The day trips, weekenders and anchorages worth knowing around Gold Coast. Plainly written.
The Gold Coast's blue backyard.
A sheltered saltwater estuary running from the Seaway to Jacobs Well. Flat, forgiving water most days, easy anchorages off the western shore and dozens of sandbanks that pop up on the low. The default day-boat destination for anyone launching between Southport and Paradise Point.
Beach camping and long empty sand.
A 22 km barrier island between the Broadwater and the open Pacific. Anchor off Tipplers, Currigee or Couran Cove, walk the fifteen minutes across to the surf beach, and you're on your own stretch of Queensland coast. Overnight-friendly, well-marked and only a short run from Runaway Bay.
The Gold Coast's inland sandbar.
A man-made island built from Seaway dredge spoil, now the most popular day-anchorage on the Broadwater. Calm on the western side, snorkelling on the eastern edge, and a sand-spit that stretches out at low tide. Get in early on weekends — it fills up.
Where the Broadwater meets the ocean.
The natural break between North and South Stradbroke. Rich estuarine fishing on the inside, a serious bar crossing on the outside — read the sand, watch the tide and never cross on a run-out ebb with an easterly swell. One of Queensland's best mixed inshore and offshore grounds when it behaves.
The classic South Straddie anchorage.
A protected sandy bay on the western side of South Stradbroke Island, opposite Sanctuary Cove. Shallow, sheltered and easy to anchor, with a walk-across track to the surf beach and the Tipplers Café a short stroll up the sand. The default weekend spot for Broadwater boaters.
The Coast's showpiece marina village.
A full-service marina and waterfront village on the northern Broadwater. Fuel, provisioning, restaurants and berths for anything from a runabout to a superyacht. A good staging point for trips north to Moreton Bay or south through the Broadwater — and an easy day-trip destination in its own right.