Welcome to my Coolangatta Escape, where the sun seems to shine forever. For seven blissful days, I immersed myself in the coastal magic of this hidden gem. From art galleries to iconic beaches, every moment was a canvas waiting to be painted with memories and fun times.
Fifteen minutes from the Gold Coast Airport or just over an hour’s drive from Brisbane lies Coolangatta, the Gold Coasts most southernmost suburb and holiday hot spot. With world-famous surf breaks, sprawling sandy beaches, amazing food scene, friendly locals and a slightly slower pace of life, this region is renowned for its casual coastal culture. From art galleries to iconic beaches with stunning walking trails, my ROAD TRIP destination was a perfect mix of relaxation, exploration, and some serious indulgence in the quintessential Aussie beach lifestyle.
Whether you’d rather recline on the golden sands, hang out on the beach, or spend hours riding the surf break, the ocean is Coolangatta’s star attraction. Where else can you fly into the Gold Coast Airport and be on the beach stripping off for a swim mere minutes later. Soak up the incredible views on a beach walk or follow the coastal Oceanway Walk that winds around Greenmount Hill, down to Rainbow Bay Beach.
When you need a place to stay, you are spoilt for accommodation options with Motels, Hotels Air BnB, Caravan Parks and my favourite High-Rise apartments are available. There are two main roads that run through Coolangatta, Marine Parade that runs parallel to the beach and Griffith Street. My beachfront accommodation, Points North Apartments (click here) situated on Marine Parade,was the icing on the cake. Waking up to the sounds of the waves, grabbing a coffee from the Board Short Barista , situated on the beachfront in a laneway next to the Coolangatta Surf Lifesaving Club – SLSC, before stepping out onto the sand each morning was an absolute treat. Whether it was relaxing on the balcony, enjoying a swim in the apartments private pool, or cooking up a storm on the BBQ’s, my beachfront haven offered the perfect blend of relaxation and fun.
🔥Tip:
> Phone direct your accommodation choice (if available). Prices can be cheaper than “Booking” sites and most accommodation managers offer the same and in a lot of cases better terms and conditions for your stay. It’s always worth a call. 📞☎️
> During School Holidays, Weekends, and other peak times the cost can increase significantly. Try for other periods, particularly in the cooler months, you could have the beach, bars, restaurants nearly all to yourself.
Coolangatta has been a popular holiday destination since the late 1800’s and promises a slower pace in comparison to other bustling centres of the northern Gold Coast a half hour drive away. Coolangatta Beach is surrounded by parklands that contain playgrounds, toilets, free BBQ’s, tables, seating, shady gazebos, and beach showers.
In June each year the Cooly Rocks On Festival (For more info click here) rolls into town – Australia’s largest nostalgia festival, celebrating the motors, music, and lifestyle of the 50s, 60s and 70s. This festival has recently been awarded GOLD in the major Festivals & Events category at the Queensland Tourist awards 2022 and is well worth checking out.
My Adventure Begins
DAY 1 – Arrival
I pre-booked my accommodation at Points North Apartments well in advance and got the unit and position that ticked all my boxes. This day was off to a fantastic start, check in time is usually 2pm, but having phoned earlier in the day I was told that the unit is ready and any time after 12pm was OK. We are all set to go, leaving Brisbane, it’s only a quick trip down the M1 Motorway and we have arrived. Undercover Secure Car Parking✔️ Views✔️ BBQ & Pool ✔️ Kids Entertainment Room✔️ Easy Beach Access✔️ Walks✔️ Cafes, Restaurants and Surf Clubs✔️ Shopping✔️ Public Transport Options – Bus, Cab, Uber✔️ Fun in the Sun✔️ Once we unpacked, we set out for lunch and some exploration of our surrounds. There is no need to drive, park the car, just about everything you’ll need is within easy walking distance.
Choosing a place for lunch was painless, Points North Apartments sits above the Strand Shopping Centre, where you’ll find Supermarkets, food outlets, bottle shops, chemist, and other specialty stores. What a place this is for kids that want some time out from the beach or the weather turns a bit nasty, yes it does rain on the Gold Coast. With a library, cinemas, Time Zone amusement centre, there’s hours of fun for the whole family. Something to eat: 🔥Tip: The Pancake Diner – Pancakes, Burgers + Crepe’s, Cold Drinks & Coffee. Highly recommended (more info click here).
DAY 2 – Shopping & Beachfront Bliss
Even the most dedicated beach bum needs a retail fix now and then, well my TB (Travel Buddy) AKA – my wife, does, and luckily Coolangatta’s shopping scene offered the perfect remedy. Coolangatta’s main retail and commercial area starts at the Strand shopping centre amidst plenty of cafes and restaurants and stretches along Marine Parade and Griffith Street. We spent hours browsing through a treasure trove of beachy finds from surf gear and swimwear to crafts and souvenirs.
Late that afternoon, as the sun started to dip low, I settled back into my accommodation, our shopping odyssey all but done, a glass of bubbly on the balcony watching an incredible sunset as a curious feeling crept over me as I pondered on what Day 3 would bring.
DAY 3 – Iconic Beaches & Surf Clubs
No Coolangatta escape is complete without embracing its stunning beaches. Coolangatta beach is the main attraction, it’s right across the road from Points North Apartments. This is one of several patrolled beaches along with Kirra Beach, Greenmount Beach, Rainbow Bay Beach, and the surfing mecca – Snapper Rocks. All are family friendly and offer some of the best protected swimming and surfing locations on the Gold Coast. You can experience beach life to the max at any one of these beaches. Don’t worry if you would like to learn or tackle the waves yourself and need a board, there are a number of Surf Schools and Hire Places dotted along the foreshore to help you out.
