Adventure awaits
As well as stunning beaches, restaurants and accommodation, the Gold Coast also offers thrills on the water with jetski safaris, paragliding and boat trips
On any normal Saturday morning, the thought of getting my teenage daughter out of bed before 10am would be a fantasy. But it was 8.15am, we were on a jetski pushing 75km/h on the calm and pristine Gold Coast Broadwater, and the thrillseeker was urging me to go faster.
And the day was about to get even better. Our Jet Ski Safari guide suddenly raised his hand as a signal for our small group to glide to a stop.
A pod of dolphins had appeared to our left and like traffic at a roundabout, we were giving way to their passage. A mum and baby slid through the water less than 5m in front of us, and then, much to our delight, a playful adult decided to dive directly under us and pop up within touching distance.
The smiles on our faces said it all – this was definitely worth getting out of bed for. It was a perfect morning for our second day of a Gold Coast adventure. We had arrived the night before to our Glitter Strip accommodation – the stylish Encore Broadbeach.
Opened in December last year, the high-rise with apartment-style rooms proved to be a great base for our weekend. We had a three-bedroom apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows and views of both the Pacific Ocean and the rolling hills of the Gold Coast hinterland.
We were treated to perfect conditions. Bright blue skies and barely a ripple on the surface of the Broadwater.
That is, of course, before we joined the 10 other jetskis, winding our way north from the Marina Mirage precinct at Main Beach to Couran Cove resort, on South Stradbroke island. The 45-minute journey was a blast. But that was not the end of our aquatic adventures for the weekend.
We took a brief respite from the activities with a seafood lunch at Gold Coast institution Omeros Bros, overlooking the water, where the menu includes oysters, entrees such as tuna, salmon sashimi or Hervey Bay scallops, garlic prawns, octopus and bouillabaisse, and mains run to lobster and a selection of half-a-dozen types of fish which can be prepared in several ways.
Afterwards we enjoyed a stint of slightly more sedate paragliding, and this time both my daughters came for the ride.
I can highly recommend the triple harness used by the Jet Ski Safaris crew to allow more of your friends and family to share the experience.
More than 200m of cable sends you far up and behind the boat, and it is a slightly weird sensation to look across the skyline and realise you are floating above many of the nearby high-rise apartments.
While our days were filled with adventure, our nights on the Gold Coast were filled with plenty of dining highlights. On the Friday night we ate at Mamasan Kitchen and Bar at Broadbeach, which was packed at 5.30pm with the after-work crowd.
We dined on KFC (Korean fried chicken), pan-fried squid, pork bao, crispy Vietnamese rice paper rolls and duck pancakes. The standout dish for us was the KFC – perfectly cooked with a lovely balance of sweet and spice.
Dinner on Saturday night was at Mecca Bah, where we sat outside on a lively strip. It’s a venue that works well for both couples and families. The menu offers a selection of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern treats, with the seared lamb cutlets juicy and full of flavour and the sweet and spiced wings divine.
Breakfast on Sunday was at Hyde Paradiso, which is inside the Peppers Soul resort. With an expansive view of Surfers Paradise Beach, it’s an ideal way to start the day. The menu is a little more adventurous than many brunch venues, with dishes such as crispy spiced chicken and pulled beef omelette offering meatlovers something different. We took the more traditional route with bacon and eggs, fluffy pancakes and eggs benny hash.
We drove the five-minute journey from breakfast to Duffy Down Under Boat Hire, Cruises and Tours, where we boarded a beautifully-maintained electric boat for a self-guided tour of the Gold Coast’s canals and waterways.
We cruised past the homes of millionaires to Edgewater Dining and Lounge, at the Roma shopping complex on the Isle of Capri. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily and includes small plates such as chicken tortillas and grilled king prawns, or salads, linguine with various topping options, and main course selections.