Hi all, I was back from my trip to Gold Coast juz last nite, didnt get to go to Sydney though due to tight budget. Below are some info which i hope would be useful to some.
1. there are lotsa day tour agencies in oz and brochures are everywhere in hotels, resorts, travel kiosks and even backpackers hostels. so for people who intend to go to the 3 Worlds (dreamworlds, movie world, sea world) perhaps its a good deal to buy tickets there as some give discounts if you book 3 or more tour packages from them.
2. i went to the movie world and dream world. each will take u a day or so to explore. all rides and attractions are of no extra cost, unlike our sentosa.
3. i also went for this hinterland day tour which costs ard $35 for a full day (9am to 5pm) tour from this local agency called the Interval Holidays. this agency offers the best price for this particular tour, with returned pick up from your hotel/motel/resort.
we went up the Springbrook plateau for a scenic tour of waterfalls, arch, outlooks, nature walks (5, 10 min), beatuful lake and dam with morning tea*, glow worm tour* ($6+), and lunch* at a mountain homestead. (*own cost). we also get free wine tasting at one of these vineyards. would certainly recommand this tour if u are a nature lover!!!
3. went for this 1-hr ride on the aquabus (adventure duck) which is ard $26. this is actually a bus which can also cruise on the river. in this, u get to cruise pass the famous Palazzo Versace hotel, and berth of beautiful yachts and views of multi-million bungalows by the river (including Jackie Chan's). great if you wld love scenic views of GC by the river. light refreshments are included too.
you can buy the tickets from this little kiosk near concorde hotel in front of caville, near nerang river.
4. i stayed in the concorde hotel for the first part of my tour and extended for another 3 nites in an apartment.
for pple staying in hotel, i wld recommand Concorde for its great location and accessibility. here, you get the city view, river view and sea view all from your balcony (if yr room is facing the right direction like what i got). 5-10 min walk to surfers beach and the hub of Surfers, near bus stops which take you to the shopping centres.
5. for pple staying in an apartment, i wld strongly recommend Del-Rey Resort which is dirt cheap at A$50 per nite for a 1-bedroom fully furnished apartment min 3 nites. (A$50 is what a backpaker hostel offers for an ensuite double room with no other facilities in the room) they might even give u a 2-bedroom apartment if they run out of 1-bedroom like for my case !!! at the same price !!!!
in this apartment, you get a full kitchen where u can whip out a great meal!! also has dishwasher, wall oven, microwave, pots and pans, cutlery, utensils, wine glasses, and coffee and tea. however, u have to buy yr own food of coz, and also diswashing detergents / dishwasher detergents, cooking oil, salt and pepper.
besides the full kitchen, you get washing machine and a separate dryer so u dont even need to air yr clothes after washing !! however, buy yr own washing powder.
they have separated toilet and bathrooms with both standing shower and a bath tub. they provide u with heater for the room but no air cons for summer, just ceiling fans. not forgeting iron facilities too.
for the amenities, they have a lovely heated jacuzzi juz beside the pool which is juz right beside the river with their own jetty !! imagine the view !!! hee hee !!! also, a gas BBQ grill beside the pool.
this resort is situation on Whelan street where lotsa backpacker hostels and other apartments are. it is by chance that we came across such good deal by asking ard....it is very near concorde hotel, just 10 min walk down the street. it is also 5-10 min to surfers beach and hub.
for those interested u might wanna check out the websites by searching under del rey surfers and you wld get to see the pictures of it.
6. for shopping centres, some good ones are Harbour town where factory outlets are located. particularly the Nike one where Nike stuff are a real bargain !!! and also Calvin Klein, Country Road, Esprit to name a few.
also, Australian fair is not bad. and from here, go across the road from the food court to this park where families picnic by the river..great view for good pictures !!!
and pacific fair where daimaru is...tis is more "high class".
also, there is this weekend market called the carrara mkt where craft and rugs are sold. for pple who wanna get stuff for yr new house, this might be the place !!! beside it is a supermart called the Coco where food are cheaper compared to supermarkets like woolsworth and coles.
all this places are greatly accessible by buses from surfers (juz ask yr hotel, resort), wld costs u a couple of dollars and take you 1/2 hr to 45 min. no need to spend extra on cab at all !!!!!! but be warned that these places close quite early...they only open till later at 9pm on thursday..dunno why....and closes exceptionally early on wkends like 4/5 pm. so muz go early if u really wanna shop till u drop !!! =P
another shopping centre juz right in front of concorde hotel in the hub of surfers is the newly renovated Chevron Renaissance with Coles supermarket and few shops...lotsa eateries though.....
in the hub of surfers u find paradise shopping centre with shops and bowling arcade with game of $7+ each !! and shooting gallery....
at the hub, u also find McDonald's (try the McDelicious !! yummy !! and also McCafe u dun see in spore), KFC, Pizza Hut, and BK (which they call Hungry Jack) if u are sick of fish and chips like i was. esp at McDonald's u can have a cuppa with the surfers beach juz in front of u where u see surfers, sea gulls...lovely.....
7. its really dry there...so bring along yr hand and moisturizing lotion and face spray...if yr lips chipped like mine, go to any pharmacy and ask for a quick remedy at $5+..very useful....
8. if u have the time and $$, take a holiday bus (A$10+) to brisbane city too !! u can book for a bus (cheapest from Coachtrans) at the bus transit centre in front of whelan street. accomodation there is ard A$50 per room per nite for a ensuite double room in a backpackers hostel or $30+ for a shared bathroom double room.....there u can visit chinatown and the scenic southport.....i didnt get to go there due to tight schedule and budget....what a waste....
my apologies if things seem to get disorganised here...=P...coz i juz wanna vomit out everything i cld remember from the trip without missing anything out !!!
feel free to ask me anything if u wish to find out more !!! i am more than happy to be at yr service !! hee hee....=P
cheers,
Aussie