5 days on the Gold Coast for luxury travellers

You know about the Gold Coast, but have you ever truly experienced it? The Gold Coast offers many surprises to every kind of traveller – luxury travellers, you should strap yourselves in. Forget the theme parks of the area, you’ll find action, pampering, beaches, yachts and gourmet fare all across the Coast. Whether you’re looking for excitement, immersion, or a whole lot of nothing, this is the place for a luxury five-day holiday.

Day one: Discover the other side of the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is world-famous for its beaches – 57 kilometres of them, but what about the other way you can get wet on the Coast? Not as many visitors know about the Gold Coast Waterway, a calm-water estuary just north of Surfers Paradise that continues all the way to Brisbane.

Charter your own skippered private yacht for a few hours, or for the whole day with Sailing In Paradise. There’s uninhabited islands with stunning beaches, or cruise the canals to see the homes of the rich and the famous, or stop in at South Stradbroke Island for a walk through forest to ocean beaches on the other side.

Get back on land in time for a sunset cocktail overlooking the marina at Marina Mirage (check out which superyachts you’d love to take home with you!) at Glass Dining & Lounge Bar. Opt for candlelight, and order the Surf & Turf with local bug and prawns straight off the trawlers 200 metres away.

Sleep at the world’s first fashion hotel, the five-star Palazzo Versace. It’s just next door, sleep in opulent surrounds looking out across the bobbing lights of yachts at anchor on the waterway.

Day two: Immerse yourself in pampered luxury

Enjoy a long breakfast looking across the Broadwater at the hotel’s restaurant, known for its Italian-brewed coffees.

Today’s all about you; go pamper yourself and relax, you’ll have plenty of time to explore later. Drive 10 minutes south to Surfers Paradise and book yourself an Aqua Body Masque at Stephanies Wellness Spa, located within Q1 Resort & Spa – Australia’s tallest residential building. Settle in for a body wrap featuring all the healing powers of the ocean, with marine algae, kelp and more.

Have lunch on the 77^th floor, looking for passing humpback whales and dolphins.

Make your way five minutes south to The Star at Broadbeach. Check into one of the region’s most decadent hotels, The Darling (book a suite facing the hinterland for a spectacular sunset). But before that, double down with a two-hour Ocean Dreaming signature treatment at Azure Spa (within the casino complex), featuring a facial, full-body massage and full body mask.

Soak up the sunset from your suite with a glass of champagne, then ride the elevator to the top floor, where hatted restaurant Nineteen At The Star offers gourmet fare, in an elegant dining room with an open kitchen and a view across a lit-up horizon pool.

Day three: Head to the mountains

Did you know there’s a wilderness of over 100,000 square kilometres of World Heritage national parks and conservation area that starts barely half an hour’s drive from Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise?

You could spend a week in the Gold Coast Hinterland, but for a quick taste, nothing beats Tamborine Mountain , 45 minutes west of the casino. There’s everything here from hikes through a World Heritage-listed national park, to tandem hang-gliding and para-gliding to wine tasting. Take a wine tasting tour at Witches Falls Winery or Cedar Creek Winery then enjoy lunch at The Polish Place, sitting at a terrace on the side of the mountain with jaw-dropping views, sipping local wines and Polish delicacies.

Tamborine Mountain is an artist hot-spot, home to galleries and studios you can visit to watch Queensland’s best artists at work. To see the best of them, consider an afternoon art tour with Pineapple Tours (or a winery tour).

Check in for the night at Pethers Rainforest Retreat and sleep in one of 10 tree-houses set in six hectares of rainforest. Enjoy a gourmet dinner around a fireplace looking out through floor-to-ceiling windows to a floodlit forest.

Day four: Time for those iconic beaches

You’ve seen the mountains, and the Broadwater, now let’s get intimate with those beaches! Nowhere showcases what the region offers for beach-lovers more than Burleigh Heads. Take a stroll through coastal rainforest overlooking the water where you’ll have the best views of surfers riding the waves and passing whales and dolphins at Burleigh Heads National Park, and swim along the way at Tallebudgera Creek.

Have lunch and drinks at the Gold Coast’s first official beach club – Burleigh Pavilion. Jutting out over rocks right beside Burleigh Headland, sit on the deck beneath umbrellas watching the waves. Choose between fancier fare at The Tropic, or simpler meals on the bar side.

Spend your afternoon on the beach, or walk along the boardwalk beside the beach just north to trendy Miami and Nobby Beach, home to stunning cafes and bars, or shop at boutique fashion stores featuring local designs throughout Burleigh, such as Bird On A Wire and Emte.

It’s hard to do, but turn your back on the ocean and settle into some Parisian-style dining at the region’s best eatery, Restaurant Labart, owned by one of Sydney’s best chefs, Alex Munoz. Stay overnight beside the beach in uber-trendy, boutique apartment, Bon Sol, inspired by elegant beach retreats of the 1950s.

Day five: Winding down in the sleepy south

Like pastries and good coffee in a setting just made for people-watching? Then Tarte Bakery & Café is only a five-minute walk away.

Fancied yourself as the next Kelly Slater but never got around to learning? Or like to refine those skills you have already? There’s no better place than Currumbin, 10 minutes’ drive south. Set on a protected beach beside a creek that looks like a lagoon, there’s three surf schools to choose from, but Currumbin Alley Surf School is a safe bet.

Discover the southern Gold Coast’s best artists’ work at industrial hipster hang-out, Dust Temple, three minutes away in Currumbin Waters, and have lunch beyond the artwork in the sun-filled courtyard out the back.

Wind up your trip right beside Gold Coast Airport at Snapper Rocks, home to one of the key events on the world surfing tour each year – it’s one of the planet’s top waves. Walk around the headland, past pandanus trees and people picnicking in the park to Coolangatta.