Queensland Short Breaks and Holidays

Posts Tagged ‘holidays’

The Gold Coast in Queensland is Australia’s home to theme parks and family entertainment venues. These Gold Coast Theme Parks all adopt their own concepts and provide days of entertainment popular and safe surrounds. Below you will find a brief description of each of the five major theme parks on the Gold Coast.

Movie World

Warner Brothers Movie World gives everyone the opportunity to be a star and experience the magic and excitement of being in the Movies. There are daring rides such as the Superman Escape rollercoaster where those that dare travel 100km per hour in just two seconds! And when you thought Warner Bros. Movie World them park on the Gold Coast couldn’t offer you any more action – out of the darkness comes an unprecedented thrill ride experience ‘Batwing Spaceshot’ – Get ready for a rapid 4G vertical launch followed by a drop into a breathtaking negative descent – beyond freefall!

Don’t forget all the fun of Looney Tunes Village, and be sure to take adventure to the next dimension with DreamWorks® Shrek 4D Adventure”! – the attraction that puts you in the action with hair-raising, eye-popping, and butt-busting effects so real all your senses will be on ogre-time. Warner Bros. Movie World is an exciting adventure just waiting for you! Address: Pacific Highway, Oxenford (Exit is clearly signed).

Location: 20 minutes north of Surfers Paradise, 45 Minutes south of Brisbane.

Opening Hours: 10am – 5.00pm all year round. Closed Christmas Day, 25 December. Restricted trading hours apply on ANZAC Day, Australia’s National Day of Remembrance on 25 April, with the park opening at 1:30pm.

Sea World

Sea World is undoubtedly one of the long term favourite Gold Coast theme parks and leads you on a journey to discover amazing marine life including dolphins, seals, sharks and polar bears. Enjoy a visit to the Sea World’s Shark Bay, the world’s largest man-made lagoon system, where you come face-to-face with the most feared species of sharks in the world! Visit Polar Bear Shores, watch the 1960’s themed ‘Waterski Wipeout’ show, visit Cartoon Network Cartoon Beach, enjoy the rides and attractions at Sesame Street Beach, where you can watch Bert & Ernie’s live stage show, featuring a full cast of characters singing and dancing up a storm. It’s all happening at Sea World theme Park on the Queensland Gold Coast and a must visit for all the family.

Location: Seaworld Drive, Main Beach. 3 kilometres north of Surfers Paradise

Opening Hours: 10am – 5.00pm all year round. Closed Christmas Day, 25 December. Restricted trading hours apply on ANZAC Day, Australia’s National Day of Remembrance on 25 April, with the park opening at 1:30pm.

Wet’n'Wild Water World

Australia’s premier water theme park is Wet’n'Wild Water World on the Queensland Gold Coast. Enjoy the fun of be spun out by Whirlpool that sends guests whirling amidst swirling rapids. Dare to experience the world’s first wet roller coaster as you plunge 30 metres through wild water sprays while spinning on a giant surfboard! Then, take on Australia’s biggest water attraction – Mammoth Falls. Then lay back at Giant Wave Pool or relax at Calypso Beach. Children (under 10 years of age) can also enjoy your visit to Wet’n'Wild World with a paddle or swim in Buccaneer Bay – a playground full of fun and fantasy. The park is patrolled by fully qualified lifeguards and all slides and pools are heated during the cooler months. Dive-in Movies are screened every Saturday night from November to January and every night during December to January school holidays.

Location: Pacific Highway, Oxenford (Exit is clearly signed). 20 minutes north of Surfers Paradise, 45 Minutes south of Brisbane.

Opening Hours: The park opens at 10.00am every day, closing times vary throughout the year – as follows:

27 December – 25 January: 9.00pm

26 January – 30 April: 5.00pm*

01 May – 31 August: 4.00pm

01 September – 26 December: 5.00pm*

Closed Christmas Day, 25 December. Restricted trading hours apply on ANZAC Day, Australia’s National Day of Remembrance on 25 April, with the park opening at 1:30pm.

Whitewater World

WhiteWater World is another popular Gold Coast Theme Park and is operated by Dream world. More than just another water park, White Water World is the most advanced water ride park on earth. They offer a number of family friendly attractions through to the more extreme and daring waterslides for the brave.

WhiteWater World offers four of the “world’s best” water slides plus family fun and entertainment at the Nickelodeon’s Pipeline Plunge and the aptly name toddler playground, Wiggle Bay. White Water World is all about the Australian surf, sand and sea, and of course a BIG FUN factor!

Location: Adjacent to Dream world on the Pacific Highway, Oxenford. 25 minutes north of Surfers Paradise and 40 minutes south of Brisbane.

