Nature’s theme park
Located in Tamborine Mountain, less than an hour from central Gold Coast and the bustle of the beach, is a family-friendly adventure playground called Thunderbird Park. Set in 112 hectares of rainforest, it offers an abundance of nature-inspired outdoor experiences, including bushwalks, bird feeding, swimming holes, pickleball and mini golf.
Thrillseekers are also catered for, with plenty more adrenaline-pumping activities, like ziplining, laser strike and 4WD buggies. Plus, you can go panning for crystals or fossicking for thundereggs – 200 million-year-old geode-like gems from a prehistoric lava flow. The perfect souvenir!
Thunderbird Park’s latest attraction is Dig It, a mini excavator site where children channel their inner tradies by donning high-vis and operating CAT diggers, moving dirt and rocks in a safe environment. There’s also the Demolition Zone, a perfect excuse to use a wrecking ball and cause (controlled) chaos!
Where to stay in Tamborine Mountain
For accommodation in the area, look no further than the Cedar Creek Lodges, right next door to the park.
If you’re into glamping, you can’t beat their brand-new Woodlands Family Luxe Tents, which are set among the trees, with plunge pools, large sun decks and outdoor barbies. Otherwise, The Vistas feature nature-inspired suites for up to three guests, with private balconies for those post-adventure wines and selfies!
Other family activities in the area
For more family fun outside Thunderbird Park, be sure to check out the picturesque Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation, where you can get your caffeine fix from beans grown, picked and roasted on the slopes just behind the store, and the exhilarating Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, where you can explore the lush green canopy on a pathway 30m above the forest floor.
Man-made fun in the Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is famous for its theme parks. Giants like Wet’n’Wild, Dreamworld, Warner Bros Movie World and Sea World are rites of passage for locals and travellers alike, plus a chance to build family memories. Even if you’ve been here before, the whānau favourites all have new offerings.
For example, Sea World’s new Leviathan wooden coaster is an impressive tower of timber that takes guests on a thundering quest that reaches speeds of up to 80km/h, with exhilarating turns, cross-overs, drops and dips.
Not to be outdone, Dreamworld recently opened its Steel Taipan, a reptilian rollercoaster with a top speed of 105km/h and 1.2km of gut-lurching, twisting track.
Meanwhile, Movie World is set to launch two new attractions this year alone. Flash Speed Force, a thrilling half-pipe shuttle coaster themed around DC superhero The Flash opens next month, while the Wizard Of Oz precinct – complete with a Yellow Brick Road, a coaster and a boomerang racer – promises old-fashioned fun when it launches later this year.
But there’s more to theme parks than white-knuckle rides. At the southern end of the Gold Coast, you’ll love breakfast with the koalas at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, where you’ll enjoy a gourmet meal and get a photo cuddling everyone’s favourite marsupial.
Back in the hub of the Gold Coast, scale the fifth-highest residential building in the world with SkyPoint Climb, where you’ll stand 77 storeys above the glittering beach for uninhibited views of Surfers Paradise.
Where to stay on the Gold Coast
Our picks are The Dorsett, a 4.5-star hotel with a sun-kissed pool in bustling Broadbeach, and the Meriton Suites Surfers Paradise, where the five-star beachfront apartments provide gorgeous views over the golden coastline.
