With miles of beaches, navigable tidal canals and rivers, and 300 days of sunshine, by the numbers the Gold Coast deserves its reputation as the surf-and-swim capital of Australia. All that sand is patrolled year-round by lifeguards, so waterborne activities are a safe and family-friendly affair. Avid surfers hit the waves at Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Beach, Currumbin, and Burleigh Heads, while the less adventurous enjoy calmer conditions at Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, the heart of the coast, with its gleaming high-rise towers. Abandon your board and swimsuit and drive 30 minutes west to be surrounded by ancient rainforest, a place where wellness retreats and wineries exist side by side. The city is also home to a large concentration of amusement and water parks.

More than 400 domestic and international flights arrive at Gold Coast Airport (OOL) every week, with regular half-hour shuttles transferring passengers to hubs such as Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. It’s easy to navigate the city using taxis, rideshare, and public transport, with frequent buses and an extensive light-rail system paralleling the sand and linking major attractions. Shuttles in turn connect theme parks and the hinterland, although the ideal way to explore the rainforest’s spaced-out attractions is by car. Rentals are available at the airport or at various locations throughout town.

From the Queensland capital’s Brisbane Airport (BNE), the 50-mile drive southeast to the Gold Coast takes about an hour, with train and bus options also available.

Those 300 days of sunshine make staying in one of the Gold Coast’s holiday homes attractive any time of year. Peak season is the Christmas holidays, when school’s out for summer (December through February) and Australian families arrive to swim, surf, and make the most of the balmy water (77 degrees Fahrenheit from January through March). Daytime temperatures this time of year hover between 78 and 82, and while rain is uncommon, it’s less rare in summer.

Spring (March through May) offers near-perfect conditions, with pleasant daytime temperatures (73 to 80 degrees), warm water (72 to 77), and lower levels of rainfall; the driest months are winter (June through August) and early spring (September). These months see daytime averages drop to 67, around the same as the water temperature.

Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre

The national parkland covering Burleigh Heads may be small but it’s home to rainforest, eucalypt forest, pandanus groves, mangrove trees, creeks, and beaches. This is a spiritual place for the Jellurgal Aboriginal community, and you’ll learn why on a tour highlighting bush tucker (edible native plants) and sharing Dreamtime stories of Aboriginal lore. Views north toward Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach are particularly pretty, especially if you glimpse dolphins and humpback whales.

Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

The Gold Coast hinterland is home to some of Australia’s most species-rich Gondwana rainforest. Enjoy its 900 plant species on the 45-minute Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, which takes you from ground level to the tree canopy on high-tech steel bridges. Feet back on soil, explore the trails around Tamborine Mountain, spotting lyrebirds, possums, and wallabies along the way.

Nobby Beach and Burleigh Beach

These two coastal neighborhoods to the south of the city centre lure surfers to the long stretches of golden sands and good breaks, but you can come here without your board. Wander along the Gold Coast Highway’s Service Road and venture into the side streets to explore Nobby Beach and Burleigh Beach’s stylish cafes, artisan boutiques, restaurants with farm-to-table vibe, and hip bars.