The Gold Coast consists of attractions that go beyond the party places of Surfers Paradise. While this area serves as a good base, it’s really the more remote portions of the Gold Coast you should be looking at. One of them is the South Stradbroke Island which is at the northern portion of the Gold Coast. There are numerous tours packages to this island, most of them running for an entire day.

Best known for its peaceful campsites as opposed to the upbeat mood of the Surfers Paradise, the island also has quite a number of attractions. One of them is the Couran Cove which also houses an interpretive center near their general merchandise store. Through these displays, guests and daytrippers get a bit of the Aboriginal history, the island’s Maritime history, and also how commerce worked its way through the inhabitants. This is a good place for you to begin your tour. This way, you won’t feel so lost while you’re exploring the island’s terrain.

The cove is also the place to be in if you would wish to see some wildlife. There are plenty of wallabies here, gathering at the Spa Island to eat grass. There’s also no lack of birdlife and big lizards because the entire island is populated with this greeneries. The flying kite, a rare bird, is something you should watch out for. Goannas on the other hand practically just hang from almost every tree.

If you’re looking for exercise and you’ve brought sensible shoes along, there’s also a rock climbing facility in the area. This activity is better done in the afternoon, though. The sun hits the wall directly in the morning, so the rock holds may be too hot to hold on to. This activity is pretty cheap, at $5 a turn. It’s certainly more interesting than running on a treadmill, so you might want to keep this in your itinerary if you need to burn some calories.

For meals, there’s the Fishes Café at the Point Lookout. They serve excellent coffee and impressive meals (from seafood to generous slabs of steak). Picnickers can also order something to go. Some daytrips may include entrance at the North Stradbroke National Park, so this restaurant is a great stopover. It’s also perfectly located at one of the best vistas of the island.

After hours or exploring the terrain and wildlife inland, don’t forget to stroll down the Stradbroke beaches. Take photos of the sand dunes and, if you have time, engage in a water sport before you go.

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