Adventure
The Great Sunshine Way promises excitement galore, with a range of thrilling activities to choose from. Adventure seekers, here are some useful tips on how to stretch your dollar! Some activities are free, while others are priceless experiences that come at a small cost.
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Brisbane | Gold Coast | Sunshine Coast | Fraser Coast | Worth a Splurge
Great Saver: Story Bridge Adventure Climb
For the ultimate adrenaline rush, climb the iconic Story Bridge - 1 of 3 bridge climbs in the world. This 2.5-hour adventure boasts spectacular views of Brisbane city, its river and surrounding bays.
Where: 170 Main Street, Kangaroo Point
Cost: Daytime climbs on weekdays are A$110 (cheaper than weekend, night or twilight climbs). Look out for "Bridge on Sale" rates, which may be as low as A$79
www.storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au
Great Saver: Abseiling
Try abseiling in the heart of Brisbane city - a truly unique yet affordable experience. Step off the edge of Kangaroo Point Cliff amid panoramic views, and travel 20 metres down in less than 20 seconds.
Where: Riverlife Adventure Centre, Kangaroo Point
Cost: A$34
Great Saver: Brisbane Forest Park
Go bush walking in this large nature reserve and explore the lush forests and mountains, including Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious.
Highlights:
- Araucaria Trail (5km return), which begins at the information centre and continues around the shores of Enoggera Reservoir past hoop pines.
- Golden Boulder Track (1km circuit), which takes you along exposed ridges and past historic gold mines.
- Greene's Falls Walking Track (2km return), which leads onto a boardwalk that finishes at a scenic lookout over Greene's Falls.
Where: 60 Mt Nebo Road (25 minutes from Brisbane CBD)
Cost: Free
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Gold Coast
Great Saver: Learn to surf
One of the best ways of enjoying the Gold Coast’s famous beaches is to learn to surf. It is inexpensive and tons of fun. Professional qualified instructors offer lessons for all ages, all year round. Join a 2-hour beginner class and experience the thrill of riding the waves.
Where: Surfers Paradise, which has a number of surf schools
Cost: About A$35 per person (group lesson)
www.cheynehoran.com.au; www.godfathersoftheocean.com
Great Saver: Dreamworld
Don’t miss this award-winning theme park, which offers many exciting attractions and thrill rides at the price of 1 all-inclusive admission ticket.
It even includes an Aussie wildlife park where you can meet koalas and feed kangaroos. Look out for Screamworld - special dates on which Dreamworld opens at night - for after-dark thrills at a bargain price!
Where: Coomera, 20 minutes from Surfers Paradise
Cost: A$66 (adult), A$43 (child); Screamworld: A$37 per entry
Great Saver: Flying Fox
Zip through the treetops of Lamington National Park on a 165-metre flying fox, the longest in the southern hemisphere.
Where: Binna Burra Mountain Lodge, Binna Burra Road, Beechmont (50 minutes inland from Surfers Paradise)
Cost: A$16 (adult), A$8 (child); 20 per cent discount for lodge guests and 10 per cent discount for campers
Great Saver: Diving the Gold Coast Seaway
You don’t have to travel far and wide to dive with all kinds of amazing marine life. The Gold Coast Seaway is easily accessible and is regarded as the best dive site within an Australian city. You can get up close to schools of trevally, eagle rays, cownose rays, sharks, turtles and more.
Where: Gold Coast Seaway, located at the northern end of The Southport Spit, near Sea World. (Parking is available just 15 metres from the shore)
Cost: A$55 for full-day equipment hire ("Diving the Gold Coast" shop location at 104 Scarborough Street, South Port)
Great Saver: Seabreeze Sports
Enjoy a wide range of activities at discounted prices. This is Australia’s largest water sport company, with everything from parasailing and jet skiing to cruises and underwater adventures.
Where: Main Beach
Cost: A$40 to A$110 per person
Great Saver: Scoot N Toot Scooters
Enjoy your own holiday adventure. Head to Queensland’s largest scooter and motorcycle hirer, rent your set of wheels and zip up and down the Gold Coast. All vehicles are purchased brand new and you can choose from 20 different models of scooters.
Where: 2176 Gold Coast Highway
Cost: From A$28 per day
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Sunshine Coast
Great Saver: Self-drive boats
You don’t need a boating license or deep pockets to enjoy the privacy of fishing on your own boat. Enjoy the thrill of hiring and driving a fishing boat along the Noosa River. They are economical, easy to operate and no license is required.
