HOTA’s dreamy new activation proves the sky’s the limit for little creatives.
HOTA’s dreamy new activation proves the sky’s the limit for little creatives.
If your mini humans are experts at spotting unicorns or T-Rexes in the clouds, they’re about to be on cloud nine. HOTA’s newest Children’s Gallery activation, Cloudy with a Chance of Art, is here to turn daydreaming into an art form – literally. Opening November 8 and running until February 1, this breezy, imagination-fuelled experience is forecast to bring pure sunshine to your summer plans (and give you a much-needed break from melting at the playground).
Step into a world of imagination and wonder. Cloudy with a Chance of Art invites families to look up and dream, with a sky-high collection of artworks inspired by clouds. Created by some of Australia’s most celebrated artists, including Clara Adolphs, Blak Douglas, Euan Macleod, William Robinson, and Tim. The exhibition transforms the gallery into a wonderland of floating forms and fluffy feels that will have kids (and grown-ups) gazing in awe.
But here’s where it really shines. This isn’t just about looking; it’s about doing. Little visitors are encouraged to explore, imagine, and create as they wander through the space, discovering how artists capture the beauty of the sky while adding their own flair to it. There are plenty of playful, sky-themed activities to keep tiny hands busy and creative juices flowing. Think paper aeroplanes soaring across the room and imaginative play areas where ideas take flight faster than you can say “cumulonimbus.”
Specifically designed for kids and families, Cloudy with a Chance of Art is an immersive, hands-on experience that sparks imagination and creativity. It’s the perfect balance of art and adventure; a space that invites kids to dream big, think wild, and make their mark. And let’s face it, anything that entertains them and happens to be blissfully air-conditioned during a Gold Coast summer is a win in every parent’s book.
And because HOTA is all about art for all ages, entry is completely free. No tickets, no bookings, no sneaky fees. Just drop by anytime between 10am and 4pm daily from November 8 to February 1 and dive right in.Whether you stay for 20 minutes or make a day of it, the only limit is how far your imagination (or your paper plane) can fly.
While you’re here, make a day of it. HOTA is more than just a gallery, it’s the Gold Coast’s home of creativity and connection. Cool off by the lake, relax under shady trees, or let the kids run wild in the outdoor play areas. There’s so much to explore at this summer must-do destination.
Refuel with a bite at HOTA Café (hello, kid-friendly menu!) or make it a grown-up treat with a long lunch at Palette. Got time for a movie? Pop into HOTA Cinema, where family screenings are playing all summer long.
Centrally located with easy parking and public transport access, HOTA makes the perfect all-in-one summer outing – creative, cool, and full of fun for every age. Whether you stay for 20 minutes or make a whole day of it, you’ll find free and ticketed activities across the precinct, making it accessible for everyone
So, if your young cloud watchers are ready to trade screen time for sky time, Cloudy with a Chance of Art is where you’ll want to drift this summer. Pack your curiosity, bring your biggest ideas, and prepare to float through a day of art, inspiration, and sky-high fun. Because at HOTA this summer, the only thing raining down is imagination, and trust us, it’s pouring.
For school holiday programs, movie times, and more family-friendly fun, head to www.hota.com.au.
Where: 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise
When: 10am to 4pm, Saturday 8 November 2024 – Sunday 1 February 2025
Words by Bianca Trathen
STORY SPONSORED BY HOTA, HOME OF THE ARTS
It’s beginning to look a lot like… free festive fun!
Get ready to jingle your way from Coomera to Coolangatta and all the way till Christmas with the City of Gold Coast’s lineup of dashing festive events. Then, a host of spectacular New Year’s Eve events to back it up!
Here’s where you can get amongst allll the advent action on the Coast this year. Ho ho hope you can make it.
Mayor’s Christmas Carols presented by Village Roadshow Theme Parks
City of Gold Coast’s Mayor’s Christmas Carols returns for its 14th year, bringing two magical nights of festive fun to HOTA.
Enjoy live performances from Gold Coast pop star Ricki-Lee, toddler techno favourite Lenny Pearce, and the Looney Tunes Christmas Show, plus a visit from Santa. To top it all off, breathtaking fireworks to close out an epic evening of hard-core carolling.
Where: HOTA Outdoor Stage & Parklands, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise
When: Gates open at 4pm, Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 December 2025
Christmas Flicks & Fireworks
You can’t get much more Gold Coast than watching a Christmas movie on the sand with the ocean breeze in your hair and fireworks lighting up the sky. Head to Surfers Paradise Beach for Christmas Flicks & Fireworks, a free weekend of festive fun under the stars.
