Summer is in the air. The weather is warming, the sun is sticking around longer, and the beaches are beckoning. In anticipation of the season ahead, we’ve partnered with Surf Life Saving Australia to highlight the importance of surf safety.
Australia is fringed by some of the best beaches on earth; and while they are extremely enticing, many can be dangerous. Stay safe this summer, listen to surf lifesavers and always swim between the red and yellow flags.
To help inspire a safe and enjoyable sun-kissed summer at the beach, we’ve put together a state rundown of some our favourite patrolled beaches.
Queensland | Rainbow Bay
Fringed by pine and pandanus trees, and laden with soft white sand and sparkling blue-green water, Rainbow Bay is a picture-perfect Gold Coast setting. Just south of Coolangatta, straddling the New South Wales boarder, the north-facing beach is protected by the historic Point Danger and is home to sheltered conditions ideal for swimming. Surf lifesavers patrol the beach year-round from the iconic Rainbow Bay Surf Club.
Rainbow Bay is located just 4km south of Gold Coast Airport. Flights to Gold Coast: Virgin Australia operates flights to the Gold Coast daily from Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Auckland and Christchurch. Gold Coast South Holiday Packages: Our partner Blue Holidays offers a fantastic array of southern Gold Coast holiday packages, from $349.
New South Wales | Scotts Head
At the southern end of Nambucca Shire, enhanced by peaceful surrounds, an abundance of flora and fauna, and a close-knit local community, Scotts Head beach is a popular Mid-north Coast summer holiday destination. Favoured by families, Scotts hosts calm protected waters, gentle waves, and an array of marine life – specifically dolphins and migratory whales. The beach is patrolled daily during the summer holidays and on weekends and public holidays from October to Easter.
Scotts Head is located an hour south of Coffs Harbour Airport. Flights to Coffs Harbour: Virgin Australia operates flights to Coast Harbour daily from Sydney. Coffs Coast Holiday Packages: Our partner Blue Holidays offers a fantastic array of Coffs Coast holiday packages, from $398.
Victoria | Bells Beach
Located near Torquay, in the stunning Great Ocean Road region, Bells Beach is Australia’s most celebrated surfing beach – home to large winter and autumn swells that peel into a famous right-hand break. Throughout the summer months Bells also provides a great setting for swimmers; a natural amphitheatre shadowed by towering cliffs and patrolled by surf lifesavers.
Flights to Melbourne: Virgin Australia operates flights to Melbourne daily from all state capitals and major regional ports like Gold Coast and Newcastle. Great Ocean Road Holiday Packages: Our partner Blue Holidays offers a fantastic array of Great Ocean Road holiday packages, from $400.
Tasmania | Boat Harbour Beach
Located on the north-west coast of Tasmania, nuzzled between a dramatic hinterland and the Bass Strait, Boat Harbour Beach is as picturesque as it is historical – steeped in Indigenous and European heritage. Home to some of the cleanest air and clearest water on earth, the semi-circular sandy beach has long been a favourite holiday secret for Tasmanians in the know. The beach is home to the Boat Harbour Surf Life Saving Club, whose lifesaving members patrol throughout the summer months
Boat Harbour Beach is located just over two hours west-north-west of Launceston Airport. Flights to Launceston: Virgin Australia operates flights to Launceston from Melbourne and Sydney. Tasmania Holiday Packages: Our partner Blue Holidays offers a fantastic array of Tasmanian holiday packages, from $376.
South Australia | Glenelg
Known locally as The Bay, the Adelaide beachside suburb of Glenelg is celebrated for hosting one of South Australia’s premier swimming beaches. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, Glenelg beach is famous for its long-reaching jetty, café littered promenade, sandy costal stretch and clean and safe waters – perfect for swimming. Glenelg is patrolled midweek from December to April and on weekends from November through to April.
Glenelg is located just under 9km south-east of Adelaide Airport. Flights to Adelaide: Virgin Australia operates flights to Adelaide from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth. Adelaide Holiday Packages: Our partner Blue Holidays offers a fantastic array of Adelaide holiday packages, from $388.
Western Australia | Cable Beach
Stretching for 22km, with the purest of white sand – washed clean everyday by massive tides that ebb and flow into Broome – Cable Beach is one of the world’s most stunning beach landscapes. The Indian Ocean’s aqua blue waters lap against Broome’s bright red-orange cliffs, in a magnificent display of unspoilt natural wonder. Cable Beach fosters ideal conditions for swimming, with Broome Surf Life Saving Club patrolling designated areas marked by red and yellow flags.
Cable Beach is located just under 7km north-west of Broome Airport. Flights to Broome: Virgin Australia operates flights to Broome from Perth. Broome Holiday Packages: Our partner Blue Holidays offers a fantastic array of Broome holiday packages, from $747.
Northern Territory | Nightcliff
Protected by a ‘stinger net’ and patrolled by Darwin Surf Life Saving Club, Nightcliff beach is one of the Northern Territory’s safest swimming environments. A 300m sandy stretch, flanked by claystone rock platforms and the Beagle Gulf, Nightcliff Beach is a picturesque holiday destination, most famous for hosting the Nightcliff Markets.
Nightcliff is located just over 5km north-west of Darwin Airport. Flights to Darwin: Virgin Australia operates flights to Darwin from Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Darwin Holiday Packages: Our partner Blue Holidays offers a fantastic array of Darwin holiday packages, from $629.
