Hidden gold

Gold Coast local NARELLE BOUVENG shares her insider tips for a twist on visiting Australia’s favourite family playground.

- NARELLE BOUVENG

With more than 50 kilometres of sand-swept coastline and a backdrop of ancient Gondwana Rainforest, the Gold Coast is paradise for all sorts of family adventures. But beyond the well-trodden tourist hotspots, which beaches are the best to bask on, what theme parks should you rock, where do you forage in the hinterland and how do you find the baby waves to keep little groms fully frothed?

Beach or creek

There is a beach for every occasion on the Gold Coast, but with little ones in tow, we find it best to hit the creeks for crystalline waters, shallow spots to splash and plenty of shade to enjoy an afternoon siesta. Tallebudgera Creek is my family’s favourite for a reason, but consider leaving the crowds on the southern side to take the forest-fringed path on the north to Echo Beach, a natural cove tucked in behind Burleigh headland that’s protected from the wind and almost always calm and clear.

LOCAL TIP While the baby blue-hued water is hard to ignore, don’t forget to look up as this is a spot where resident koalas can often be found snoozing in the treetops on the southern side of Jellurgal (Burleigh headland). Currumbin Creek is another worth dropping in to for a ride on the baby waves that wash into the ‘Alley’ or, for a workout with the kids, hire a SUP for a few hours from Currumbin Boatshed. There are plenty of spots alongside the creek bank to picnic, but instead of BYO, we like to book ahead for a seafood-inspired lunch at Saltwater at Currumbin or pick up takeaway pizza from Currumbin RSL to enjoy under the trees. The kids love La Bambino (ham, mozzarella and La Bocca Napoli sauce), but La Chuck Norris – with zesty lemon-marinated prawns, roasted capsicum and a crown of crunchy rocket plucked fresh from the restaurant’s on-site herb garden – gets my vote. You can eat in here too – the deck is a perennial favourite with local families.