Wander the Surfers Paradise Beachfront Markets from 4pm, then kick back for a Christmas movie at 7pm, before the night ends with a spectacular fireworks finale at 8:30pm. Bring your picnic rug, grab some snacks, and settle in for a coastal Christmas celebration that’s pure Gold Coast magic.
Where: Surfers Paradise Beach, Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise
When: Friday 12 & Saturday 13 December
Cooly Carols
Don’t say you’ve never experienced THE Cooly Carols?! One of the jolliest Christmas carol extravaganzas on the Coast.
It has families dashing from all distances to experience its legendary spectacle held at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Enjoy an array of fabulous festivities, from live performances of your most-loved Christmas carols, a skydiving Santa, a delicious assortment of sweet and savoury food trucks, and a dazzling fireworks display.
Where: Queen Elizabeth Park, 60 Marine Parade, Coolangatta
When: Sunday 14 December, 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Christmas in Broadbeach
Broadbeach Mall is gearing up for a unique Christmas transformation! Set your countdown calendar for December 15 for the grand reveal of the soon-to-be HQ of festive fun – all for your merrymaking pleasure.
Think gingerbread decorating, Christmas crafts, storytime, and tons more free kids’ entertainment! An ideal way to fill up the school holiday calendar with festive cheer!
Where: 75 Surf Parade, Broadbeach
When: Monday 15 to Sunday 21 December
Christmas in Coomera
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Coomera! Get ready for a weekend packed with free family fun, festive tunes and plenty of cheer. Think DJ dance parties with snow machines, games and prizes, pop-up performances from the Hip Hop Santas, and a 9-hole North Pole Putt Putt course for all ages.
Catch Santa on stage throughout the event, spot roving candy canes and Rudolf, snap a pic with the Grinch, or get your face painted by Santa’s little helpers. There’ll also be photo moments galore, from Santa’s sleigh to his throne, plus food trucks and market stalls for those last-minute Christmas treats.
Where: Coomera Indoor Sports Centre forecourt, 35 Beattie Road, Coomera
When: Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 December, 2pm – 8pm
New Year’s Eve
Say farewell to the festive season, and ring in the brand new year with ‘a bang’ with everyone’s favourite time-honoured NYE tradition… fireworks!
There’ll be a plethora of GC park part-ays where we can convene for ‘oohs’ and ‘aaahs’ a plenty. Catch the various fireworks displays, with family friendly shows slated for Broadbeach, Coomera and Surfers Paradise at 8pm, or Coolangatta at 9pm – before they fire again for the big shebang as the clock officially strikes 12 on 2025.
Fireworks: Kurrawa Beachfront, Broadbeach (8pm & midnight), Queen Elizabeth Park, Coolangatta (9pm & midnight), Surfers Paradise Beach (8pm & midnight), Coomera 8pm.
Community Celebration: Coomera Sports Park, Coomera (6pm to 8pm).
When: Wednesday 31 December
And that’s a wrap on another cracker season of fun-filled GC festivities for 2025, folks. Which is just as well – after all that we’ll need to channel our inner Dad à la Boxing Day and “rest our eyes” in front of the telly for a wee bit.
Words by Belinda Symons
STORY SPONSORED BY CITY OF GOLD COAST
There’s more to the glitter strip than glitter!
It’s right under our nose, but sometimes we forget how many activities there are for the small, medium, and big kids (aka us) in good ‘ole Surfers Paradise. And we’re not just talking about the beach, but a myriad of other cool stuff to keep them entertained and whinge-free these school holidays.
Here are ten ideas to help fill the blanks in your school holiday schedule, with some old faves and a few newbies thrown in for good measure. The best part is not only will you score ‘cool mum’ kudos from the kids, but you’ll get a kick out of them too!
Timezone
I mean, does this place really need an introduction? We’ve all racked up many-an-hour at Timezone in days gone by, and your mini-me’s will love it as much as you did. Probably more, because it’s levelled up its epic-ness in recent times. With arcade games, bowling, mini bowling, mini golf, laser tag, and bumper cars, it’s actual kid heaven…with a touch of nostalgia for us.
Where: Paradise Centre, Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Holoverse
This new hi-tech entertainment centre using holograms which look oh-so-real will make you feel like you’re in a Star Wars flick! Pick hologram grass to feed a dinosaur, swim with life-sized holographic whales, compete against your kiddos in holographic sports, play holographic arcade games, and more! Special shoutout for their birthday party packages #theshizzle.
