As well as its pristine beaches, world-renowned surf breaks, theme parks and night life, Queensland’s Gold Coast is also a perfect place to experience all things creepy, crawly or cuddly.
Whether it’s reptiles such as a Bearded Dragon or Carpet python, or mammals such as Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Common Brushtail Possum, Koala, Echidna or bats and Flying Foxes, you’re bound to come across something of interest during a visit to this great city.
My family and I love to get up close and personal with lizards, birds, ducks, and butterflies at Benowa’s Gold Coast Regional Botanical Gardens.
Just a 10 minute drive from central Surfers Paradise and a stone’s throw from world-renowned Royal Pines golf course and resort, the Botanical Gardens are superb – enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Here you can enjoy kilometres of pathways and tranquil lagoons.
It’s a great place to enjoy a picnic and handy for all with toilet facilities, car parking, children’s play park and plenty of room to spread out. Just keep any food out of reach from the birds as they can get a bit excited and tend to follow you around. The native Butterfly Garden is a highlight and you can also pick up a coffee and an ice cream.
Coombabah Lake Conservation Park is a haven for dozens of threatened species, including the square tailed kite and the tiny 15 millimetre long Wallum froglet. Koalas and kangaroos are also present at the reserve as well as birds, fish, prawns and mud crabs.
The wetlands of Cascade Gardens, Broadbeach, following Little Tallebudgera Creek, are a nature and bird-lover’s dream. Magpies, Galahs, and Rainbow Lorikeets are just some of the many birds who enjoy this stunning location just off of the Gold Coast Highway – super handy for visitors to Broadbeach or anyone travelling via the new light rail system. Cascade Gardens is also a favourite for thousands of bats in the warmer months – quite a spectacle in the late afternoon. The little ones may find the bats a tad noisy so be prepared to cover their ears.
At Burleigh Head National Park, you’re bound to be impressed by the spectacular scenic views. Here you can explore at a pace that suits you. Be prepared to encounter a few furry, feathered and scaled friends such as birds, Australian Brush Turkeys, and lizards. If you can score a car park, it’s just a short stroll to grab a coffee or bite to eat from one of the many cafes and restaurants.
Macintosh Island Park is an oasis in the midst of Surfers Paradise high rises. This piece of paradise, complete with streams and waterfalls, is a lovely spot to enjoy the large surrounding trees and get some snaps of the many gorgeous peacocks wandering around.
It’s a lovely place to set up a picnic, have a BBQ, watch the kids have fun in one of the play grounds, and take a stroll over the bridge to check out the beach front.
If you’re on the lookout for Kangaroos, keep your eyes peeled, particularly around dawn and dusk in areas including Highland Park (high on the hill), Tallai, Bonogin and Currumbin Valley. We love stumbling across the kangaroos in these areas and it always excites the kids!
World Heritage listed Lamington National Park, Gold Coast Hinterland and Springbrook National Park – Currumbin Valley are must-see locations and the Skywalk is a unique and thrilling way to explore Mount Tamborine’s beautiful rainforest canopies and encounter the wildlife.
Other opportunities to get up close and personal with Australian wildlife:
With the help of Gold Coast whale watching tour operator Whales in Paradise, you can get so close to magnificent sea creatures, you could almost touch them! With a water-level viewing deck, guaranteed rail-side positions and unobstructed viewing, you can be assured of the most intimate wildlife encounter possible.
From the comfort of The Aqua Duck, you can explore the magnificent Gold Coast waterways and famous land marks and observe the spectacular surroundings. If the smooth transition from driving on land, to suddenly sailing in the Nerang River isn’t enough, there’s plenty of opportunity to see some sea creatures or wildlife. Friendly dolphins often make an appearance which is an absolute highlight!
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – Here you can cuddle a koala, feed a kangaroo, experience the wild lorikeet feeding, free-flight bird show and Australiana sheep shearing. This is a perfect half day or full day activity so make sure you allow enough time so you can enjoy everything.
At the David Fleay Wildlife Park, on Tallebudgera Creek near Burleigh Head, you can stroll through natural habitats and visit a nocturnal house to see some of Australia’s most iconic wildlife. You’ll meet crocodiles, koalas, emus, brolgas, dingoes, dunnarts, bilbies and kangaroos, along with resident platypus, Wally.
And of course, there are a variety of other amazing animals to enjoy and observe at Sea World and Dreamworld.
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