spends low tide in the river mud. You will need to make sure you bring shorts or trousers that you can roll up, as you will get out of the boat and ankle deep into water. The pump is pushed into the sand by a pumping action, much like pumping up a bicycle tyre. This stucks up mud and water and hopefully you'll catch a yabby too. Next you’ll be back on the boat and off to check out the crab pots. The children loved pulling these in and seeing the large crabs in the pots – later on they can even have a go at holding one if they want.  Following this your family can have a go at fishing from the boat. The final activity is feeding the pelicans; the birds would have been following the boat for most of the trip. On the way back to the wharf you’ll finish your trip with a tasty seafood meal. When we did this cruise we were so full that we didn’t need dinner that night and the crab meat was delicious and the freshest I’ve ever tasted. It was caught on the trip!
Other things to do while on the Gold Coast
Carrara Markets (www.carrarmarkets.com.au) are Queensland’s biggest permanent markets and are held very Saturday and Sunday.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium, the entrance to Ripley’s is a little underwhelming; however once inside your family will have a great time. There is plenty to see and do here and some of the attractions are interactive. Suitable for all ages.
Places to stay
There is a wide variety of accommodation on the Gold Coast to choose from including apartments, motels and holiday parks. We choose to stay at one of the Big4 Holiday Parks, Treasure Island, because we wanted a place that catered especially for families. The accommodation was ideal and caters for all budgets with accommodation choices ranging from tent sites through to tourist flats/villas and apartments. Swimming pools suited all age groups and the giant jumping pillow kept all the children entertained while we waited for dinner at parks restaurant.
So if you want to head for the sun and have a fun overseas holiday, you can’t go past the Gold Coast.
Fact file:
Getting there:
Air New Zealand, Qantas and Virgin Australia all fly to the Gold Coast, however not all fly direct to the Gold Coast Airport. If you are unable to get a direct flight on the date you want, an alternative could be to fly to Brisbane and take the 70km (one hour) drive down to the Coast. This can give you a greater flexibility with a choice of flights and fares. Plus you are on the motorway the whole time from Brisbane to the Gold Coast!
 
Accommodation:
You can book your Australian accommodation through www.kidsfriendlytravel.com and because all our listed accommodation is family-friendly you will save yourself time. Plus you save even more as Kids Friendly Travel does not charge a booking fee.
 
Temperatures:
Summer: Nov to April 19C – 28C
Winter: May to Oct 12C - 23C
 
Australian Visas:
Kiwis going to Australia. Did you know that New Zealanders automatically get a Special Category Visa when they arrive in Australia? You must meet certain security, character and health requirements. The only evidence you have of this visa is the stamp you get on arrival. Once you have the visa you can stay and work in Australia indefinitely, provided you remain of good character. If you use SmartGate you are granted the visa but you don't get an arrival stamp in your passport. You can ask a Customs and Border Protection Officer for one, if you wish. Smart Gate is the automated border processing system that allows you to self-process through passport control. You need to hold a NZ ePassport and be aged 18 or over. They can be used in Australia and NZ.

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     ABOUT THE AUTHOR, Gaye Miller
     Gaye Miller is a published travel writer and author of the travel book
      “Where Shall We Take The Kids?” A family-friendly travel guide to
      activities and destinations around New Zealand. You can follow
      her on Twitter @kidsfriendly. Other articles from Gaye Miller