Kris Brooks.com

It’s funny, in running a surfboard hire company and enjoying the best Australia has to offer the surfing world , I often forget just how diverse and special Australia’s Gold Coast really is. This last weekend though was one of those rare ones when I was reminded what a beautiful life we have up here and just how much we have to offer to the millions of holidaying visitors we are lucky to host each year.

As a bit of background to my re-awakening weekend, my wife and I are recently pregnant with our first baby. This baby, a blessing though it definitely is for us, was not 100% planned and therefore our preparations for “family” were a little behind where we would ideally have liked them. That being the case, we have really dug in over the last 2 – 3 months, working our butts off to pay off credit cards and buy baby stuff so we will be ready when our pride and joy arrives in September. As such, we have not really gotten out much recently, we’ve turned a bit hermetic.

That weekend was a long one is Queensland. Monday was a holiday, making it a three-day weekend. On Friday night, friends from Sydney came up to visit and we all decided we’d head out for a big night in town. Since we’ve been home so often in recent times, the experience was awesome. We kicked things off with a dinner on Broadbeach’s elegant restaurant row. The meal was exquisite and afterward we hit Surfers Paradise to check back in on some Gold Coast nightlife. We had come pretty close to forgetting how fun a night out in Goldy can be.

After sleeping late on the Saturday, my partner and I packed ourselves into our car and drove as little as 1 hour to have a weekend away from the beach, and explore the beautiful Gold Coast hinterland. This mountainous area really is sensational, hosting some amazing wineries (which I enjoyed much more than my pregnant wife ), some superbly relaxing retreats (which she enjoyed more than me) and the perfect balance of peace and serenity to ensure we returned home, fully recharged and ready to face the daily grind again.

If you are going to visit the Gold Coast, be sure to leave some time to visit the hinterland, one of the real treasures of the area. The Gold Coast in Queensland has so much to offer and the hinterland is one of its finest spots.

On Monday, we headed home via a circuitous route, leaving time for some lunch and also to do some fishing. With the river’s mouth and ocean not far off, we cast out our lines from the banks into the estuaries.

As we were enjoying this peaceful couple of hours (despite catching nothing!) I couldn’t help but reflect what a fishing paradise we had on our doorstep also. I could see a string of surf fishermen less than 500m away, casting out into the ocean from the beach. At times I watched the little dingies bobbing through the estuaries, finding their little secret spots. All the while, the deep sea fishing charters where returning from their half day outings, hunting their game fish in the oceans. What more variety could a fisherman want?

Making our way home, it was hard to ignore what a beautiful life we have here on the Goldy. These things are just a part of life in Queensland, where the natural wonders of the world are here for all to see and experience. Add on top of that some of the big tourist attractions like the theme parks and there is little mystery as to why the tourists are coming back year after year.

So many people continue to come back again and again. Next time, ditch the fancy cocktail bars and elegant dining rooms and venture out a bit into the picturesque countryside, where nature and tranquility will put any worried mind at ease. You’ll be glad you decided to do it.

Damian Papworth realizes women find it challenging to pack a suit case for Gold Coast hotels Australia as there is so many things to see. Choosing the appropriate women’s clothing to pack can be a real conundrum.