How to spend a rainy day on the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast has a reputation for serving more days of sunshine than rain; but if it does happen to fall on your holiday parade, chin up, there are plenty of things to do on when it rains on the Gold Coast.

Surf a break without any line ups

Rain tends to scare some people away, but if you're going to get wet anyway, why not hit the waves and enjoy a few uncrowded sets at Burleigh Heads, Currumbin or Snapper Rocks? These are the pick of the Gold Coast’s best surf breaks, and usually pretty busy - but on a rainy day, you'll find serenity.

Added bonus: on a rainy day you can often spot a rainbow at the beach too. 

Head for the hills

If you've woken up to drizzle, leave the beach behind and drive into the verdant green of the Gold Coast Hinterland. Light rain makes a wander through the rainforest even more magical, and gives waterfalls a little more to talk about. Start with Springbrook or Lamington National Park and find the right trail for you. Warrie Circuit is a great one for waterfall lovers. 

Get wet and go wild

The same rule applies to theme parks, so don’t let the rain perturb you. Wet’n’Wild is all about being immersed, so pop on your swimmers and hit the slides at Australia’s biggest water park. Dreamworld doesn’t pack up when it rains either - their newest slide; the Triple Vortex is built for thrill seekers but if have littles in tow, plonk them in the biggest puddle they’ve ever seen at Wiggle Bay. Discover more on theme parks.

Get some air time

It might not be the best day to take off on a scenic flight, but escape the rain and feel the sensation of freefalling at iFly Indoor Skydiving instead. If you're looking to nab some funny photos of your mates, this is the spot to do it. 

Shop it off

Shopping is considered sport on the Gold Coast, and regardless of whether you prefer luxury brands, boutiques or bargains, there are plenty of places to indulge in a spot of retail therapy.

For the best brands, head to Pacific Fair. Here you’ll find over 400 stores from international icons though to local favourites. And with cinemas, dining and a playground for the kids, it is easy to spend a whole day out of the rain here.

Robina Town Centre is where the locals like to shop; also home to over 400 stores. Serve your shopping with a side of art and visit ArtVo Illusions; Queensland’s only “trick art” gallery, filled with entertaining optical illusions. Face off with wild animals, surf the ultimate wave or even scale mountains. All ages are welcome to be wildly adventurous here and you’ll have the photos to pop on your instagram to prove it.

If you love a bargain, Harbour Town in Biggera Waters is Australia’s largest and the Gold Coast’s only outlet shopping centre. You’ll have to be nimble to duck in and out as the centre is mostly open air, but with the money you will save, it’s well worth taking on a bit of water.

Get crafty

Beer, that is.

The Gold Coast's craft brewery scene has plenty to write home about, with big names like Balter, Burleigh Brewing Co and Blackhops sitting alongside more under-the-radar local favourites. Whether you're after an easy-drinker, a hop-bomb or something malty, you'll find a great local beer to add to your rotation - some breweries even offer tours too. 

If not everyone in your crew is a beer drinker, hide out in these Gold Coast bars instead. 

Work on your appetite

If you’ve ever wanted to sample the best local food, but you’re not sure where to start, hand your taste buds over to the crew at Gold Coast Food and Wine Tours. Choose either Broadbeach,  Burleigh or Surfers Paradise to discover some of the best local places to eat. Great company, delicious food, wine tastings or cocktails are sure to chase any rainy day blues away.

Too late to book a tour? Get ocean views without getting wet and settle in for lunch at one of these waterside restaurants instead. 

Inspire your artistic side

HOTA is the Gold Coast’s creative arts precinct and with an outdoor stage, two theatres, two cinemas, cafe and activities almost always underway; you’ll find plenty to do at Home Of The Arts. From yoga to dance, musical theatre, art, markets and kids programs and the best bit: most of them are free.

The recently opened $60.5m HOTA Gallery is the largest public gallery outside a capital city in Australia, with moving major exhibitions to get your mind lost in. 

Looking for more free family fun? Step over here to these free activities on the Gold Coast.

If tea is more your tipple

Take your tea sipping to a fashionable new level at Palazzo Versace by indulging in their decadent high tea. Sip tea, champagne or cocktails alongside a tiered plate of sweet and savoury petit fours while marvelling at the exquisite chandeliers and breathe in the perfume from thousands of fresh flowers that decorate the lobby. It’s opulent, but a great way to spend a rainy day on the Gold Coast at one of the best luxury resorts in Queensland.

Escape reality

A rainy day on the Gold Coast is the perfect excuse to get lost in the magical world of make-believe. For a brain-straining thrill head to Escape Hunt Experience at Southport where you will be part of a team of sleuth’s tasked with solving a mystery that is the only guaranteed way to get out.

For another mind-boggling experience, visit Ripley’s Believe it or Not Odditorium on Cavill Avenue where the wacky, wild and wonderful will bemuse, baffle and bamboozle you. Discover some of the world's weirdest across 15 themed galleries with 400 genuine artefacts, almost impossible illusions and all sorts of things unusual. 

Nearby, ignite your imagination at Infinity, a mind-bending, light-filled futuristic maze with special effects, music and more to fascinate. 

Indulge in some self-care

The Gold Coast has plenty of day spas and wellness retreats to choose from if you want to spend a rainy day treating yourself. 

For a little self-luxe in the burbs, Greenhouse the Bathhouse will pamper, preen and pummel your rainy day blues away with indulgent massages, sublime soak sessions (in a heated hydrotherapy spa no less), and a soothing magnesium plunge pool to complete your me time trilogy.

For something a little more fancy but mind-blowingly meditative, head for the hinterland and call 200 hectares of forest home for a weekend at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat. Nestled in the lush Tallebudgera Valley, leave the phones behind and take a cue from the heavens and refresh, revive and relax while listening to natures soothing soundtrack of rain falling gently outside.