Remember when you were a kid, jumping into the back of your dad’s four-wheel drive or station wagon that was packed to the brim with snacks, pillows and an assortment of reading materials for the long journey ahead? Looking at maps and brochures to find the best Caravan Parks or a nice motel by the beach to stay on the Gold Coast.
After a few hours in the back-seat wrestling with your brother or sister and listening to ancient music of your parent’s past, you would put your cotton-bud ear plugs in, curl up on the back seat and let the warm summer sun splash onto your face through the filter of the slightly tinted passenger windows. Those were the days.
So, now you are all grown up, you’ve got a family and are ready to play on your desires and hook up the caravan, put the iPad battery on charge, strap the kids in tight, and hit the road for the ultimate family adventure on a road trip to the Gold Coast.
Travelling from Sydney you take the coast road through the spectacular Central Coast, weaving and winding over mountains and breathtaking views of the Hawkesbury river. You drive for hours on beautifully laid tarmac, stopping to fill up at the odd coastal town until you reach the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour where you pull in for some magnificent Big Banana ice cream, and a rest for the night.
Starting the day with a hearty breakfast and several attempts to coerce the kids out of the pool, you continue north through the bountiful Byron Shire, where you are drawn in for a picnic lunch at Australia’s eastern most point, the Byron Bay Lighthouse. Having spent an hour admiring the spectacular coastline, and snapping a few selfies in paradise, it’s time to continue north across the estate border to the thrills and spills of the Gold Coast.
Here you make good on your promise to the kids to spend seemingly endless summer days using up your value for money three-park pass at Wet ‘n’ Wild, Movie World and Sea World, creating lasting memories for years to come while enjoying all the perks of a nostalgia Mermaid Beach Motel.
In the evening relax by the pool, cook a barbie with a beer in hand…
If this sounds like you, consider staying at the newly renovated Blue Heron Motel on your next visit to the Gold Coast. You can Book in advance or on the road!
Have you left yet?