Destination Gold Coast announce ‘unprecedented’ school holiday season as record numbers hit the city

Queensland school holidays may have come an end but there’s plenty more fun in the sun for interstate visitors, with an “unprecedented” holiday season attracting record numbers.

GOLD COAST beaches will be the place to be with temperatures to soar again today.

Parts of the Gold Coast are tipped to reach 35C, with the hot weather sparking a “severe” fire threat.

A fire ban is in place until Friday night amid fears dry, gusty thunderstorms tonight could kickstart more fires.

Yesterday Gold Coasters and tourists alike took to the city’s waterways in droves to cool off on the final day of school holidays.

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Beachgoers enjoying the public holiday and hot weather at Tallebudgera Beach. Picture: Jerad Williams

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Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said tourism numbers were “unprecedented”: “Accommodation service providers are telling us it’s really full, restaurants are doing very well and theme parks, a good litmus test, are telling us they’ve got record numbers and queues out the door.

“There’s a lot of long-weekend trippers as well. We couldn’t be happier.”

Ms Battista said crowds were a combination of “drive-market” tourists plus families from further afield attracted to the sunshine.

People jumping off the Tallebudgera bridge. Picture: Jerad Williams

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School holidays continue for another week for students in NSW and South Australia, with big numbers expected to remain on the Gold Coast.

Friends Alice Rutherford, 13, and Emilia Jennings-Smith, 11, of Cronulla are among those soaking up rays.

Mum Natasha Jennings said the families would be staying until Friday, and were looking forward to skipping the big queues when Queensland kids go back to school today.

“It’s been crazy, we came up last year but I think we got lucky, it was much quieter. We love it.”

Alice Rutherford, 13, and Emilia Jennings-Smith, 11 from Cronulla enjoy a dip during school holidays. Picture: Jerad Williams

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While crowds will stick around, the searing heat will not. Cooler days are forecast from tomorrow, bringing temperatures in the mid-to-low-20s the rest of the week.

Bureau of Meteorology’s Kimba Wong said the cooler weather was more in line with averages for this time of year: “A number of locations are dropping down 10C or 11C overnight but just because temperatures have been so high it’s really just coming back to about average.”