Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
By Bethany Whittington
The Gold Coast is a city south of Brisbane which is well known for its beautiful, sandy beaches and, of course, its family friendly theme parks. It is a popular place for tourists, both local and international, due to its bustling nightlife, beautiful natural beauty, and a wide range of activities for you to partake in.
I visited the Gold Coast when I was just seven years old, so my memories of it are a little bit hazy. But, I do remember the theme parks that I visited, which were Warner Bros. Movie World, Seaworld, Wet 'n Wild. Thus, I will be talking about them.
Warner Bros. Movie World
The first theme park destination is Warner Bros. Movie World, where you can meet your favourite Warner Bros. characters and explore the DC universe. Some notable rides include:
- Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster
- Superman Escape
- Wild West Falls
- Green Lantern Coaster
- Arkham Asylum
One thing I should note is that a large amount of the rides are "thrillseeker" rides. That is, they are fast-paced and definitely not for the faint of heart. While there are some rides that accomodate for younger children, do note that the "thrillseeker" rides do have height restrictions, and those with heart conditions shouldn't ride.
There are also a wide range of attractions, such as the Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 show, which is full of explosions and incredible car stunts performed by professional stunt drivers (so please don't try these at home!)
The park times are usually from 9:30am-5pm so plan your day accordingly. The official website offers you a program which allows you to plan your day!
Special Events
For Halloween, Warner Bros. Movie World runs a special nighttime event called "Fright Nights". Similar to the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, this is an event run only during October that includes a series of maze attractions that you must navigate through, but there's a catch - they're based off horror movies. The mazes for 2016 are based off:
- The Conjuring 2
- From Dusk till Dawn
- Friday the 13th
- Wyrmwood
Sea World
At Sea World, you can view a wide range of different kinds of sea life - including penguins, polar bears, dolphins and seals. Not only that, but there a range of rides available, including:
- Nickelodeon Land
- Storm Coaster
- Castaway Bay
- Jet Rescue
- Viking Revenge Flume
You can also watch some incredible attractions - such as the dolphin show (as shown above) and Jet Stunt Extreme - a fast-paced show featuring incredible stunts performed on jet skis!
Nickelodeon Land
Nickelodeon Land allows you to enter the worlds of Dora the Explorer, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Spongebob Squarepants. There are four new kid-friendly rides that the younger children will enjoy, as well as having the chance to meet your favourite Nickelodeon characters!
The Official Sea World Website
The Official Sea World Website
Sea World Resort
Sea World also offers accomodation at the Sea World resort, which is located right next door. Staying at the resort allows unlimited access into the park.
Wet 'n' Wild
Need a way to beat the heat, but don't want to go to the beach? Wet 'n' Wild is the place for you!
Wet 'n' Wild features a large array of different water rides, catering to both young children and children at heart. There are a range of more "extreme" water rides, including Blackhole (a large water slide that is completely in the dark) and Tornado, some more tame rides, as well as rides that cater to younger children.
For those that aren't in the mood for rides, there are some tamer attractions too. One of which is the wave pool, a large pool that sends regular intervals of waves, allowing for both some fun floating and some more relaxed swimming.
Similar to Warner Bros Movie World, Wet 'n' Wild has a program on their website to allow you to plan your day.
Other Theme Parks/Attractions
There are other theme parks located in the Gold Coast, but these are the three that I visited. You can view the websites for the other parks below:
- Paradise Country Gold Coast - get up close and personal with some of Australia's unique and beautiful wildlife
- Dreamworld - the Gold Coast's biggest theme park full of rides that are a thrill-seekers dream. Don't forget to visit the tigers!
- WhiteWater World - Dreamworld's own water park!
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