OMG Free OZ! - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**mooloo** · 08-22-2007, 04:42 PM

Hey everyone!!

As the title suggest I am possibly getting a FREE trip to OZ!!

So the story is; my b/f is 21 next year and his parents asked if he wanted a big party or not, which he doesn't (will just have a drunken family & close friend gathering proberly a bbq & byo to keep costs down, as well as one of his close friends has his bdy a few days later so can just drink ALOT at his party!) so they said that they would pay for our flights & accomodation to the GOLD COAST and would have a 'family' holiday for 8-10 days in April next year!

Lol I am so excited as i thought i was gunna be stuck here in NZ with nothing to look forward to until 2009!!!!

So the only costs to us are getting our passports (which we would have to do soon after anyway for our OE) and any attractions we want to go to/ shopping!!!!

So fire any suggestions as to what we can do on the Gold Coast for 8-10 days other than the normal movie world / etc attractions!

I would love to extend the trip for a few weeks and see heaps more, but restrictions at work wouldn't allow me too, that and my damn degree

If any tpunks are on the gold coast when we are I would love to catch up!

I think the bf is gunna end up having his 21st over there which will be awesome, so any suggestions on awesome pubs/clubs etc would also be appreciated!! :D

This has definately picked me up during a depressing stage at my life, where im sick of the studying and working and just wanting to break free!!

to you all

**aliz** · 08-23-2007, 01:51 AM

thats so awesome!! ummm... i just wish I knew more about the gold coast. i've only been when i was about 12 and we did movieworld and all that.

**mooloo** · 08-23-2007, 08:05 PM

lol i would much prefer to come over to sydney for a meetup, but its free i aint turning it down!!

**maracle** · 08-23-2007, 08:18 PM

Wow, I'd say I'm pretty jealous!

I didn't see the gold coast when I was there, but I think it would be really cool to charter a little sailboat and cruise around the Whitsunday Islands for a few days. Stop for a picnic and a swim, scuba dive, fish, whatever sounds good at the time.

**omisan** · 08-24-2007, 01:59 PM

Sweet! That's an awesome deal.

Well, I only spent a couple of days in the Gold Coast - Surfer's Paradise to be exact. It's all a bit tacky and resorty, but that's not to say that it's not fun! (And hey, who'd turn down something like that for free?)

Do you know where in the GC you'll be staying? Not that it's hard to get up and down the area, but if you want to party it up, Surfer's has some crazy ass organized pub crawls for backpackers that can be fun.

For something a little more chill, you can grab a bus up to the Sunshine Coast. The little beach towns there are beautiful (albeit pricey), and if you're a Steve Irwin fan, his Australia Zoo is in the area.

Brisbane is also a short bus+train ride away. While not the most exciting place, there's plenty to see and do in Australia's 3rd largest city. The Lone Pine Koala sanctuary on the outskirts of town is pretty damn cool.

I like to think of Queensland towns less as a destination and more of a base to explore the area and do all sorts of stuff. There's everything from surfing to sailing to nearby islands to hiking rainforests in the vicinity. Cool stuff!

travlvirgin · 09-23-2007, 01:22 AM

Well i know this reply is a little late but i hope it gets to you....I LIVE ON THE GOLD COAST .....and have 9 years. Anything you need to know i got the answers lol. Here is a little general info and stuff

GOOD CLUBS AND PUBS -
Fishos (on the water, Main Beach) The Bedroom (surfers), Shooters (surfers), The Drink (surfers), Berlin Bar (surfers), The Prince albert bar and the quid bar at the Cassino (the cassino in general is a nice night out they have shows that run there, that are pretty cool, Broadbeach) Melbas (surfers),the party (heavy metal, surfers)

GOOD SHOPPING CENTRES
The DFO (Direct factory outlet) is a huge shopping centre on the Airport Road it is literally 1km away from brisbane airport. It is great for good bargain stuff. The most popular shopping centre on the Gold Coast is Pacific Fair , it is in broadbeach (where i work). Robina town centre is a good one. oh and Harbour Town Shopping centre is great for bargins to it is at labrador about 15-20 mins drive from surfers, but worht the bargins.

GREAT PLACES TO EAT.
BROADBEACH, MAIN BEACH, BURLEIGH. burleigh is awsome. its alot calmer then surfers. it is safer, cheaper and much prettier. the food there is awsome, if you like mexican try Montizumas its great. the beach and the atmosphere is beutiful there. There is a huge hill that provides the best look out literally 100m from the shops, there is a board walk around the beach aswell. broady and main beach are by far the best food locations there is a strip at Broadbech paralell to the beach it has everything from a surfclub meal to fancy italian, chinese, mediteranian, thai, gelati etc. it also has a few nightclubs on the street and great dancing resturants - Element in particular is a lovely bar that plays spanish remixes on fridays and saturdays. you go there to have a bit of a latin dance. Overall Broadbeach is the classy and elegent yet relaxing place to go, its right on the beach and has accomodation everywhere it is a 5 minute walk from the main strip to pacific fair (shopping) to the casino and to the beach and convention centre.
Main Beach is a bit more yuppy (snobby) but great for some excelent food.

