The Gold Coast in Queensland is synonymous with the sun, water and good times. In Australia it is also infamous as the most popular “schoolies” destination in the country. Every November tens of thousands of teenagers flock to Surfers Paradise to celebrate the completion of high school. If there was one time I could recommend to stay out of Surfers Paradise (unless you are in your late teens and just finished school) it would be the October – November period. Having said that, the Gold Coast offers so much more than Surfers Paradise and there are often special offers that make it a very attractive family holiday destination.
Most families travelling to the Gold Coast will have their days jam pack with sight seeing, beaching, theme parks and a seemingly never ending assortment of activities. With so much to do in the region, it can be a very busy and tiring time. For those looking for a bit of relaxation while the kids burn off some of their infinite energy reserves, there are a number of parks around the Coast that offer swimming, activities, BBQ’s and seating. Let the kids run around, swim and play while you eat, drink and relax.
One such place is Harley Park in Labrador. Harley Park is right on the shores of the Broadwater and offers a swimming area protected by sand banks (Ian Dipple Lagoon). The water in the pool washes in and out with the tide, which conversely changes the height of the surrounding banks of sand. There are also plenty of shaded picnic tables and children’s play areas. There are toilets and showers (cold) so you can hang around for as long as you like. To top things off, Charis Seafood has a shop right on the edge of the park that offers both cooked and fresh seafood. The range is enormous and I can vouch for the freshness, it’s fantastic!
There are often cultural performers at Harley Park on a Friday and Saturday night during summer and the daily highlight for most children is the pelican feeding at around 1.30pm. You will see the pelican population building up from around midday at the rear of the Charis Seafood shop until feeding time.
One final piece of advice to anyone that plans using Harley Park – get there early. This park is becoming increasingly popular on weekends and by mid morning most of the shaded picnic tables are taken, as are all of the car parking spaces. The BBQ’s are council provided and are free.
