Gold Coast: Holiday ideas to get outside this winter

Winter is here, whether you’re ready for it or not. But don’t worry - there’s a surprising place you can escape to this year to avoid the chill altogether.

Gold Coast

Winter is here, whether you’re ready for it or not.

Rather than dive under a doona and hibernate until the sun returns, your best tactic would be to escape winter altogether. How, we hear you ask? Beeline it to the Gold Coast – where the outdoors is always in thanks to weather so mild it makes winter seem like fake news.  

SHOP IT LIKE IT’S HOT

Nothing screams tropical climate quite like year-round open-air shopping – in temperature terms that’s about as flaunty as a Kardashian bikini. Shoppers can browse in the ocean breeze for international labels and covetable fare in the freshly revamped fashion mecca, Pacific Fair, or stalk out deals on designer goods while enjoying winter rays at Australia’s largest outlet centre, Harbour Town. If bespoke handmade goods by emerging designers and artisans are more your thing, The Village Markets, held at Burleigh on the first and third Sunday of the month, has a beachy-chic array of stalls, live music, coffee and food only a short sashay from the sea.

GET THE AWE AND ADRENALINE FLOWING

Even whales know the Gold Coast is a winter haven, with the wider region experiencing one of the longest whale migration periods in the world (May-November). Enjoy close encounters with these majestic creatures by climbing aboard a whale-watching cruise and whisking out to the so-called ‘Humpback Highway’, or by lucking into impromptu sightings from beachside vantage points (try headland lookouts with big ocean vistas like Burleigh, Nobby, Kirra or Point Danger).

Alternatively, as healthy doses of fear can also warm the senses, garner the ultimate winter vantage point by climbing to the pinnacle of one of the city’s tallest buildings, the Q1. Called the SkyPoint Climb, if you’re game to scale a seaside skyscraper (safely harnessed, of course – no Spidey skills required) you’ll score unencumbered views from the mountains to the wide blue yonder, from Hinterland to Humpback Highway. Take a sunset climb to watch the sunset and moonrise in unison, or for those who prefer their views without the height fright, there’s also an enclosed viewing deck with café and bar.

SIGHTSEE BY HIKE, SUP & BIKE

As a city built with outdoor lovers in mind, the Gold Coast’s endless kilometres of walkways and waterways are ripe for sightseeing by foot, stand-up paddle (SUP) or bike in any season. Front row is the Gold Coast Oceanway, a 36km network of pathways and cycling lanes that hug the coastline from north to south, and peppered with great lookouts for photo ops as well as plentiful pit-stop options for a pick-me-up coffee or swim. More extensive hiking trails, including overnight or multi-day hikes, wind their way past the ancient rainforests and waterfalls of the Gold Coast Hinterland.

Nature reserves and walkways also abound alongside the Gold Coast’s many rivers and inlets, where you’re also likely to find ideal conditions for one of the area’s most popular modes of transportation, SUP (try Currumbin Estuary, Tallebudgera Creek, Budds Beach, Broadwater, Couran Cove or Jack Evans Boat Harbour for SUP hire and/or lessons).

Or for those who prefer guaranteed wildlife sightings during their outdoor adventures, try David Fleay Wildlife Park at West Burleigh or visit Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, home to one of Australia’s largest native animal sanctuaries spread across hectares of lush natural habitat. Both parks connect up to different pathways that link back to the Oceanway, allowing for multiple modes of access.

SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOP

While people in cooler climates huddle in their igloos knitting scarves, Gold Coasters are fiddling and feasting on their rooftops. OK, that may be a slight exaggeration (there’s a decided lack of fiddles) but you get the gist. On trend from New York to Paris, rooftop bars are understandably popular and plentiful in these parts – few cities in the world have more amiable weather to enjoy wining and dining under the stars year round.

Top picks for rooftop bliss? In Nobby Beach, Greek-inspired star of the local foodie scene, Hellenika, is a standout, while innovative Palm Beach dining precinct The Collective has one of the Southern end’s most popular rooftop bars. In Surfers Paradise, try an Island Pina Colada at the retro-style roof bar at The Island. In Broadbeach you’ll find the neon lights, bar swings and hanging umbrella installations of Hideaway Kitchen & Bar, or the coast’s newest luxe rooftop addition Nineteen at the Star, named for its heart-soaring position 19 floors above the coast.

BEACH BITES

The Gold Coast’s got bite, and we’re not just talking local eats. Its shoreline is a gently curved crescent that resembles a giant bite mark when viewed on a map, with each end of the coast roughly facing the other. This means there’s opposing ideal wind and swell conditions from north to south, so no matter what the forecast there’s always somewhere offshore and toasty-warm on those rare blustery days – making hitting the beach for a picnic or swim a year-round option.

In strong south winds, stunning bays, rock pools and surf await tucked away on the southern points (Rainbow Bay, Greenmount, Kirra and Burleigh). When northerly winds blow, try the endless expanses of white sandy shores on the northern beaches (the Spit, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Miami). West is offshore everywhere, while even in a strong easterly it’s still prime playtime in protected inlets, rivers and waterways.

For picnic-worthy deli goods and grazing platters to enjoy on your coastal explorations, try Providore at Marina Mirage, Ferry Road Markets in Southport, Salt Meats Cheese in Surfers Paradise, Ambarella or Golosi in Burleigh, or Quince at Cornerstone in Currumbin.  

ENTERTAINING OUTDOORS

The new $37 million outdoor stage at HOTA (Home of the Arts) is a testament to Gold Coast’s unspoken ‘outside is in’ mantra. Attracting international acts like Neil Finn and Tim Minchin through to monthly free concerts called Dancing On The Green, catch a show if you can – even if just for the enjoyment of a riverside concert as the Surfers skyline lights up at dusk. For entertainment and street food combined in semi-outdoor fashion, Miami Marketta and NightQuarter have regular live music most weekends ranging from local talent to touring international acts, or for alfresco dining any day of the week, cruise the open-air malls at Broadbeach, Main Beach and Surfers Paradise, where you’ll find unlimited foodie options for leisurely long lunches in the sun to keep winter vibes at bay.

Originally published as Gold Coast: Holiday ideas to get outside this winter