Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

THE GOLD COAST 349
Value A Money-Saving Theme Park Pass
Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, and Wet ’n’ Wild sell a 3 Park Super
Pass that gets you a full-day’s entry to each park plus a free return visit to
the one you like best. It costs A$150 (US$98) for adults and A$94 (US$61)
for kids ages 4 to 13. You can buy it at any of the parks, online, from a
travel agency, or at most Gold Coast hotels, apartments, and tour desks.
Dreamworld has a second-day return pass for an extra A$10 (US$6.50), but
you must buy it before leaving on your first day.
You can also hail the regular Coachtrans buses that run daily every 30 to 45
minutes between the Gold Coast and Brisbane. They will be marked Brisbane,
and you will find them on the Gold Coast Highway.
Dreamworld Kids Adrenaline-crazed thrill-seekers will love the action rides
here, such as the aptly named Giant Drop, in which you free-fall 39 stories in 5
seconds, or the Tower of Terror which propels you forwards and upwards at
4.5Gs before falling backwards 38 stories in 7 seconds. They’ll also get a kick out
of the hair-raising Cyclone roller coaster, with its 360-degree loop and the Wipeout,
which spins, twists, and tumbles you upside down in a random sequence
(but only exerts a sissy 2.5Gs units of pressure). These high-octane offerings
make the park’s other offerings look tame. Dreamworld is a family fun park,
Disney-style—except that here giant koalas called Kenny and Belinda roam the
streets instead of Mickey Mouse. Kids will love Nick Central, the only Nickelodeon
cartoon attraction outside the U.S. Other activities include an IMAX
theater, a native wildlife park where you can cuddle a koala and hand-feed kangaroos,
river cruises livened up by a bushranger shoot-out, and a carousel and
other rides for young kids. A big highlight is to watch trainers swim, wrestle, and
play with Bengal tigers on Tiger Island. Souvenir stores, restaurants, cafes, and
ice-cream shops abound, and there’s a water-slide park, so bring your swimsuit.
Pacific Hwy. (25km/16 miles north of Surfers Paradise), Coomera. & 1800/073 300 in Australia, 07/5588
1111, or 07/5588 1122 (24-hr. info line). www.dreamworld.com.au. Admission (all-inclusive except skill
games, souvenir photos, and helicopter rides) A$56 (US$36) adults, A$36 (US$23) children 4–13. Daily
10am–5pm; Main St., Plaza Restaurant, and Koala Country open at 9am. Closed Christmas and until 1:30pm
Anzac Day. Extended hours during Easter and Dec–Jan. Free parking for 1600 cars.
Sea World Kids Four polar bears—Ping Ping, Kanook, Lia, and Lutik—
are the star attractions at this marine park, and crowds flock to see them frolic,
dive, and hunt for fish in a large pool. You can also do a “behind-the-scenes”
tour of their habitat for A$40 (US$26) adults, A$20 (US$13) children 4 and
over. Sea World may not be as sophisticated as similar parks in the United States,
but it’s got its own charm and has all the things you’d expect to see—performing
dolphins and sea lions, ski shows, an aquarium, shark feeding, and an array
of rides. A monorail gets you around the grounds, and there’s a free water-slide
playground. Watersports are available for an extra fee. Adults (14 and over) can
snorkel with seals or dolphins for A$80 or A$115 (US$52–US$75), including a
souvenir photo. An hour-long Dolphin Dive Encounter uses “oceanwalker”
technology to allow guests without dive qualifications to have a dive-like
encounter with dolphins. It costs A$165 (US$107) per person (you must be 14
or older). Younger kids can attend a 30-minute dolphin talk, pat one, and have
their photo taken with it for A$50 (US$33).