Late summer in south-east Queensland means hot mornings, sticky afternoons and the occasional thunderstorm that turns the street into a river for twenty minutes before the sun comes back out. A friend and I spent five days splitting our time between the beaches of the Gold Coast and the riverside city of Brisbane, and it turned out to be the most relaxed part of our whole Australia trip.
Brisbane and Surfers Paradise are only about an hour apart by car. Without a car, we took the train south and changed to the G:link light rail, which runs right through Surfers Paradise and along the coast.
Surfers Paradise: Towers on the Sand
Waves rolling onto the golden sand of Surfers Paradise beach with a lone seagull
The first thing you notice in Surfers Paradise is how close the skyscrapers are to the sand. One minute you are on a busy shopping street, the next you are on a wide golden beach with surf rolling in. The water in late summer is warm enough to stay in for a long time, but always swim between the red and yellow flags, because the current here is no joke.
The main landmark is the big curved Surfers Paradise sign at the end of Cavill Avenue. In the afternoon the sun is behind it, so come back in the morning for photos, or after dark when it is lit up in red. Along the beachfront there is a pleasant promenade with lifeguard towers, pandanus trees and benches where you can sit and watch the surfers.
On a few evenings each week the Surfers Paradise Beachfront Markets set up along the foreshore. Most stalls sell clothes, woven bags, souvenirs and toys rather than food, but it is a fun walk at sunset. For dessert we joined everyone else at Yo-Chi, a frozen yogurt shop where you fill your own cup with flavours and toppings and pay by weight at the counter. We went back the next night too.
On our first evening a sudden tropical downpour hit just as we finished dessert. We waited it out in the shopping centre across the road. That is summer on the Gold Coast: carry a light rain jacket and do not let a storm ruin your plans.
Pelicans and Fish and Chips on the Broadwater
A large group of wild pelicans on the sand beside the Gold Coast Broadwater
Our favourite lunch was at Charis Seafoods, a fish market and takeaway shop on the calm Broadwater, north of Surfers Paradise. The fish fillets are enormous, crispy outside and soft inside, and you can add fresh oysters and prawns from the market counter. We ate on the sand under a shade shelter.
The real show starts in the early afternoon, when staff feed the wild pelicans that gather on the beach. Dozens of them waddle around waiting, and when the fish comes out they all rush towards it with their giant beaks open.
Burleigh Heads: A Small Headland With a Big View
About eleven kilometres south of Surfers Paradise is Burleigh Heads, a more laid-back beach suburb with a rocky headland covered in forest. The Burleigh Head National Park is small, and the paved coastal track is easy enough to walk in sneakers.
A paved walking track through green forest in Burleigh Head National Park
Within a few minutes of starting, you are under tall trees with bush turkeys scratching around in the leaves, even though apartment towers are just through the gaps. Keep climbing to Tumgun Lookout for a view south over the Palm Beach coastline. On the way back, the north side of the headland gives you the classic view across the bay to the Surfers Paradise skyline.
View from Burleigh Heads across the bay to the Surfers Paradise skyline
After the walk we found a small juice and coffee stand right on the beachfront and sat at surfboard-shaped tables. A big fresh juice with orange, pineapple and mango cost about 6.5 AUD (around $4.30 USD), which felt very fair for a beachfront spot.
Brisbane: South Bank After Dark
Back in Brisbane, we saved South Bank for the evening, when it is finally cool enough to walk. The riverside parklands have the colourful BRISBANE letters, which keep changing colour and pattern, with the city towers lit up across the water behind them.
The illuminated BRISBANE sign at South Bank with the city skyline at night
Close by is the Neville Bonner Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that glows purple and blue over the river. We also walked past Streets Beach, the man-made lagoon beach in the park.
The lit-up Neville Bonner pedestrian bridge reflected in the Brisbane River at night
Brisbane restaurants close surprisingly early, so by nine o’clock the busiest places in town are the gelato shops. The queue at Gelato Messina went out the door at half past nine at night, so we tried another gelato bar nearby and still had to wait. The pistachio was worth it.
Mount Coot-tha and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
View over Brisbane city and suburbs from the Mount Coot-tha lookout
On our last morning we went up to the Mount Coot-tha Summit Lookout first. From the top you can see the whole city, the curves of the river and the hills beyond. Go early, before the heat haze builds up.
Then we headed to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which claims to be the first and largest koala sanctuary in the world. There are koalas everywhere, in open enclosures where you can watch them from close up while they sleep in strange positions, chew leaves or climb down for a stretch. We were lucky to see the keepers doing the daily weigh-in, gently lifting each koala onto a branch with scales.
Two koalas resting together on a branch at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Lone Pine stopped koala cuddles in 2024, but you can book a short close-up session to stand next to a koala for photos. Our favourite part was the big kangaroo reserve, where the kangaroos lie around in the shade and let you feed and pat them. There are also emus, wombats, a Tasmanian devil and a dark platypus pool.
Tips for the Gold Coast and Brisbane in Late Summer
- Plan around the heat. Do walks and lookouts early, rest at midday, and go out again at sunset.
- Expect storms. Afternoon and evening downpours are common. A light rain jacket is more useful than an umbrella.
- Swim between the flags. Gold Coast beaches are patrolled, and the flags mark the safest area.
- Stay south if you want a quieter trip. Surfers Paradise is great for a first visit, but Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads feel more local.
Final Thoughts
The Gold Coast and Brisbane make an easy pair: beaches, forest walks and wild pelicans on one side, river walks, gelato and koalas on the other. Nothing here is complicated, and that is the charm. If you are coming from the humid heat of Southeast Asia like me, late summer will feel familiar, just with better beaches and a lot more kangaroos.