Where: Choose from several boat hire companies in Noosaville or Noosa Harbour Marina
Cost: From A$34 for 1st hour and A$14 for additional hours
Great Saver: Trekking in the Glass House Mountains
With its craggy volcanic peaks towering over a scenic patchwork of pine plantations, bushland and cultivated fields, the spectacular Glass House Mountains are a great location for relaxing strolls or vigorous treks.
Highlights:
- Glass House Mountains Lookout track (800m return) is one of the easier and more scenic tracks, leading through open scribbly gum forest and down a wet eucalypt forest gully. It offers panoramic views of the mountain peaks and surrounding coast.
- Some tracks, such as the walk up Mt Beerwah Summit, are challenging and involve rock climbing and scrambling, and should be done by experienced climbers only, or with the help of a professional climbing guide.
Where: From Brisbane, follow the Bruce Highway north, take the Glass House Mountains tourist drive turnoff and follow the signs to the Glass House Mountains
Cost: Free
Great Saver: Mount Cooroora trek
This well-known mountain walk rises to 439 meters and is steep and difficult. It is the route of the King of the Mountain challenge, held every July, in which athletes from all over Australia and other countries race to the top and back.
Where: Mountain Street, Pomona (about 25 minutes from Noosa)
Cost: Free
Great Saver: Cycling in Noosa
Hire a mountain bike and explore this beautiful part of the Sunshine Coast with your own pedal power. Noosa has plenty of cycling tracks along the river, by the coast and in its hinterland of rolling hills.
Where: Noosa
Cost: From A$19 for 2 hours
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Fraser Coast
Great Saver: Tin Can Bay
Head to this fishing and boating paradise in Fraser Coast and get up close to wild dolphins. At the marina, just walk out on the boat ramp into the water. The Pacific Humpback Dolphins will swim right up to you.
Where: 2.5 hours drive north of Brisbane
Cost: Free. If you want to hand feed the dolphins, you can buy packed fresh fish from Barnacles Bait and Café at about A$3.
www.barnaclesdolphincentre.com.au
Great Saver: Cooloola Wilderness Trail
Take on this challenging trail that offers a wilderness experience of wildflowers, chattering birds, cool clear waterways and solitude. This is a harsh yet stunning coastal environment.
Highlights:
- The best time to visit is between late winter and early spring (late July to September) when the wild flowers are in bloom.
- For good day walks, access the trail from the Cooloola Way or Harry's camping area. Trek through eucalypt and banksia forests, rainforest and wetlands, and spot birdlife around the water holes.
Where: Great Sandy National Park. Starts at East Mullen car park (if walking from north to south) and ends at Elanda Point
Cost: Free
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Hot Air Ballooning
Take to the skies in a hot air balloon and float over the lush Gold Coast countryside like a leaf in the wind.
Where: Canungra, about 45 minutes from Surfers Paradise
Cost: A$195 (adult), A$165 (child) - inclusive of return transfers and champagne breakfast
V8 Super Cars
Strap yourself in while a professional instructor takes you on the ride of your life in a V8 Race Car. Zoom around the 2km racing circuit in four hot laps! If you’re feeling gungho, you can also get behind the wheel and test-drive a Ford or Holden V8 Super Car like a pro race car driver.
Where: Holden Performance Driving Centre, 75 Norwell Road (About 30 minutes from Surfers Paradise)
Cost: From A$135
Horse Riding
Saddle up for the horse ride of a lifetime! Enjoy a 3-hour adventure trail ride in the scenic Gold Coast hinterland with pristine mountains, valleys, rainforest and rivers.
Where: 2524 Nerang Murwillumbah Road, Numinbah Valley (About 30 minutes from the Gold Coast beaches)
Cost: A$70 (adult), A$60 (child)
Diving at Wolf Rock
Wolf Rock is a formation of four volcanic pinnacles and is considered one of Australia's top ten scuba diving destinations. Plunging to a depth of 40 metres, it is excellent for multilevel scuba diving. Discover all kinds of fish life including trevally, giant Queensland groper, manta ray, batfish, leopard shark and the famous resident Grey Nurse sharks.
Where: Off Double Island Point, south of Rainbow Beach
Cost: A$145 for a double-guided dive (inclusive of 2 cylinders, weights and lunch)
4WD Colored Sands Tour
Enjoy an amazing 4WD adventure. Journey along miles of pristine beach and see spectacular cliffs of multi colored sands and giant sand blows.
Where: Noosa
Cost: A$95 for half-day tour
