The Gold Coast is home 57km of picturesque coastlines, with beautiful landscapes, including sandy beaches, rocky headlands, captivating city lights and lush rainforests. What better way to take in its beauty than heading to one of the Gold Coast’s best lookouts.
Best Views on the Gold Coast
Finding the best views on the Gold Coast isn’t easy at ground level! We’ve done all the hard work for you and curated a list of the most amazing spots to take in the views, so that you’ll be soaking up the GC’s best angles in no time. Read on to find out where they are.
Mount Tamborine Lookout, Gold Coast Hinterland
Mount Tamborine is located in a picturesque area known as the Scenic Rim, home to stunning national parks and rainforest. When it comes to Mount Tamborine Lookouts, you’re spoilt for choice. There’s Lahey’s Lookout, Beacon Lookout and Knoll Road Lookout that all offer picnic spots and views between the trees. But the best of all is the Hang Gliders lookout, the famed site for daring hang gliders to launch into the air, situated on Main Western Road and looking out towards the west.
Kirra Hill Lookout, Coolangatta
Kirra Hill Lookout is located in the northern region of Coolangatta. This is area revered by surfers globally for its world-class surf breaks including Kirra Point, Greenmount and Snapper Rocks. To see all of the action, follow the short track to the top of Kirra Hill and head for the lookout on the Eastern side. Once at lookout you’ll have panoramic views of the entire coastline, all the way up to Surfers Paradise and beyond.
Q1, Surfers Paradise
The Q1 in Surfers Paradise is Australia’s tallest building, so it’s no surprise to see this one make the list. The best place to take in the views at the Q1 is at the SkyPoint Observation Deck, which is located on level 21, 230m above sea level. Here you can enjoy 360 degree views of the ocean and hinterland, accompanied by a refreshing drink or snack from the bar. Take your visit to the Q1 up a notch with the SkyPoint Climb, taking you on Australia’s highest external building climb!
Elephant Rock, Currumbin
Elephant Rock is a unique rock formation on the waterfront at Currumbin. This extremely large boulder appears somewhat like its namesake, the elephant and perched atop is a lookout, requiring a short but steep stair climb to reach. It’s a really unique perspective given that the rock juts out into the water, and offers fantastic coastal views to the North and South.
Next door is the Vikings Surf Club, another great place to admire the views up the coastline over a drink and meal.
Miami Stairs
At the southern end of Miami Beach is a rocky outcrop ascended by an iconic staircase. The stairs are popular among locals, famed for their rainbow colouring painted by an unknown artist.
The stairs take visitors straight to the top of the cliff face to the Mick Schamburg Lookout, boasting incredible views over the ocean. Pick the right time and you may even be lucky enough to see whales or dolphins frolicking in the waters below.
Best of All Lookout, Gold Coast Hinterland
A popular destination for hikers and day-trippers, Springbrook National Park offers a variety of amazing walking trails. One such trail is a short 600m grade 2 walk through lucious rainforest to the Best Of All Lookout. The lookout provides staggering views to the Pacific Ocean, all the way down to Byron Bay, the Tweed Coast and Mount Warning.
This just one of the many trailwalks in Springbrook National Park. While you are there, check out the highly Instagram-able Natural Arch, a slightly longer trail leading into a waterfall flowing into a cave with a boardwalk.
Point Danger & Duranbah
The Point Danger lookout is situated on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. This is an easy spot to access, as the carpark is quite literally located right behind the lookout. Here you will find yourself high on a peak overlooking Duranbah Beach, a consistent and therefore very popular surfbreak.
Point Danger was named by Captain Cook during his journey up the East Coast of Australia in 1770, named to warn future boats of dangerous coral reefs off the coast. Despite the name, it’s actually a very beautiful perspective of the coast and on a fine day there are views from Surfers Paradise to Byron Bay. You may also spot dolphins or whales depending on the seasons.
Hot tip: Just to the north of Duranbah is one of the Southern Gold Coast’s hidden gems – Froggy Beach, named after a large rock on the beach was painted bright green and given a face. This delightful little bay is usually significantly quieter than the other beaches, but equally as spectacular.
The Panorama
Just a 15 minute drive inland from the heart of the Gold Coast brings you to the suburb of Tallai. Here you will find The Panorama, a short stretch of road in Tallai offering great views of the city. It’s particuarly nice at dusk, as the city lights start to flicker and glow in the night sky.