Where: Paradise Centre, Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Infinity
To infinity and beyond! Challenge their sense and ignite their imaginations with a unique and mind-blowing 30-minute journey into spectacular, interactive, futuristic maze-like worlds of wonder! This walk-through experience is choccas with unique special effects, emotive atmospheric sound fields, sensuous aromas, awesome tunes and amazing illusions. Suitable for kiddos aged 8 and above. Get an exclusive 15% off here.
Where: Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre, G31/3240 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise
Ripley’s Believe it or Not
This iconic home-grown ‘odditorium’ – now with over 300 exhibits and artefacts – is out of this world! A highlight is the new state-of-the-art Ripley’s 7D Moving Theatre where you feel every twist and turn as you compete against your seatmates. Enjoy a Ripley’s LaseRace, find out just what happens to your body in space, make friends with a life-sized R2-D2™ and more. Click here for a special offer.
Where: Cavill Mall, Surfers Paradise
The Wax Museum
Fancy some famous people watching? There’s no better place than The Wax Museum, home to the largest collection of wax figures in the Southern Hemisphere. Super realistic replicas of celebs, nursery rhyme characters, scientists, explorers, villains, world leaders, and even the crown jewels await (#RIPQueenElizabethII)! For the big kids (if you’re game) check out The Chamber of Horrors (shriek!!). Fancy a discount voucher? You’re welcome.
Where: 56 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Quack’r Duck
Is there any such thing as a kid who doesn’t go loco when they spot the big duck cruising down Ferny Ave? Imagine if you actually took them on said duck #eeep. Check out the pristine beaches and landmarks by road, then experience the thrills as the duck splashes into the Broadwater! Admit it – you’ve always wanted to do it too…. Grab a special offer here.
Where: 7 Elkhorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Fox in a Box
Ever wanted to break out of prison (without actually going to prison)? Or break into a diamond-filled vault in a bank? Or perhaps work out how to open a mysterious chest and unlock its contents and the secret within? You can do all of this and more at Fox in a Box! The rooms are recommended for ages 10 and above, but everyone is welcome to play. Good times!
Where: Level 1/3173 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise
Padlock’d Escape Rooms
Boasting ten immersive rooms themed to perfection, a visit to Padlock’d Escape Rooms is a great way to ditch reality for a bit (an hour to be exact…) and put your mind to the test. You’ll have a blast and the kids will be tuckered out from all that clue finding, code cracking, and puzzle solving #missionaccomplished. Recommended for ages 10 and above but all ages welcome.
Where: 3177 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise
Eclipse Escape Rooms
With five diverse, highly immersive, and technologically advanced rooms with insane special effects, bespoke props, and unique storylines leading up to an unforgettable grand finale, what’s not to love? Puzzle solving is designed to be fun and rewarding, with different levels of difficulty available. Kids as young as five can join in the fun, plus babies in prams are welcome in some rooms #StartEmYoung!
Where: Level 1, Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre, Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise River Cruises
Kids get as pumped about boat rides as we do, so why not jump on a morning, midday, afternoon, or sunset cruise with Surfers Paradise River Cruises! Friendly guides will point out landmarks and homes of the rich and famous around our glitter strip’s waterways, whilst you kick back with the kiddos enjoying complimentary snacks. And mum/dad – there’s a bar…. Cheers! Get 10% off your cruise here.
Where: 63 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Words by Bianca Trathen.
It's called 'Paradise' for a reason.
Paradise calling… And by that, we mean Surfers Paradise of course. You might have thought it’s all just bikini and booze but there is so much more just waiting for you to rediscover. Whether you’ve been looking for something laid-back to take the whole fam to or something a little bit fancy for that date night you’ve been putting off, and of course, somewhere to have a cheeky beverage – Surfers has it all. Did we mention it’s beachside?
So we’ve done the leg work and found the 10 must-try spots for you to get the best feed in the heart of the Coast.
Citrique
It’s one of the Gold Coast’s most loved buffets, Citrique takes its reputation seriously. For real, its award-winning seafood buffet is the GOAT for a reason – think fresh prawns, oysters and lobster tails (did someone say boujee) alongside flavours of the world. If breakfast is more your vibe then you’re in luck because they’re dishing up all-you-can eat breakfast and weekend long lunches alongside their signature seafood feast. Calling the beautiful JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa home, you would expect nothing less from this five-star favourite!
Our pick: Anything seafood!
