Couran Cove Island Resort

Gold Coast

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This resort on the isle's northwestern side has waterside rooms on stilts, eco-cabins set in bushland, a private marina and a lap pool. There are plenty of family-friendly activities on offer, including SUP board and bike hire, guided nature walks and a VR games room. Some of the decor is due for a refurb. Rates are reduced considerably if you stay three or more nights.

Prebooked water taxi transfers (return adult/child $38/18; 40 minutes) depart from Hope Harbour Marina, a 30-minute drive north from Surfers Paradise.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Cylinder Beach

    Cylinder Beach

    28.53 MILES

    Bordered by Cylinder and Home Beach Headlands, this broad, beautiful beach is patrolled by lifesavers, offers easy access from the car park, and generally…

  • Burleigh Head National Park

    Burleigh Head National Park

    18.7 MILES

    Burleigh Head is known to the local Kombumerri clan of the Yugambeh people as Jellurgal, who trace its formation to a creation spirit called Jabreen. As…

  • Broadwater Parklands

    Broadwater Parklands

    10.09 MILES

    Hugging the water's edge on the Southport side of the Broadwater estuary, this large park features free barbecues, beach volleyball, a swimming pontoon,…

  • North Gorge Walk

    North Gorge Walk

    28.18 MILES

    At Point Lookout, this breathtaking 1.2km walk is a must. It’s an easy 20-minute loop around the headland along boardwalks, with the thrum of cicadas as…

  • Springbrook National Park

    Springbrook National Park

    27.46 MILES

    A 27-sq-km national park, Springbrook is an ancient volcanic landscape with a 900m-high plateau cut through with gorges and a few even loftier outcrops…

  • Rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

    Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

    21.88 MILES

    This nicely restrained, old-style operation includes Australia’s biggest rainforest aviary, where you can hand-feed a technicolour blur of rainbow…

  • Point Danger Light on border.

    Captain Cook Memorial

    24.9 MILES

    The headland of Point Danger marks the border between Queensland and New South Wales. There are amazing views from here both ways along the coast, and you…

  • Purling Brook Falls

    Purling Brook Falls

    26.51 MILES

    Just off Springbrook Rd, the feathery Purling Brook Falls drops a rather astonishing 106m into the rainforest: worth braving the vertigo-inducing lookout.

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Nearby Gold Coast attractions

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6. Broadwater Parklands

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