All of a sudden the weather has turned from a balmy 25 degrees to temperatures below 20 degrees here on the Gold Coast. So everyone is running for cover and donning their winter woollies, which people have to retrieve from the bowels of their wardrobes, and dusting off their electric fan heaters. It is as if we are experiencing sub-zero temperatures because we Gold-Coasters simply don’t cope with cold weather!!

Burleigh Point on a lovely sunny winter day.

On the Gold Coast we continue to enjoy the beaches over winter because we still get heaps of beautiful warm sunshine over this season and the sea water temperature is still in the high teens. It is a great time to learn how to surf or paddle a kayak or standup paddleboard because the surf is very calm during the winter months.

Otherwise I have come up with eight other ideas to warm up your weekends on the Gold Coast.

1. On Ya Bike

   Winter is the perfect time to go mountain biking or just cycling in general in the cooler temperatures. Around the Gold Coast you have a choice of trails at Nerang National Park, Hinze Dam Advancetown or travel to Mt Cotton near Brisbane to the Bayview Conservation Park which has some great mountain bike trails.

   

   Mt Cotton Mountain Bike Trail

2. Roll up an End

   Barefoot Lawn Bowls is extremely popular on a Sunday here on the Gold Coast during winter. Barefoot Bowls are played between 12:00 – 5:00pm on Sunday afternoons at Burleigh Heads and costs $5.00 per person. Bowls Clubs at Southport, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads offer barefoot bowls and even include bowls and coaching in some instances.

3. Country Pub Crawl

   Don’t you love a Sunday drive that involves a cold beverage and a winter warming lunch? There are many great country pubs that serve up good tucker within an hour’s drive of the Gold Coast. Try Brunswick Heads Hotel’s Beer Garden, Tumbulgum Pub on the Tweed River near Murwillumbah, the Moo Moo Cafe in Mooball in the Tweed Valley, Canungra Pub in the Gold Coast Hinterland or the historical St Bernard’s Hotel on Tamborine Mountain (which has a cosy wood heater).

   

   Canungra Pub

4. Savour some Wines

   There are many wineries in the Gold Coast Hinterland which are definitely worth checking out. Can you think of a better way to spend a wintery day than sampling an aromatic red or a crisp white? With a range of wineries located at Mount Tamborine, Mount Nathan, Canungra and Lamington, you can fill in a couple of weekends visiting them all. Try Albert River Wines at Mt Tamborine, Cedar Creek Estate at North Tamborine, O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards at Canungra or Witches Falls Winery at North Tamborine.

   

   Winery at Mt Tamborine

5. Get your groove on

   The Gold Coast features some pretty cool music festivals during the winter months where you can go boot scooting or rock ‘n’ rolling to the sounds of live music. Music Festivals include Blues on Broadbeach, Broadbeach Country Music Festival, Cooly Rocks, Broadbeach Jazz Weekend, get your Elvis fix at Viva Surfers Paradise or Music in The Park events.

   

   Cooly Rocks Rock ‘N’ Roll Festival

6. Cheer on your favourite Footy Team

   Don your supporter’s gear with winter jackets, beanies, scarves and flags and go to a live footy match. Whatever footy code you follow the Gold Coast have their own two footy teams: Gold Coast Suns AFL team whose home games are held at Carrara Stadium; Gold Coast Titans NRL team who call Robina Stadium their home.

7. Browse the Weekend Markets

   Get amongst all the beautiful people at a weekend market near you. There are markets everywhere: in the parklands along the beachfront, on school ovals and the permanent popular indoor/outdoor markets at Carrara. For farm fresh and organic produce try the Farmer’s Markets at Miami High School, Palm Beach Currumbin High School and Burleigh State School on a Saturday. For arts, crafts, fashion and gifts try the Village Markets at Burleigh State School every second Sunday or the Beachfront Markets which change from one beautiful beachside destination to another as they work their way down the coast from Broadbeach to Coolangatta to Burleigh Heads.

   

   Burleigh Village Markets

8. Have an Encounter with the Giants of the Sea

   Whale watching on the Gold Coast is extremely popular in the winter months and normally runs from June to as late as October. Experience 360 degree unobstructed views of the humpback’s spectacular acrobatic displays and cheeky dolphins and turtles along the way on one of the whale watching cruise boat operators on the Gold Coast. Alternatively perch yourself from one of the Gold Coast’s headlands and you are sure to see a breeching whale of two out to sea from the shores.

So there is no need to hibernate or head to the Northern Hemisphere over the cooler months, because there are plenty of activities to keep you warm. There really is nothing nicer than winter sunshine on the Gold Coast and believe me we get more than our fair share of these types of days. It is an ideal opportunity to enjoy physical exercise without the excessive heat and humidity that we experience during the long summer months. Go on! Get out there an enjoy winter on the Gold Coast!