The Gold Coast is a famous area of Queensland, and home to three of the state’s best beachfront areas – Main Beach, Surfer’s Paradise, and Broadbeach. Main Beach is well known as the Malibu of Queensland with its upscale and relaxed lifestyle. Enjoy the multitude of cafes and restaurants, luxurious accommodations such as the Palazzo Versace or the Sheraton Mirage, and trendy shopping boutiques. The area is home to several resort hotels, and even the Sea World Resort where the classic theme park is combined with a family friendly hotel. If you enjoy water sports, surfing and diving are popular in the area.
Surfer’s Paradise is another fantastic holiday destination. This famous coastline often shows up in Australian photographs, and is one of Australia’s most famous beaches. The surrounding centre is chock full of accommodation options in all price ranges, from backpacking hostels up to five star hotels, and there is much to see in the area, including the Dreamworld theme park that is a great family destination. The nightlife in Surfer’s Paradise is varied and exciting, with live entertainment featured everywhere. Every October the area is home to Indy 300 racing.
Only a few kilometers south of Surfer’s Paradise is Broadbeach, a wonderful area for families to enjoy. The quiet beaches are patrolled by lifeguards, and the local parks are not only child friendly but a great way for families to enjoy the area cost-free. Dining is known to be a little cheaper in this area as well, making it an ideal place to find affordable vacation packages. Outdoor craft markets are held on the beach on the first and third Sundays of the month. For the adults there is still plenty to see and do, including the large casino and entertainment complex. For those of a more adventurous sort, try Dracula’s Cabaret, a dinner theatre show where guests are taken to their seats on an old fashioned haunted ghost train and are treated to a three course dinner and two hour horror-comedy show.
If you’re looking for a unique way to explore the Australian Outback, how about visiting a commercial opal field and staying overnight in an underground hotel? This might sound like a trip not for the faint of heart, but in reality the White Cliffs area can be enjoyed by just about everyone. Although it is considered the Outback, White Cliffs and the neighboring Broken Hill are only about a day’s drive from both Sydney and Melbourne, making it relatively easy to visit. If you prefer traveling by air, helicopter flights to the area are also available.
The tourist appeal of White Cliffs comes mainly from the fact that the majority of the town’s residents live underground in houses carved out of the sandstone rock so prevalent in the area. Called ‘dugouts,’ these homes require no heating or air conditioning and maintain a very comfortable twenty-two degrees Celsius through summer and winter. Residents dig their homes into the rock using a jackhammer and a wheelbarrow to remove the debris. Once hollowed out they are normally sealed and painted white. There are two accommodations where visitors can stay underground, at the Underground Motel or PJs Underground Bed and Breakfast. The Underground Motel includes an underground restaurant and bar.
White Cliffs was Australia’s first commercial opal mine. Opals are a unique gemstone that have become Australia’s trademark. A visit to White Cliffs should include a mine tour where visitors can even try their hand at finding opal remnants in the mine’s tailings. Several local shops sell quality Australian opals, and there are also several artists in the area who sell beautiful jewelry, photographs, and paintings. Far away from the city lights, the stars here are clearly visible in the wide open skies, so bring a constellation map along for your stay.
The former home of one of the wealthiest pioneer couples in Melbourne, Como House is a beautiful example of colonial Australian architecture. A visit to the house and gardens is an excellent introduction into colonial life in Australia, especially amongst the upper classes.
Built in 1847 by Edward Eyre Williams for his new wife Jessie Gibbon, the house changed hands several times during its early history. The third owners, John and Helen Brown, developed the beautiful gardens that can now be seen today. When the Armytage family purchased the house in 1864 the property moved into a period of stability that lasted almost one hundred years. Charles and Caroline Armytage raised their ten children at the house, and in 1906 their daughter, Constance, was married there in what was then coined as the “social event of the year.” In 1959 the Armytage family gave the house to the National Trust so that it could be forever preserved as a heritage site. The house remains fully decorated with Artymage family heirlooms, and is known for its collection of antique furniture. The gardens have been meticulously restored, right down the vegetable gardens that once fed the household. A popular place for both casual picnics and upscale weddings, the gardens are a beautiful spot not to be missed.
Visits to the house and gardens are by guided tour only, so be sure to call ahead. The house is a convenient seven minute walk from the South Yarra train station. Onsite is the well-regarded Bursaria Café where visitors can get a bite to eat or simply enjoy a cup of coffee as they look out onto the gardens. The Café is family friendly, and even allows dogs. Entrance into the house and gardens is free when visiting the café.