GREAT IDEAS.
DRACULAS - there is this theatrical restaurant i guess you would call it right next to the cassino. IT IS TERRIFIC. the building looks like a huge oversized haunted house. all the waiters are dressed up to look like vampires and stuff. There is a 2 hour show - AMAZINGLY FUNNY. its a comedy/music/satire its just great. it sounds crap me explaining but in all seriousness its a must do. im not doing it justice.

CURRUMBIN ROCK POOLS AND THE NATURAL ARCH -
These two places are the most gorgeous natural features the gold coast has to offer they are both about 20 mins inland from surfers but worth seeing. Currumbin rock pools have this gorgeous rock that hangs out over this deep deep natural pool if your lucky and it rains it is the best waterfall ever. it is open for people to play so you can jump off it and it is safe. The natural Arch is this massive gorge thing. it is the cave that you can either access by walking this track, it has old aboriginal paintings in there and at night there are glos worms. or you can go around the to and there is a hole in the top of the cave - you can see straight down. its wicked.

BEACHES- there are some good beaches and areas around the coast that are never publisised as much as they should be. Burleigh is a favourite, Tweed, and Kurawa at Broadbeach they are a little less touristy then surfers.

BANDS-
3 worlds is an alternate music store on the highway and it has really really nice excentric bands there once in a while. The Prince albert bar in the Cassino has live bands or comedy on Tuesday nights.

TRANSPORT - busses go literally EVRYWHERE. i mean everywhere. and are fairly cheap. its like $1-2 dollars to get anywhere. the busses are clean and safe and the best way to get around

ANIMALS-
Currumbin wildlife sanctuary or australia zoo - AUS zoo is a while away but currumbin is fairly close

if you have any troubles or questions just let me know, im happy to help.

**benna2** · 09-23-2007, 06:23 AM

I'm not much help in the Australia division, since this poor girl has never been there! (someday...someday!!!)

But I had to chime in and say what an awesome present from your bf's parents! They must really like you!

**joe7f** · 09-23-2007, 08:20 PM

Awesome advice list Bianca!

--Joey

**mooloo** · 09-24-2007, 12:41 AM

WOW!!

Great advice, i'll have to print it out for closer to the time!!

Pity we will be over there once you've already left for europe though, we coulda had a meetup!!

travlvirgin · 09-24-2007, 04:06 AM

well my bro will be occupying my house solo so if you ever get stuck for accomodation or are running low on cash he makes a mean bolognaese sause lol.....mi casa is su casa (or whater the saying is). . . .

travlvirgin · 09-24-2007, 04:07 AM

oh and P.S if you want any more info you know where to find me.,
ciao

cattlikewoah · 10-31-2007, 01:46 AM

Ahh get a flight to Sydney from GC. You could prob get a cheap rtn for about $150 with Virgin!

If you get to go up to the Sunny Coast, go look for the trees that look like penises... I don't know what they are called and where else they are but I saw them in Mooloolabah (sp?) and couldn't get over it.

Only thing I know about the Gold Coast (besides the seediness) is that SkinFX tattoos is the best!!! So if you're interested, ask for Luke Braniff! He did an awesome job on me

Oh and look out for the meter maids in Surfers. And Warwick Cappa!

**kiwichick** · 10-31-2007, 01:56 AM

hey manda!
ive been a couple of times and would def back up the calls for draculas, habour town (save u shopping for here!!) and pacific fair but flag the natural arch seriously (sorry i mean no offense by this its imho only) weve got prettier stuff here at home we make less of a fuss over. i also heard the casino is really good there and always wanted to go but not been old enough till now!
(lol oh yeh im back btw, had an absolute ball in europe!)

**mooloo** · 08-12-2008, 02:02 AM

Just thought i'd quickly write up what happened in the end...

Well we went to GC & Sunshine Coast mid-end of April this year and had a great time, there were a few things I would've liked to do but didn't since so many of us went (7-8!) and i would feel bad getting everyone to do what I wanted when they paid for it all - so we did movieworld and dreamworld, they were ok but i don't like heights or rollarcoasters (yea boring I know

)so I was the bag carrier most of the time for these days.

We used the buses solely on the GC - we had a week pass and they were awesome, get on anybus anywhere and it will take you to where you want to go - highly reccomended if you don't have a car.

We stayed on Nobby Beach which was a decent 15-20min? bus ride into central surfers - we went to Robina, Cararra markets, Harbour Town, Pacific Fair and shopped in central surfers (I was completely sick of shopping after a couple of days). We were on the GC for about 8 days. We also made it to Coolangatta which I really enjoyed, and also walked from Nobby beach to Burleigh Heads which was a nice walk as well.

We had to see off one of the group (had to go back home to work) at the Brisbane airport so we picked up a rental car from here and drove to spend 5 days on the sunshine coast. I must say the sunshine coast was more my scene, I loved the GC but sunshine coast seems more relaxed, or maybe its just cas we did less here so it seemed more relaxed?

We made it to the Australia Zoo which I reccomend - arrive early and make a day of it... We also went to Noosa for half a day and had a bit of a walk around the nat park which was awesome!! I think i enjoyed our short time in Noosa the most of all the trip.

I can't believe we left almost 4 months ago!! Now to start planning the next trip...