Do you have a little one fascinated by fairies?? Hidden away in the suburbia of Merrimac, lies a little playground that encourages imaginative play in children of all ages. The Faerie Park on first glance doesn’t look as enticing as some of the newer playgrounds with all their fancy play equipment, but take a moment to look a little closer and see what you can find… perhaps a troll, a goblin or even a faerie!
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Shark and Ray Gardens
Ever wanted to get up close and personal with a shark or stingray? Hidden away just north of the Gold Coast is a place where dreams come true for those obsessed with all things sharks and marine life! Providing a very unique experience, your visit to the Shark and Ray Gardens is guaranteed to be both educational and fun!
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Pacific Pines Central Park
Nothing beats a play at the park! Even with so many new parks opening up across the Gold Coast, Pacific Pines Central Park has us coming back time and time again. Big trees giving lots of shade, play equipment catering for toddlers through to school kids and a lakeside walk mean this park is one for all!
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Coombabah Lakelands Conservation area
The Coombabah Lakelands Conservation area protects 1200 hectares of wetlands and eucalypt forest, right in the middle of the northern Gold Coast suburbs. Visit in the late afternoon to see grassy open fields bathed in golden sunlight and hundreds of kangaroos grazing on the grass!
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Sooty Owl’s Creekside Trail, Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens
Tamborine Mountain Botanic Garden's family-friendly discovery trail, Sooty Owl’s Creekside trail will intrigue, surprise and educate children and adults alike.
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Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre & Nature Play
Just 30 minutes north of the Gold Coast lies Brisbane City Council’s Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre, and Queensland’s first nature play space for kids! With an interactive self-guided experience, visitors young and old can learn about the forest and all the animals that live there. Fly over the forest in a virtual reality experience, check out the night time forest audio visual experience and catch frogs in an interactive floor projection. Once you’re finished at the Discovery Centre, kids can get back to nature in the water play, climbing features, discovery trails and sculptural artworks of the Nature Play space.
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Gold Coast Botanic Gardens
The Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens have something for everyone! Free to visit, you can smell, touch and taste plants in the Sensory Garden; discover butterfly friendly plants in the Butterfly Garden; check out the Bush Tucker gardens; grab a coffee in the cafe or let the kids play on the playground!
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Farm & Co, Kingscliff
Have you ever seen those beautiful sunny sunflower fields pop up in your social media feeds? While most head to Byron Bay or Warwick to snap their selfie with a sunflower, a little known but ever so amazing sunflower field is actually a lot closer than you realise! Enter Farm & Co – what was once just an avocado farm in Cudgen (just outside of Kingscliff), realised the potential in their sunflower field and business has been booming since they also opened a stunning farm-to-plate café alongside their popular produce market.
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Daisy Hill Koala Centre & Forest
We recently visited Daisy Hill State Forest and Koala Centre, which was where I spent many a weekend and school holiday hanging out with friends and family. With free access, this place is a gem for all ages to learn about koalas and their conservation.
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Currumbin Valley
Images: Pasture & Co Images: Must do BrisbaneImage: Brisbane Kids Only a short drive inland from the golden sands of the beaches that the Gold Coast is best known for, is another world that the Gold Coast keeps hidden – Currumbin Valley. Being only 40 minutes from the northern Gold Coast where we live, we decided to head there one Sunday mainly to check out a café I had heard plenty about, but also to take in the beautiful scenery and rediscover this little corner of the Coast. Currumbin Valley is mainly known for two things – the Currumbin Valley Rockpools, and the Eco Village. Visiting both of these places…