Opening Hours: 10.00am to 5.00pm daily (10.30am-4.30pm in Winter), every day of the year, except Christmas Day and Anzac morning (25 April). Extended trading hours during peak holiday seasons.

Dreamworld

Dreamworld on the Queensland Gold Coast is home to 13 different themed entertainment worlds and even after 25years of operating remains Australia’s favourite theme park. The Gold Coasts Dreamworld them park is located at Coomera adjacent the Pacific Motorway (M1) that links Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Drive time from the Brisbane CBD is approximately 45 minutes and it’s a drive of approximately 20 minutes from the central Gold Coast.

Dreamworld covers a total 30 hectares full of rides, shows and attractions. The 13 different themed worlds at Dreamworld include wild Tiger Island where magnificent tigers interact with dedicated tiger handlers. There’s also an entertaining Riverboat Cruise, Gold Rush Country, koala and kangaroo sanctuary, water slides and rides like Wipeout, Thunderbolt and the Tower of Terror – the world’s tallest and fastest thrill ride with speeds of up to 160 km per hour. Book your tickets to Dreamworld below and avoid the queues when you arrive.

Location: Pacific Highway, Oxenford (Exit is clearly signed). 25 minutes north of Surfers Paradise, 40 Minutes south of Brisbane.

Opening Hours: 10am – 5.00pm all year round. Closed Christmas Day, 25 December. Extended trading hours during peak holiday seasons.

Click Here to Book your Gold Coast Theme Parks tickets online

Jamie Horne is the webmaster of several Victoria, Australia websites including Gold Coast Accommodation

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_H
http://EzineArticles.com/?Gold-Coast-Theme-Parks—Information,-Tickets-and-Passes&id=2711028

Queensland is one of the most popular destinations for international students wanting to study and homestay in Australia. Everyone has heard of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Cairns. But there are also many other lesser-known areas international students can come to learn English. The question is, which is better – city, or country??

There are some clear benefits to studying in the cities. Convenience is one of the most important things. You can easily access shopping centers, malls, entertainment areas, tourist attractions etc. via public transport. There are lots of things to do, so you’ll never be bored. The cities are also very multicultural – Brisbane in particular (Gold Coast and Cairns have a lot of Japanese tourists, but many different nationalities live in Brisbane), so you will find a lot more acceptance of your own culture / beliefs etc, and will most likely meet a lot of people from your own country, who will be able to help you get settled in / give you support when you need it.

But this can also be the downside to studying or homestaying in the big cities. Because there are so many other students / migrants who are the same nationality as you, you’ll find it will be very easy to make friends with them, and start speaking together in your own native language, because it makes you feel comfortable. But this way, you won’t speak or learn much English, and you won’t be able to make Australian friends. Living in Brisbane or the Gold Coast may be comfortable and fun, but it doesn’t motivate you to challenge yourself, and make effort to adapt to Queensland culture and life.

Doing a homestay in rural Queensland, on the other hand, will be a totally new experience. The typical country Queenslander is relaxed, friendly, and very talkative. While city people are often busy, hard-working, and not very talkative, country Queenslanders often spend more of their day chatting rather than working. The pace of life in Queensland is the slowest in Australia – maybe it’s because there’s so much sun and great weather – people are rarely stressed there. The nature in rural Queensland is also incredibly beautiful – national parks, wildlife, tropical rainforest, coral reefs… most of the world-famous natural attractions are in Queensland!

The difficulty with staying in rural Queensland is that there are not many foreigners there. So, you’ll find the locals don’t know much about foreign culture, and aren’t used to speaking to people whose first language isn’t English. For this reason, international students have trouble trying to understand local people, because they don’t realize they have to slow down when speaking, to be understood. At first, everyone will seem to be talking too quickly, and there will not be many other international students like yourself, so you’ll find you have to deal with issues like culture shock, settling in, and getting used to Queensland culture, with less help from others.

Coming to rural Queensland will be a much bigger challenge than studying and doing a homestay in Brisbane. But if you make effort, and challenge yourself to study English hard and make local friends, you’ll find the benefits after a few months will be much greater. Your English will improve very quickly (because there’s no-one to speak your native language with), you’ll experience “true” Australian country life and culture (relax, no worries, take it easy, slow down, enjoy!), and you’ll meet some of the most genuine, friendly, and warm people in Australia!

If you want to study and homestay Queensland Australia, take the challenge, avoid the big cities, and come and experience rural Queensland – friendly people, world-class nature, perfect weather, and the best opportunity to improve your English!
http://www.homestayqueensland.net.au/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Claydon-Platt
http://EzineArticles.com/?Homestay-Queensland—Country-Or-City,-Which-is-Better?&id=2496794