Our Wedding Anniversary Getaway: A Relaxed Week on the Gold Coast

We just got back from a nice trip to the Gold Coast, Australia to celebrate our anniversary with some relaxed fun and plenty of fresh sea air. It was a welcome change from the chilly winter weather back home in New Zealand—over here it was much warmer with sunny weather, lovely beaches, and lots of time to unwind and take it easy.

A tranquil beach scene at sunset, with calm waves lapping at the shore and a colorful sky above, framed by coastal vegetation. — A stunning view of the Surfers Paradise beach at sunset.

Air New Zealand planes parked at the airport, ready for departure. Here we come.

Here’s a look at how we spent the week, with a good mix of sightseeing, tasty food, and a few gentle adventures.

Arrival and Anniversary Dinner

We landed at Gold Coast Airport just before 10 am, then caught the 777 bus to Broadbeach and hopped on a tram to Surfers Paradise. From there, it was a bit of a hot walk to our apartment at Rhapsody Resort, suitcases in tow (as everyone does!), with a quick stop for a cool drink along the way. If we had stayed on the tram for just two more stops, we would have landed right outside our apartment block! By the time we arrived, we were all hot and tired—but the stunning view from our apartment made it all worthwhile. Fabulous!

We noticed the beach has been resanded in many areas after the cyclone washed away a lot of sand, but some parts are still eroded and under work. Trucks, diggers, and a barge are busy moving sand, so it’s important to watch your step and be careful where you walk.

Although it was warm and lovely, it wasn’t quite warm enough for us to swim, though a few hardy souls were in the water, along with surfers enjoying the waves. The nights were very cool. But mostly, lots of people strolled along the beach, enjoying the surf, sand, and fresh sea air.

That evening, we treated ourselves to a special fine dining anniversary meal at Seascape Restaurant & Bar near Cavill Avenue. The seafood was fresh, the views lovely, and the atmosphere just right for the occasion. And the prosecco was good too!

Afterwards, we grabbed a gelato from a nearby gelataria and headed back to see the night view from the 41st floor of our building before turning in for a well-earned rest.

Enjoying a moment at the airport departure lounge, ready for our Gold Coast anniversary getaway.

Nighttime view of Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, with tall buildings illuminated and the coastline visible in the background. — A stunning night view of Gold Coast, showing the city lights and coastline.

A stunning night view of Gold Coast, showing the city lights and coastline.

River Walk and Main Beach

The next morning was very slow going! Eventually, we made our way down to Bumbles Café for a big breakfast to help us recover from the night before! It’s right along the Nerang River, and the café just keeps going—room after room—like a charming, rambling old house full of character.

Later, we walked to the nearby light rail station and caught the tram to Main Beach. It’s a lovely, peaceful spot with plenty of retirees like us enjoying the calm. We stopped for a coffee, had a quick browse in the shops, chatted to several locals along the way, then wandered over to the boat club. Very relaxed.

In the evening, we had drinks at Sandbar, then strolled back into Surfers for dinner at Seascape again—this time the bistro side, not fine dining. Seafood platter and pasta was just what we needed. All up, a big walking day with over 19,000 steps!

Exterior view of Bumbles Café on the Gold Coast, Australia, showcasing the building's signage and surrounding streetscape. — Bumbles Café in Gold Coast, a charming spot along the Nerang River perfect for breakfast.

Cozy dining area with a large wooden table, surrounded by white chairs, and decorated with fairy lights and a chandelier, creating a warm ambiance. — Bumbles Café in Gold Coast, a charming spot along the Nerang River perfect for breakfast.

Night view of the Surfers Paradise entrance sign, illuminated with colorful lights. A person poses in the foreground while others are seen enjoying the beach atmosphere in the background. — A lively night at Surfers Paradise with the illuminated sign and visitors enjoying the atmosphere.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

We started the day catching the light rail from just behind our apartment, then switched to bus 700 to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. So, okay the tram was smooth, but the bus was slow and bumpy due to stop-start traffic and roadworks—over an hour in total. Phew!

Two koalas resting and looking curiously around in their habitat. — Two koalas at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary during our trip to the Gold Coast, Australia.

The sanctuary was wonderful, with plenty of space to walk and a free little train that loops around the park. It was the highlight of our holiday and definitely worth a visit. First, we stopped for coffee at the café near the entrance to recover from the journey. Later in the day, we had lunch at Wild Burgers—karaage chicken with rice and salad—which was very tasty.

Entrance to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Gold Coast, Australia, featuring a welcoming sign and ticket information. — Entrance to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Gold Coast, Australia.

Entrance to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Gold Coast, Australia.

Highlights included pelicans, lorikeets 🦜, koalas, and wandering through the kangaroo area. The shady aviary was nice to explore, and the Aboriginal dance performance added a local touch. The lorikeet feeding was spectacular—hundreds of birds all at once!

