As most of you know we’re originally from Canberra, the capital city of Australia. A couple years after quitting our government jobs to make Merrymakers a full-time thing we realised that living in the burbs of Canberra wasn’t quite doing it for us.
We were planning a move to Sydney, then Emma met Dan and did the long distance thing for about 10 months. Emma mostly visited Dan because he lives on Mermaid Beach in the Gold Coast. One word: EPIC!
Carla came up and visited lots too (because beach). We both quickly fell in love with the Gold Coast. We’ve lived up here for just over 12 months and we’ve packed a whole heap of fun and delishness into those 12 months. We thought it’s about time we shared all our fave things to do on the GC!
YAY to lot’s of Merry times on the Gold Coast! We vote this list is perfect for you if you’ve just moved up or if you’re holidaying.
10 fun things to do on the Gold Coast
ONE: coffee time
Drink delish coffee and look out to the ocean. Almost every morning you will find us at BSKT drinking coconut milk flat whites. When Mum and Dad come up to visit they walk along the beach from our house to BSKT and back (an 8km walk!). Super fun routine.
Related: Checkout all our fave GC cafes here.
TWO: get your yoga on
Do a yoga or pilates class. Local GCers actually don’t know how lucky they have it. There are SO MANY amazing yoga and pilates studios up here. In Canberra, the closest place to do proper pilates was like 30 minutes from our house. We love Essence of Living and Organic Pilates for reformer pilates. Also if you have just moved up and you’re looking for new friends our number one tip is to join a yoga/pilates studio. Boom, community.
THREE: walk up a pretty mountain
Go hiking! This is so something we have not done enough of. Ahhhh. OK, officially, our goal is to hike more. There are a bunch of the most magical hiking trails in the Hinterland. Check out this list of next level walks and hikes by the Metropolist crew.
FOUR: eat all the delish food
Go to all the restaurants. Um, seriously we are so spoilt for choice up here. Fave places for dinner right now in no particular order… Hellenika (Greek, the saganaki is actual life!), Bonita Bonita (Mexican and best margaritas and cheap-as Sunday sangria nights), Gelenelg (steak, actually the chicken is to die for) and The Fish House (best seafood ever and magic/epic/lovely view!).
FIVE: one word, beach
Ok, maybe this should be #1. Go to the beach. Go to the beach all year round coz winter is not a thing up here! Yes, we’ve heard the locals complain about it getting colder already (it was 29°C yesterday… LOL). Winter is NOT coming! Spend a couple days and nights in Canberra in July and you will know what we mean. It’s bloody chilly there.
Plus ‘go to the beach’ is the broadest of all things to do on the Gold Coast because you can meditate on the beach, walk on the beach, lay on the beach, play on the beach, swim in the beach, picnic and drinks on the beach… and many other fun things on the beach!
SIX: try surfing (keyword… try)
Go surfing or paddle boarding or jet skiing. Kind of fits into go to the beach option BUT if you’re holidaying go and hire a paddleboard at Tullebudgera Creek (so pretty) or a surfboard at Currumbin (best place for beginners) or a jet ski at Marina Mirage. So much fun.
SEVEN: ahhh, go to bliss land aka day spa land
Time to bring some luxury to this list. Go to the day spa and spend at least 2 hours there getting pampered. Our favourite place for the ultimate in luxe is The Versace, because… why not?! We’ve always had a bit of an obsession with luxe day spas for those treat yo-self times and this one comes out on top.
EIGHT: shop till you drop and literally drop the others at the taproom
Go shopping at all the boutiques on James Street in Burleigh and stop for juices or acai bowls. We highly recommend you drop the boyfriend/husband/friends who dislike shopping at Black Hops Brewing taproom to taste the best craft beer on the Gold Coast.
NINE: drive a sexy car for the day
Hire a fancy as hell car and go cruising up and down the coast. Ok, cruising on the Gold Coast Highway will happen in a magical daydream (so many traffic lights!) but go for an epic drive up to Mt Tambourine. Emma surprised Dan with a day in a Porsche for his birthday. It was fun fun fun! We stopped for tea and scones and a walk (actually, a run since we got caught in the rain) through the Botanic Gardens. A perfect idea if you’re travelling with a car loving lover/friend. Checkout QLD luxury car rentals, great service and super easy to organise.
TEN: magical sky art
Watch the most magical sunsets and sunrises. Head to the beach to watch an epic sunrise, some mornings you’ll see the most magical orange and red sky art. Then the sunsets are sometimes purple and orange. It’s crazy cool! Some fave spots to watch are Burleigh Heads, Mermaid beach (on the deck of knowledge)… ok actually any beach area!
Well, this was a fun little post to write! It’s inspired us to try even more things on the Gold Coast now. What would you add to the list? We’re still new here!
Always merrymaking,
Emma + Carla