Gold Coast

Every summer vacation, my family and I take a trip. This year, during the booking period, we happened to watch a TV program about Australia, so we decided on Australia's Gold Coast. I also wanted to experience a hot air balloon ride, so I booked one through Klook. Although the pickup was quite early in the morning, they arrived at the hotel right on time. There was a restroom break on the way to the plateau, and as we got closer, a DVD played explanations and注意事项 (important information/precautions) in English, Chinese, and Japanese inside the vehicle, which made my excitement level reach its peak. We slowly floated up into the crisp, silent air of dawn, truly 'wherever the wind blew,' and were able to watch the sunrise from the horizon during our hour-long aerial stroll. Upon landing in the pasture, we were greeted by grazing cows. It was a precious experience that's hard to come by in Japan, as we helped the approximately 20 participants and the Hot Air Balloon staff waiting at the landing spot fold and pack up the hot air balloon, and enjoyed sparkling wine.

We met by the side of the road. Several companies had canoes loaded and were parked on the street, ready to go, so I showed my Klook reservation screen and asked around to see if it was their tour. Since the map location was approximate, I recommend actively asking any car with canoes loaded. The tour started at 7:30 AM, and they were there promptly before the scheduled time and called out my reservation name. It's a little nerve-wracking to meet the guide, but it's easy to find them, so please head there with confidence. Also, in my case, the day before, I received a message from the guide via Gmail suggesting that since the weather wasn't looking good, I should change my 10:30 AM start time to 7:30 AM. They also told me that snorkeling would offer a clearer view in the morning. Although I was worried about waking up early, I changed it because I wanted to see the beautiful ocean. I was touched by how kind they were to proactively contact me based on the weather. This email exchange made me feel confident that I would enjoy myself at the location. Four women gathered, and I rode in a canoe with one other person, while the other two rode in single canoes. They asked if I preferred a single or a pair, and if it was my first time, and then paired us up accordingly, which was great. They explained the photo route and the flow of the activity, so even if my English wasn't perfect, I understood everything without any problems. Once we started, it was a lot of fun, and the guide explained about the birds and shared various stories. They also took photos while we were canoeing, which created lifelong memories. They lent us waterproof backpacks, wetsuits, and snorkels. I definitely think a towel and swimsuit are essential. Also, there are no changing facilities, so I recommend wearing your swimsuit beforehand. We saw many beautiful fish in the ocean. Those near the rocks and those in slightly deeper areas were truly beautiful. Other companies were also snorkeling in the same area, and there were boats in slightly deeper waters, but we enjoyed it without any issues. This is definitely one of the activities I will do again when I come to the Gold Coast.

Our first time riding a helicopter, and honestly, what an unforgettable experience. 🚁🥹 It was a mix of excitement and nervousness at first, but once we were up in the air and saw everything from a completely different perspective, it was all worth it. There’s something so surreal about looking down and realizing how beautiful everything is from above. 🩶

Thanks to our tour guide Logan and Steve, we had a great night with the small group. Worth the money as we learnt a lot about the habitat and species at the national park. We were able to find decaying trees, spidey, glow-worms and even some ghost fungus! The tour ended with star-gazing on out way back to the city, the countless stars are the gem of Gold Coast, thanks for the great night~

I was soothed by the beautiful scenery and waterfalls from morning. I even encountered wild kangaroos! Our guide, Enva, was friendly and helped us throughout the tour, even using a translation tool along the way. Since there's some driving involved, those prone to motion sickness should be a little careful. The AquaDuck office, where we were picked up, was clean and easy to find.

Tania was a wonderful guide. She made an effort to get to know each member of our group. Her commentary was very thorough—besides introducing us to the glowworms, she also shared a lot about the forest ecosystem. Along the way, we even spotted some small animals and enjoyed a beautiful starry sky.

Unforgettable Gold Coast day tour from Southern Cross. The route is thoughtfully planned with professional service, offering a deep and memorable travel experience. Big thanks to Orion, our driver, guide and DJ! He is knowledgeable, humorous, patient and friendly, always wearing a warm Gold Coast-style smile. His in-depth commentary on nature and culture was brilliant, plus he has amazing music taste, with every track drawing us into the moment.

Gary is a very knowledgeable guide, he knows everything about the forest habitat. He guided us to find a wild kangaroo family, leaded us to locate 3 Kolas on the same tree. He pointed out birds to us in various species. We also enjoyed a perfect morning tea with nice new friends in a sunny day. We walked through the national park and saw the waterfall without any difficulty.

This full-day tour has a packed itinerary, but it’s so well-paced that we never felt rushed and thoroughly enjoyed every stop. Our driver/tour guide must moonlight as a radio host because he kept us entertained with fascinating trivia the entire ride—even if you doze off, you’ll still wake up smarter! He also has supersonic ears and laser eyes for spotting wildlife, ensuring we saw everything we came for. Highly recommend!