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Map and Timetable To Download

👉Click here to download your Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary map.

👉Click here to download your Currumbin Shows and Presentations timetable.

Feeding colorful lorikeets at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, a highlight of our Gold Coast adventure.

It turned into a full-day outing with plenty of uphill and downhill walking. Great for the step count!

Visitors interacting with kangaroos and birds at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Enjoying a relaxing moment with a coffee at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Back at the apartment, Baz cooked Aussie banana prawns that he had picked up at the supermarket. Prawns in a spicy tikka sauce over rice, delicious!

Pacific Fair Shopping Day

We woke to a beautiful sunrise right from our balcony—a lovely way to start the day. After breakfast at the apartment, we caught the light rail to Broadbeach, then walked to Pacific Fair Shopping Mall.

A view of Pacific Fair Shopping Mall, unique design with lush greenery, water features, and modern retail.

We had morning coffee at The Patio and lunch at Joe’s Deli—big, tasty sandwiches. For a sweet finish, we couldn’t resist a pistachio éclair from Le Bon Choix.

Delicious pistachio éclair enjoyed during our relaxing shopping day at Pacific Fair.

The shops were pretty standard, but the mall is huge and easy to navigate—great for a relaxed wander.

Sunday in Brisbane City

Big day today! We caught the light rail from Surfers Paradise North to Helensvale, then took the train into Brisbane, arriving at Roma Street Station. From there, we walked to Queen Street Mall, an outdoor mall, and grabbed coffee at Jimmy’s Café where we met with Saro and Logan. And after catching up, we all decided on lunch at a Malaysian restaurant.

After lunch (and lots of chatting), we wandered along the river to South Bank, crossing Neville Bonner Bridge for lovely views. Then a short drive to a lookout spot that gave us a beautiful distant city panorama.

They dropped us off at the station, and we made the return trip back to Surfers: suburban train to Sunnybank, change to train to Helensvale, then lastly the light rail home to Surfers Paradise North. Not many people around — so quiet, and a bit eerie for a Sunday night.

Exploring shops and eateries, Queen Street Mall in Brisbane.

Land Administration Building, historic architecture in Brisbane.

View of the Neville Bonner Bridge in Brisbane.

A view of a modern bridge spanning over a river, with a large observation wheel visible in the background and cityscape elements around. — View of the Neville Bonner Bridge in Brisbane.

A late-night moment at a quiet train station.

A panoramic view of Brisbane's skyline along the river, featuring tall skyscrapers and cloudy skies. — A panoramic view of Brisbane’s skyline along the river.

Slow Start and a Bit of Noise

Not much happening today. We had a late start and grabbed coffee at the café downstairs but forgot to pay, oh dear—had to pop back later to settle up!

To be fair, we had a lovely table in the sun… until the drilling and concrete cutting from the nearby construction site kicked off. We grabbed our coffees and left in a hurry — bill completely forgotten in the chaos.

Later, we took the tram to Australia Fair, a smaller local mall. Had a browse, got a quick haircut, and stopped for lunch.

In the evening, we headed back to Sandbar for sunset drinks and food—a lovely spot. For dinner, we kept it simple with pizza and chips.

Afterwards, we picked up a few groceries in Surfers and settled in for a quiet movie night. A nice, restful day.

Travel Day – Heading Home

Early start this morning with an Uber to Gold Coast Airport for our midday flight. The motorway was busy and it ended up being a long trip — in hindsight, the tram and bus might’ve been a better option. Also while waiting outside for uber we saw Con-X-ion airport transfer and that looked like a better option for next time? All up, just a travel day… and then we were home.

Quick Tips for Getting Around Surfers Paradise

The G:link trams and Translink buses and trains are easy to use with contactless payment cards like credit cards or Wise cards.
You can also use a Go Card. It costs $10 to buy then you can add money to the card as needed. Pick it up from a vending machine at the rail station or from a newsagent store.
All public transport trips in Queensland cost 50 cents, no matter the distance. How great is that?
Northcliffe Station is right outside Rhapsody Resort—very convenient.
To visit Surfers Paradise, get off at the Surfers Paradise North or Cavill Avenue tram stations.
For easy directions, use the Translink app or Google Maps.

A vibrant sunset view over the Gold Coast, Australia, featuring palm trees and beach, with a backdrop of modern buildings along the coastline. — Sunset view from the Gold Coast.

Final Thoughts

Our Gold Coast anniversary getaway was just what we needed — sunny weather, fresh sea air, good food, and plenty of relaxing moments. From gentle walks to catching up with friends, it was an easy-going week with no palaver, it left us refreshed and we were happy with that.

That’s about all for our warm and wonderful Gold Coast getaway. Thanks for reading! – ♡ Janet