Best Family Activities on the Gold Coast: Theme Parks, Beaches and Wildlife

The Gold Coast is one of Australia's premier family holiday destinations, anchored by four major theme parks and 57 km of patrolled beaches, with a range of wildlife and nature attractions complementing the rides and waves. Dreamworld at Coomera is Australia's largest theme park with more than 40 rides including the iconic Tower of Terror and a Corroboree native wildlife precinct with koala encounters. Warner Bros. Movie World on Pacific Motorway is the most cinema-themed park in Australia, with Hollywood Stunt Driver shows, Justice League rides and DC Comics character meet-and-greets popular with children. Sea World on Sea World Drive in Main Beach has dolphin and seal shows, a water park section and the Sea World Resort adjacent for overnight stays. Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast on Pacific Motorway provides a large-scale water park for hot weather days. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on Gold Coast Highway in Currumbin is the most wildlife-focused of the major attractions, with koala holding, a native animal hospital open for tours and a resident population of free-roaming kangaroos that graze in the park grounds. Tamborine Mountain in the hinterland, 40 minutes inland, has the Glow Worm Caves and the Gallery Walk of arts, crafts and food shops accessible as a family half-day drive.