Where: JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, 158 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise
The Langham
If feeling a bit fancy is on the menu then The Langham Gold Coast is the destination. Just as luxe as you’d expect the international hotel to be, The Langham can’t stop, won’t stop on delivering the finest food from the East and the West. Meticulously plated, T’ang Court is where precision meets passion with each dish a show of art for the ultimate Cantonese fine-dining affair. Dine beachfront while you treat yourself at Akoya or pop down to Palm Court for a spot of Afternoon Tea.
Our pick: The Langham’s iconic chef’s menu at T’ang Court
Where: 38 Old Burleigh Road, Surfers Paradise
Palette
Palette stormed onto the dining scene just a few short years ago and it’s been a fan favourite ever since. Located within the HOTA Gallery, this dining spot brings art to life with Executive Chef Dayan Hartill-Law using the Gallery’s exhibitions to inspire the decadent degustation menu. The award-winning restaurant has also modestly received Two Chef Hats from AGFG, which is reason enough for us to book a table already. Art you can eat? Yes please.
Our pick: Go all in on the Tasting Menu you absolutely won’t regret it
Where: HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise
Shiraz Persian Restaurant & Bar
Shiraz have been calling their Surfers Paradise corner home for a couple of years now, so I suppose you could say they’ve settled in well. The perfect spot whether you’re looking for a cute date night or somewhere to take the entire family, Shiraz’s incredibly chic interior is big enough (like, 200 seats big) for you to get your authentic Persian fix. Best enjoyed with their namesake’s Shiraz. Ps. If you don’t feel like cooking on a Monday (honestly, who does) then pop in for their BYO day – it would be rude not to.
Our pick: We can’t pick favourites, so go hard on the banquet, we say
Where: Mantra Wings, 2893 Gold Coast Highway, Surfers Paradise
The Island Gold Coast
This Island has long been a landmark of the Gold Coast and we think the reason locals and visitors on the Goldie love this place is in part thanks to an aptly named spot called, Goldies. With a huge lineup of foodie favourites from steak and seafood through to pizzas and parmy’s there’s something to satisfy everyone’s cravings. If you’re after a tipple then the Rooftop is the place to perch up with a Pina Colada in hand while you soak in the iconic Gold Coast skyline, we just love a dining destination that’s as vibrant as the city itself.
Our pick: Mare e Monti Pizza
Where: 3128 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise
Yamagen Japanese Izakaya
Tucked away in the QT, this is new generation Japanese for the discerning diner. It’s modern fine dining in a way that ignites all of your senses while celebrating the best of authentic Japanese cuisine. Market fresh sashimi dishes are the hero of the menu, bringing the freshest fare and flavours together to be expertly paired with vast whisky list.
Our pick: Sashimi Moriawase for a taste of it all
Where: QT Gold Coast, 7 Staghorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise
The Avenue
Everyone has a story from The Avenue, right? And for good reason. Where else can you go and literally spend all night long there. Pop in for a bite at the restaurant and stay for the vibes at the nightclub or one of the iconic drag shows. Live music venues are becoming harder and harder to find, but luckily for us The Avenue aka the home of live music is doing the heavy lifting so you can sip back and listen to sweet tunes every week.
Our pick: Crispy Pork Belly
Where: 3-15 Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Coast Beach Bar & Kitchen
There’s something about sipping back on a cocktail while you look at the ocean that just makes it taste that much sweeter. Fortunately for you, that view and those cocktails are accompanied by one of the best new additions to the restaurant scene. Coast Beach Bar & Kitchen brings the perfect balance of fancy food with a relaxed vibe, so you can soak up your surrounds while indulging on your choice of steak or seafood, or head out to the Terrace Bar for more relaxed bites.
Our pick: Kingfish Ceviche
Where: Ocean by Meriton – Level 1, 86 Esplanade, Surfers Paradise
Central Lounge
Something you might not know about us is that we love a lounge bar, so you bet we were fans of Central Lounge the moment those glorious doors opened. Massive cocktail list? Check. Epic easts? Check. R&B Sunday sessions? Check. We’ll go ahead and call that a trifecta. If you’ve been hunting for a stylish spot to sip cocktails and people watch, then this the place for you.
Our pick: Crab Linguine
Where: 8/27 Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Driftwood Social
Driftwood Social, tucked just off Ferny Ave brings blissed-out, Miami pool club vibes to the banks of the Nerang River – and if it’s been a while between drinks, this secluded social spot is every bit as lush as you remember. A stacked menu is another real drawcard, and don’t be tempted to assume we’re talking basic bar bites here.
Our pick: Linguine Alla Vodka And Prawns
Where: 42 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Words by Jacqueline Bojanowski.