Surf Life Saving Clubs (SLSC) are more than places for life savers to store their gear, training area’s and change rooms, they are social hubs with bars and award-winning restaurants with exquisite beach side views. At the Coolangatta Surf Club, I savored my favourite Chicken Schnitzel and a cold beverage which was absolutely delicious, and a lunch of fish and chips on the deck at the Greenmount Surf Club all served with lashings of gentle sea breezes and stunning vistas.
DAY 4 – Oceanway Walk and Cafes
Long beach walks along the golden sands were a daily ritual. The sun shining high in the sky, the sound of the waves a constant source of serenity. There is no better way to get the local vibe than to take a walk (wheelchair friendly) where the locals go. Soak up incredible views on a stroll along the Oceanway Walk coastal walking trail from Coolangatta around Greenmount Hill. Popular with joggers, walkers, cyclists, skateboarders, electric scooters, the Oceanway Walk runs along / parallel to the beach around Greenmount Hill connecting Coolangatta Beach, Greenmount Beach, Rainbow Bay Beach, Snapper Rocks, Froggies Beach and Point Danger.
The morning was perfect, join me and we’ll enjoy this amazing walk – check out the video. Along the way you’ll find several photo spots with breathtaking views, patrolled beaches to take a swim or surf and a number of Surf Life Saving Clubs.
Ground Cafe Coolangatta 
Ground Cafe 
Eggs Benedict 
Flat White Coffee
On our return walk, close to the beach just off Marine Parade, we discovered this fantastic little place, Ground Café, breakfast and lunch menu only, a place very popular with the locals serving up great food and excellent coffee. On your walks around town, check out some of the laneways and secret places for some of the best ice-crème/gelati shops and cafes in the south coast region. All the food places that we visited, I can say had the freshest ingredients, top food choices, excellent coffee, and very surprisingly good pricing for the type of food that was being served. We returned a number of times to many of the places that we had discovered and every time it was 100%. 😋😄😄
DAY 5 – Drives to Other Beach Locations
My Coolangatta getaway wasn’t all about lounging on the beach (although there was plenty of that too!). I ventured further afield on a day trip exploring beach towns like Fingal Head, Kingscliff, Salt Village, Bogangar, and Hastings Point, adding a touch of variety to my itenary.
Take the turn off from the main highway and head to Fingal Heads. Off Bambery St, park the car and take the bush walk to the Fingal Head Lighthouse, the views will be a WOW moment. Double back to the car and then take Letitia Rd, it runs down behind the caravan park, starts off as bitumen and becomes a dirt road that will eventually bring you out at the southern side of the Tweed River mouth. Not a bad place for a swim and coffee break.
Kingscliff was a delightful experience, taking the walk along the foreshore, jump in for a swim at the patrolled beach or stroll along Marine Parade exploring the shopping and food scene of Kingscliff Village. Cudgen Creek is nearby, pretty as a picture and an ideal spot for a picnic and swim.
Onto Peppers Salt Resort where we checked out the place for a future holiday. We found the Salt Village Shopping Mall, time for a coffee break and then took a look at the boutique fashion outlets and a number of restaurants.
Continuing on along the coast we passed through Bogangar/Cabarita Beach, if the surf is on, park on the headland and watch all the action in the ocean below. Next is Hastings Point where the highlight was our walk to the Hasting Point Lookout. Bring your camera, this location, the panoramas are a photographer’s nirvana.
DAY 6 – Art & History – Tweed Regional Art Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre (The Gallery). Tweed Regional Museum – Murwillumbah.
Tweed Regional Gallery 
Margaret Olley Art Centre 
Margaret Olley 
The Friends Gallery
Our day began with a road trip to investigate the local art scene. Located in the beautiful Tweed Valley (south of Coolangatta), the Tweed Regional Art Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre is home to the work of regional, national, and international artists housed in a large, modern, architecturally award-winning building with views of Wollumbin/Mt Warning. We wandered through the galleries’ seven exhibition spaces and spent hours enriching our knowledge of history and fine art at the Margaret Olley Art Centre exhibition. The on-site café provided us with a much-anticipated brunch break, excellent coffee with panoramic views of the Tweed River and Wollumbin/Mt Warning in the distance. 🔥Tip: Toilets are located inside the building. Parking is free under the gallery and surrounding grounds.
Tweed Regional Museum 
Land Life Culture 
Northern NSW 
Museum 
Supertonic 
Supertonic
Onto the Tweed Regional Museum – Murwillumbah. Stepping inside, a friendly smile greeted me from the reception desk, and a quick glance at the brochure revealed a fascinating mix of exhibits. The permanent exhibition, “Land, Life, Culture,” drew me in first showcasing the unique natural and cultural heritage of the Tweed.
As I wandered through the museum a vibrant display titled “Supertonic” captured my attention, a fusion of the vibrant musical world of people of the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast creating music through recordings, sounds and stories. Leaving the museum, I felt a newfound appreciation of the Coolangatta/ Tweed region. The museum wasn’t just a collection of objects, it was portal to the past, igniting my desire to further explore the hidden corners of this beautiful part of the world.
DAY 7 – Farewell to Coolangatta
On my last evening, I sat on my balcony as the sun dipped below the horizon casting a fiery glow over our last sunset, I bid farewell to Coolangatta. As we packed our bags a bittersweet feeling set in. The car will be packed and then the drive home, your heart full of memories, the camera bursting with stunning pictures, the sun-drenched beaches and an overall sense of serenity had left a lasting impression.
And so, my adventure ends, but the memories remain-the ocean, the sand, the stories. So, fellow wanderers, pack your sun hat, slap on the sunscreen and chase your seven days of magic. Coolangatta awaits, ready to weave its magic into your heart. 🌊☀️🌴
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