Okay, while it does happen to be Cooloongatta, and I am certainly not a particularly big fan of any…read moreplace along the Gold Coast, this place was actually a rather nice park. I guess some of these foreshore parks are actually rather nice, especially since they provide a much cooler space on the hot days, and also no sand as well.

O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat is the private business inside the National Park, making it open to…read moreall. You can park at the end of the winding road and explore all the natural wonders. There's a tree top walk nature walk to see local trees and birds. It ends with a loop of bridges that go up, with a lookout two ladders up looking over the valley below. The park is much larger than we could see on our visit. It's a gorgeous area high in the mountains and much cooler than the coast a few hours away. If you're into natural wonders, this is a must visit park near Brisbane.

Lush rainforests, ancient trees, spectacular views, extensive walking tracks, exceptional…read moreecological importance and natural beauty make this Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area an outstanding place to visit. Birding is off the hook!!

Sweet little park in the middle of town. Great place to stretch your legs, have a picnic and let…read morethe kiddos run. Decent birding around the ponds too:

The beach is a long beach which isn't patrolled. It is a beach for board riders and late night…read morewalkers. The beach goes all the way up to Elephant Rock and the famous Viking Restaurant.

What a great park for the kids! The enclosed playground is massive and colourful with a monorail…read moreself propelled carriage that the ankle biters really love. Well I saw one big kid...( umm a parent) trying it as well. There are slippery dips and climbing equipment throughout the area and it is well shaded. Outside the enclosed area are picnic areas with electric barbecues which are free. Picnic tables are also covered and are kept in reasonable condition. Ducks and a variety of birds make their home along the lake. There is one special rotunda where weddings are held. Overall this is a lovely park in a suburban area of the Gold Coast.

This was actually a rather nice place to go for a morning walk, but then again I do appreciate…read morethose morning walks, especially when I am out and about. Mind you, in those mornings you do tend to find that the surfers are out and about as well, so it also gives you a nice vantage point to watch their antics as well. Yeah, it is actually quite nice.

Maybe I'm starting to get a little be too old, but I find myself going for walks just to have a…read morelook around a particular place. Then again, I wasn't the only person wandering around here on a brisk winter morning, and I certainly wasn't the youngest. So, I wouldn't quite say that this is where the border between Queensland and New South Wales meets, but it is pretty close, and it is a nice place for a stroll. Well, if you're into surfing it seems that surfers also quite like this place as well, though I'm not one of them.

Surfers in black wet suits, look like seals from a distance...there must have been at least 100…read moresurfers in amongst the rough waves. This little spot is famous for its surf. The water is very deep and the rocks are incredibly dangerous...maybe it is the thrill of it all but I'd rather my dingy with a life jacket.ha I noticed that there were a number of serious surfers who were in family groups. A number of times I saw the serious surfy dads in their mid to late 40s with their grown up children, all paddling out to get that monstrous wave. However not too far out from the shore was a huge whale bobbing in out of the rough waves. With the sun streaming down and the glorious heat this was a wonderful sight to see. People were gathering on the beach, on the rocks and at the nearby lookout to see this majestic mammal. The lifesavers were very busy watching from a distance and the marine helicopter flew over just checking on the people. A fantastic spot to be just at the right time. You can't get any better..sun and the surf!

A quiet little beach that has a huge green frog overlooking it. The beach is mainly rocks with some…read moresand. There is a small pool of water before venturing into dangerous waves. This is a non patrolled beach.