The Best of the Southern Gold Coast

If Surfers isn't your idea of paradise, hit the highway and head south. As Emily McAuliffe reports, fewer tourists, fine dining, fun bars and low-key markets give the Southern Gold Coast region a mellow appeal.

Postcard view

When you climb the Eiffel Tower for a panoramic view of Paris, a crucial landmark is hidden from view – the Eiffel Tower. Similarly, when you climb Q1 in Surfers Paradise, you can’t appreciate the spire of one of the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest residential buildings. Hence, the Gold Coast’s picture-perfect view is from the wide promenade linking Kirra and Coolangatta (Marine Parade), where waves roll out beneath you and skyscrapers to the north, including Q1, emerge out of a soft sea mist in the distance.

Sunday session

Heading to a Gold Coast surf lifesaving club might sound clichéd but the clubs remain firm local favourites. For the best position on the Southern Gold Coast it’s a toss-up between the Currumbin and Palm Beach clubs, depending on whether you want to be perched over the ocean or nestled amid the sand dunes while you sip a sundowner.

Free entertainment

Late every Sunday afternoon, the Southern Gold Coast community gathers in Justins Park in Burleigh Heads (The Esplanade) to watch local performers. Bongo drummers provide a soundtrack for fire twirlers, tightrope walkers, hula hoopers and anyone up for a dance. Grab a gourmet pizza from the always packed Justin Lane across the road and stretch out on a blanket to watch the festivities unfold.

Coffee experience

No, we’re not talking about sipping a latte by the beach while scanning the day’s news (though you can do that, too); this is about getting hands-on. Keen to share their coffee obsession with the world, the crew at Barefoot Barista in Palm Beach offers free 30-minute barista classes every Saturday at 1pm.

Natural wonder

Inland from the Gold Coast’s southern beaches is Springbrook National Park, which forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. Here you can choose from a variety of hiking trails, including a 1.5-kilometre circuit to Natural Bridge, where you can admire a waterfall cascading over an arched rock formation by day and the glitter of thousands of glow worms in an adjoining cave by night.