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Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast are world-famous for its skyscrapers, entertainment, and nightlife. You might be wondering whether they are worth visiting on a campervan road trip along the East Coast of Australia? We asked ourselves the same question and are happy to give you some insights on why you should stop in Surfers Paradise.
Is Surfers Paradise worth it? Yes, it is! Even if you are on a nature-focused campervan road trip, Surfers Paradise is by far not as hectic and overwhelming as some might think. On the contrary, you will find a nice balance of nature (beach), city life, and action just meters apart from each other.
In this article, I will go into detail about where Surfer's Paradise is located exactly and what the difference to the Gold Coast is, as well as point out what you can do there and where you can park with your campervan.
This article covers day 15 of our 18-day road trip itinerary along the southern East Coast of Australia. Click on the yellow 'Show Entire Route' tab at the top left of the article, to view our in-depth guides to each stop for even greater insights for your own road trip through Australia.
Is Surfers Paradise worth visiting?
Let's get into a bit more detail to answer that question. Yes, we believe that Surfers Paradise is worth visiting. The question for how long, depends somewhat on your opinion on flashy commercial cities, centered around shopping, restaurants, and nightlife.
You will find many people commenting on how beautiful the beaches at Surfers Paradise are, and yes, they are not bad. Still, the beach should not be the reason to stop in Surfers Paradise when road tripping the East Coast of Australia in a campervan.
You will find plenty of even more beautiful beaches along with your trip (Hyams Beach in Jervis Bay or Zenith Beach in Port Stephens, anyone? π).
You should visit and stop in Surfers Paradise, if you are curious to see a completely different kind of Australia and if you maybe want to break free from the pristine nature of the past days, just for a few hours.
Jen and I are no fans of artificially built cities for the pure entertainment purpose (e.g., Las Vegas), and our imagination of Surfers Paradise before our trip was a Las Vegas with a beach, so we were very hesitant. However, once we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised by a relaxed atmosphere, and spontaneously decided to spend the night.
Where is Surfers Paradise?
Surfers Paradise is located in southern Queensland on the Gold Coast. It is about one hour south of Brisbane.
Is Surfers Paradise the same as the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast is a conglomerate of coastal and lagoon towns. The Gold Coast is referred to as a city; actually, the sixth-largest in Australia and Surfers Paradise is a suburb of the Gold Coast, and not just any, but the most famous one. It is the entertainment and tourism hub and marks the Gold Coast's skyline with its high rises.
What to do at Surfers Paradise?
To get an idea of what the fuss about Surfers Paradise is about, I recommend the following things to do:
- Enjoy some quiet beach time (yes, it is possible!)
Just a few hundred meters down at Main Beach, you can enjoy the evening atmosphere on the beach with hardly anyone else. Who would have thought that about the entertainment capital of Australia?!
- Take in Cavill Avenue - the epi-center of action in Surfers Paradise
Stroll around the are and take in the eclectic atmosphere
- Take a surf lesson
Whether in the afternoon or the next morning, of course, you will have ample opportunity to (try) to ride a wave in Surfers Paradise.
- Go (window) shopping
From big brands like Billabong to small boutiques, you will find anything. Shops are, however, more mass-oriented than unique or boutique style.
- Watch the street performers
From buskers to magicians, to superheroes, you will pass by more than just one street performer.
- Stroll along Surfers Paradise Beachfront Market
On Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, you will find a market on the beachfront sidewalk from 5-10 pm. Again it is not a market full of stalls with handcrafted arts, but more of a commercial kitsch market.
- Head up to the SkyPoint Observation Deck for aerial views
Surfers Paradise prides itself on having the only beachside observation deck in Australia, which also happens to be the highest residential building in the world. The SkyPoint Observation Deck is located on Level 77 of the Q1 Building. At the top, you will be welcomed by 360Β° views and a bistro to sit back and enjoy the view.
- Visit an arcade and unleash your inner child
Have some fun at the Timezone Arcade and challenge your travel buddy.
How much time to spend in Surfers Paradise?
Here at RTE, we are focused on road-tripping and campervanning, so the journey is always a big part of our in-depth travel guides. Therefore, Surfers Paradise is a worthy stop on our itinerary for up to half a day.
Ideally, you arrive in the afternoon to get the best of all. Enjoy the beach in the evening hours, maybe stroll along with the Surfers Paradise Beachfront Market (from 5-10 pm on Wed, Fri, Sun) and then experience the nightlife on and around Cavill Avenue.
Where to park a campervan at Surfers Paradise?
There is only one place to spend the night with a campervan at Surfers Paradise or the Gold Coast for that matter, and that is the Main Beach Tourist Park. It is only a 5 minutes drive from Cavill Avenue and very well maintained compared to our city RV park experience in Las Vegas and Sydney.
There are no unpowered campsites so that you will pay a bit more for a powered one. For us, it was AU$57 for one night, with clean bathrooms, an open camp kitchen, and easy access to the public bus taking us to downtown Surfers Paradise. Also, the Main Beach is just opposite the street.
Our experience at Surfers Paradise
As I have mentioned above, it was a real, pleasant surprise. While planning our route in advance, I didn't book any campground, as I wasn't sure whether we would enjoy the Gold Coast.
We drove up from Brunswick in the morning and stopped by Coolangatta to watch the surfers at Danger Point and catch a first glimpse of the Skyline of the Gold Coast.
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Once we pulled up to Surfers Paradise, we found some street parking to explore the area and decided to stay for the night. With one quick call, we booked our campsite at the Main Beach Tourist Park.
Before heading into the downtown area, we enjoyed a drink at the beach, taking in the evening light, and then jumped on the bus to Cavill Avenue. We strolled around, had more drinks, watched the street performers, and headed to the arcade.
On a personal note, I am not a big gamer; I am however, quite competitive. Jen looooves arcades, and each time she kicks my a***. So much so that at the end of the evening I am the one who wants to keep on playing (talk about a black hole π ) and is totally hooked.
The next morning we had arranged a surf lesson at the 1st Wave Surf School right across the holiday park. The conditions turned out to not be the best, as the water was very shallow with a very strong draft, but oh well, at least we tried.
Final thoughts on Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise would not be my top choice if I only had a few days to spare around the Brisbane area. In that case, I would choose to spend that time in Noosa. To find out more, take a look at my comparison of Byron Bay vs Noosa.
Should you be on a 2-3 week road trip, however, I would recommend you stop at Surfers Paradise to have a holistic experience for your time in Australia. I firmly believe that you shouldn't judge what you haven't tried or experienced, and Surfers Paradise proofed that statement right.
Would you visit or skip Surfers Paradise? We are curious about your thoughts!
