Reconnect with your mates on the Goldie this year

The Gold Coast might be known for sun and surf but the region is fast making a name for itself for its outstanding food and bar scene.

Australia's favourite holiday destination, the Gold Coast, QLD.

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Australia’s favourite holiday destination is shaking off the ghost of 2020 in its signature style of sparkling white-sand beaches and great shopping to world-class dining and sunshine-y hospitality and spectacular natural environments.  

To ramp up the fun again this year, top-shelf travel operators including Qantas are offering free-cancellation policies to maintain travellers’ confidence, giving you the perfect excuse to book a group trip and reconnect with your mates.

The Star’s Chief Operating Officer Jessica Mellor says the Gold Coast is one of Australia’s most iconic and favourite holiday destinations for a reason – it offers the range of vacation options from a laidback spa break to a jam-packed adventure.

“Visitors can sit back and enjoy its many golden beaches under year-round sunshine through exploring adrenalin-pumping rides at many of its renowned theme parks,” she says.

“The Gold Coast has always been renowned for its natural advantage in the form of stunning subtropical weather, beautiful hinterland, and golden beaches.

“However, over the years, the City has turned its focus on developing its capacity to host major events and festivals, fantastic live music, and diverse arts and culture.” As Australia’s sixth biggest city, it also offers a range of accommodation options from luxury suites to self-catering holiday homes.

The appeal of the region is clear. Not only is it a vibrant, modern city, but the Gold Coast still offers one of the best beach breaks in Australia. A recent YouGov poll of more than 1500 people found two thirds of us (65%) would like to visit the coast within the next three to six months, and one third (36%) are looking for a city break. On the Gold Coast, you can have both!

The canals and city edge seen at sunrise from a hot air balloon, the Gold Coast, QLD.

Broadbeach

Broadbeach has it all. It’s one the city’s best stretches of patrolled beach with an all-access playground set just behind the dunes. 

Set the scene for the holiday with a hot-air balloon ride over the high-rises, beaches and  mountains or watch the bustle of the surf life savers in training from the Kurrawa Surf Club balcony.

In the heart of Broadbeach is the redeveloped casino, dining and recreation precinct at The Star. Fresh from its $850 million upgrade that added the luxury The Darling hotel and a full refurbishment of The Star hotel, 11 new restaurants, cafes and bars and the under-development Dorsett hotel.

Ms Mellor says recent upgrades are transforming the venue into an integrated resort.

“The Star Gold Coast boasts multi-award-winning restaurants to tempt the taste buds, sophisticated bars, world-class gaming amenities, spectacular stage shows and concerts, an impressive convention and exhibition space, and of course, impeccable service,” she says.

Rooftop bar and dining The Nineteen is among the most celebrated by groups, for its premium and sustainable produce set menus and Bellini Saturdays. A new breakfast menu featuring a crab omelette or ratatouille tart is also enticing diners back for the morning.

Live music and a southern Californian vibe are popular options at The Lawn at the Garden Kitchen and Bar.

And if you’re keen for a bottomless lunch including Mooloolaba king prawns, wagyu rump cap, or twice cooked cauliflower - complemented by French champagne – well, Miss Moneypenny’s will deliver.

Tranquil and tropical beach at Burleigh Heads National Park, the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Watching the beach with a beer in hand at Burleigh 

Burleigh is one of the regions driving a cultural change on the Gold Coast. Long established as one of the best surf breaks in Australia as the home of the Gold Coast Open, Burleigh Heads’ onshore opportunities are also developing rapidly.

Get your bearings and build up an appetite with a walk through the Burleigh Heads National Park Oceanview Walk.

Then you can take a seat for a long lunch set menu at highly awarded, hatted Asian fusion restaurant Rick Shores, or sit on the patio for freshly shucked oysters and share plates.

Maybe you’re after something more casual? It has been a long time between drinks with your friends. Then Justine Lane can cover off your pizza craving, as well as offering eight beers on tap, all covered in its motto: “Eat, drink & be messy”.

Another highlight of beachfront chillaxing is on tap at the Burleigh Pavilion. Find a table under the umbrellas or gather around on the stools to watch the beachgoers.

If it's Vietnamese food you’re after, drop into nearby Jimmy Wah’s for flavoursome Panko crumbed eggplant chips with hellfire oil and mayo, or a beef red curry with potato, green beans and peanuts.

Enjoy a craft beer and live music further down the coast, the Gold Coast, QLD.

Southern Gold Coast

Further down the Gold Coast Highway, the vibe starts to change. The skyscrapers on the beach shift to midrise, and then to a smattering of 1960s brick motels.

Here you’ll find the crucible of the city’s burgeoning craft-beer culture, home to the Burleigh Brewing Company taphouse, which offers tastings and live music.

And one of the nation’s top small breweries, Black Hops – the makers of the award-winning G.O.A.T. Hazy IPA and the Pale Ale – also opens to the public. A new AWOL Taphouse will open to the public next month [March], allowing armchair beer experts to test their palate. 

Operations manager Leah Spong says their fortnightly tours also delve into the beer-making process.

“We do a sensory experience where we test the looks, smell, taste, feel in the mouth, and judge it,” she says.

Ms Spong says the southern region has it all. “It’s so beautiful,” she says. “You’ve got the coast, you’ve got the hinterland. It’s the best of both worlds really. It’s more laidback, everyone is just so chilled.”

For holidaymakers wanting to take “chilled” to the next level, it could mean checking into one of the Gold Coast hinterland’s highly regarded spas and retreats. Immerse in the wellness haven Gwinganna to the half-day spa packages at On Eagle Wings.

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