Make the most of your summer at the beach, remember to:
- Always swim between the red and yellow flags
- Read the safety signs
- Ask a lifeguard for safety advice
- Swim with a friend
- Stay calm and attract attention if you need help
For more information about Australia’s patrolled beaches visit Surf Life Saving Australia’s website www.sls.com.au.
For surf safety tips and beach conditions visit beachsafe.org.au.
The hip and evolving beach-side suburb of Broadbeach is known as the cosmopolitan heart of the Gold Coast. The hub’s main strip, Surf Parade is dotted with atmospheric restaurants and trendy bars and nightclubs. Kurrawa Park and Pratten Park fringe the foreshore with landscaped walking tracks, children’s play areas, and free barbecues and picnic settings. While ample shopping opportunities abound at iconic retail malls like Oasis Shopping Centre and Pacific Fair.
Grab a coffee from No Name Lane. Indulge in gourmet delights at Manolas Brothers Delicatessens. Enjoy a flutter at Jupiters Casino. Or reserve a seat at Australia’s longest running and most successful dinner theatre, Draculas.
The Gold Coast hosts a spectacular year-round schedule of sporting events, among which we proudly sponsor the AFL and the Gold Coast Suns. Born through the support and love of the people of the Gold Coast community, the Suns are the coast’s newest sporting heroes, and are building a reputation as one of the most exciting football club in Australia.
Watch Suns’ players like Trent McKenzie, David Swallow, Karmichael Hunt, and Brownlow winner Gary Ablett Jr go head-to-head with Australia’s best at Metricon Stadium in Carrara.
Every year thousands of families flock to the Gold Coast just to visit Australia’s premier theme park, Dreamworld. Home to “So many worlds in one” the Coomera hotspot has something for everyone and makes for the perfect family day out.
Entertain the kids at Wiggles World and in the DreamWorks Experience precinct. Interact with nature in the Australian Wildlife Experience and on Tiger Island. Test your courage freefalling from 38 stories on the Giant Drop. Get swept away on the world’s fastest thrill ride, Tower of Terror II. Or try your hand at surfing on Australia’s first Flowrider.
One part rock star, one part designer chic and two parts grand opulence, the Palazzo Versace showcases the late Gianni Versace distinctive vision of, and commitment to, luxury and beauty. Boasting the slogan “Why stay in a hotel when you can stay in a palace”, the Palazzo enjoys a private marina at Main Beach, 200 glamorous light-filled rooms and timeless Italian interiors and furnishings.
If an overnight stay isn’t on your agenda, book a table at one of the Palazzo’s three award-wining restaurants, get your hair done at its private Oscar Oscar salon, shop at its on-site Versace boutique, or pamper yourself at its five-star spa. And keep your eyes peeled… the Palazzo is a favourite haunt of celebrities like Bono, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
Just behind the infamous glitter strip, in the Gold Coast hinterland, the mesmerisingly verdant Lamington National Park covers the slopes of a gigantic ancient volcano. Thousands of years old, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed wilderness area contains Australia’s largest preserve of pristine sub-tropical rainforest, and is a great location for a camping trip or retreat getaway.
Boasting Gondwana derived flora and fauna, lush rainforests, ancient trees, spectacular views, extensive walking tracks, exceptional ecological importance and natural beauty, the ridge and cliff-lined Lamington National Park is an outstanding place to visit.
Gold Coast hotels: Establish a great base from which to fall in love with Gold Coast. Select from a wide choice of hotels and resorts with our hotel partner HotelClub.
Gold Coast car hire: Take to the road and discover the Gold Coast, the hinterland, and nearby regions with a hire car from one of our partners.
The Virgin Australia lounge Gold Coast: Continue your holiday at the airport. Relax in comfort before board at the brand new Virgin Australia lounge at the Gold Coast domestic terminal.
An eagle-eyed Virgin Australia follower has picked up that the recent construction at the Gold Coast (OOL) Airport is for our new Lounge!
Announced earlier this year, the Lounge will join a list that includes the recently redesigned and renovated Melbourne and Brisbane Lounges, as well as Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra.
Designed by renowned architect Tim Greer of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, the Lounge will be a key tool to providing an improved experience for those Guests visiting an important tourism destination such as the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast Lounge
The Lounge will be completed in 2012.
Are you excited by this addition to our Lounge network? Will you make good use of the Lounge?
Are you a fan of the AFL? A fan of the Gold Coast SUNS? A fan of travel? A fan of tropical Queensland?
If you are, why don’t you book a Blue Holidays package to join the Gold Coast SUNS on an AFL charter flight to travel with the players to beautiful Cairns for their match with the Richmond Tigers on July 16th.
Package price is $376 per person twin share and includes:
Return airfares from Gold Coast to Cairns flying Virgin Australia
1 nights accommodation at the Mantra Trilogy Cairns
Return airport & stadium transfers
Upper Grand Stand Ticket
Package must be booked via the Blue Holidays Guest Contact Centre by calling 13 15 16.
Boasting more sunny days than Florida and warmer winter days than the Bahamas, this is no ordinary city. Brisbane is full of surprises, which is why you need a local tour guide for all the dirt and scoop…ME! Read more »
