The Gold Coast has 70 km of golden sandy coastline with 30 spectacular beaches along Queensland's eastern shore. This unique Pacific Ocean paradise offers fun and relaxation with a party atmosphere that is second to none.

Beaches cater to everyone from families to serious surfers. Australian families gravitate towards the beaches at the southern end that offer safe swimming conditions and patrolled beaches as well as open air showers, drinking water, picnic areas, toilets and changing rooms. Among the best surfing in the world can is at Coolangatta beach farther up the coast, host to several international surfing competitions each year.

We spent the ultimate family fun holiday exploring several worlds of entertainment at the Gold coast's popular theme parks. Gold Coast is the renowned theme park capital of Australia.

There's so much fun for everyone at the "worlds". The Theme Parks are all located within close proximity to each other. Choose from Wet 'n' Wild, Water World, Warner Bros., Movie World, Dream World, Whitewater World and Sea World. Each park is just a short drive away.

Farther south, we also visited the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and got "up close and personal" to the amazing wildlife there. We hand fed wild flocks of Rainbow lorikeets, cuddled a koala, and fed a mob of kangaroos. While in the Sanctuary, we discovered magnificent birds of prey and colorful parrots exhibiting their aerial acrobatics.

We found some of the best shopping complexes around such as Pacific Fair at Broadbeach, Centro and Renaissance at Surfers Paradise, Harbour Town at Biggera Waters, Australia Fair at Southport, and Robina Town Centre at Robina. Art galleries, restaurants, cinema complexes, and games arcades add limitless entertainment to the energetic shopping atmosphere.

We walked the street markets held on Friday evenings in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, and each Saturday and Sunday at the huge Carrara market with over 450 stalls.

We took the kids on an amazing journey through Infinity Hi-tech Worlds of Illusion, had a game of putt putt golf, and went to Time Zone for non-stop indoor action. At Dracula's haunted house, we were amazed by the animated sculptures and Dracula's cabaret. The Australian Outback Spectacular fascinated us with its action-packed, dramatic musical extravaganza.

Our holidays have included some superb water and beach-based activities such as surfing, beach volleyball, swimming, fishing, windsurfing, water skiing, sea-kayaking, diving, canoeing, jet-skiing, sailing, and parasailing.

My wife and I experienced ultimate 5-star luxury at the area's best hotels and resorts. We've spent romantic getaways at beautiful self-contained apartments, guesthouses, cozy cabins, and bed-and-breakfasts.

We took a river cruise complete with gourmet dining, watched whales off the coast, and experienced the rugged outdoors on adventure tours.

We enjoyed a day tour to Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast hinterland and visited its craft shops, cafes, art galleries, and wineries. You can locate Tamborine Mountain on the map below for your roam guide.

While walking through the national parks, we discovered hidden spring-fed waterfalls, saw thousands of glow worms at the Cedar Creek Glow Worm Caves and Winery and ended the day with a wine tasting adventure.

Gold Coast has much to offer anyone looking for a great holiday: using this roam guide you will learn more about the area. Beaches, theme parks, shopping, friendly locals, romantic getaways, adventure, kid's activities, restaurants, night life, warm weather, wildlife, fun, relaxation, a party atmosphere, and water sports.

So it's hard to tell which holiday we had in Gold Coast was the best because they all were. Every holiday was fantastic - and different!