Travel Feature: Queensland's Gold Coast

Boaters paradise

The Gold Coast offers arguably the best waterways in Australia, with a diversity of launching ramps and seemingly endless freshwater canals that reach to the saltwater Broadwater or the ocean. Most waterways are calm rivers, so they offer safe boating, with fishing, facilities, shops and islands to make a stay memorable. With more than 260km of navigable waterways within the city, the Gold Coast Seaway also offers convenient access to the Pacific Ocean for deep-sea fishing.

The region is dominated by the Nerang River catchment, which covers an area of 400km². From its headwaters in the McPherson Ranges, the Nerang River enters the Hinze Dam, a major water supply for SE Queensland, where it is joined by the Little Nerang. Downstream from the dam, it passes through Nerang before heading toward the coast and Surfers Paradise, finally entering the Southport Broadwater. The spectacularly renowned Gold Coast waterways with waterfront housing, owe their existence to the extending and dredging of the original meandering Nerang River.

The Hinze Dam catchment area is a great place to do some freshwater fishing. Hinze Dam is well stocked with a range of species including Australian bass, silver perch, golden perch or yellowbelly, Mary River cod, eel-tailed catfish and saratoga. Fishing permits are required when fishing at Hinze Dam and cost $5 (weekly permit) or $40 (yearly permit). Permits are available from Council offices and Hinze Dam rangers. Each permit entitles an angler, his or her partner and dependant children (under 18 years) to fish with one rod or fishing line each.

SE Queensland weather is sub-tropical, so every few years or so, summer storms wreak havoc. In between weather extremes, it's hard to find a better boating and fishing area. TrailerBoat visited just before the Indy races and boating conditions were magnificent. Shortly after, the weather became dramatic; continuing through Christmas and is just improving now. The elements were so spectacular, with dark clouds, huge surf and beaches washed away, that visiting a storm-ravaged beach became a premier tourism attraction. From now on, boating conditions are likely to be much more stable, with winter a warm welcome to frozen southern visitors. Sure there's rain, but expect blue skies and low 20ºCs regularly through winter.

Navigating the waters is successfully achieved after a heads-up on the local conditions, as sandbanks and shallows are best missed. Even if you can push the trailerboat off a sandbank or rocks, nobody likes a bent prop. There are speed limits in most canals too, though these are relaxed as you near the Broadwater and from there, most areas are unrestricted. In speed-limited areas, expect the law to be not far away, even patrolling on jet-skis. Drive carefully, travel on the flood tides and follow Beacon to Beacon (the navigation bible for this part of the world). Do these things and you won't be stuck on sand and mud banks.

But it gets better. The beauty of cruising here is that it's an inshore waterway, well protected in virtually all conditions, with little or no waves (though some boatwake) to worry about. There's a veritable maze of channels, backwaters, canals and islands to explore. And you can gad about all the way to Moreton Bay, as we have done. Funny thing; people seem to delight in telling you stories of how they or their friend or their friend's neighbour ran aground on the Gold Coast. That's because there are so many ex-southerners and southern visitors there. The Gold Coast City Council website has a printable PDF showing 83 boatramps in the area.

MARINAS
Our golden days on the Gold Coast started with a couple of lazy days, visiting venues like the Southport Yacht Club, a great amenity for members and guests alike. We phoned ahead and arranged a visitor's berth. Nearby, Mariner's Cove is well worth a visit, too. There's a big marina with more eateries, a tavern and well-priced fuel. And don't forget that you will pay a loading for fuel if your boat isn't registered in Queensland. So, if you're planning a lengthy stay it will pay to register your boat locally.

If you don't mind negotiating the rather tedious Coomera River, there are more marinas at Hope Harbour, Sanctuary Cove and Hope Island. In typical Queensland fashion, the marinas welcome visitors and the facilities are top notch. Sanctuary Cove has a marina village plus golf, Hope Island also boasts golf - play and stay aboard - then stow the clubs below decks. There are great courses at Hope Island and Sanctuary Cove. Then there's the Gold Coast City Marina (GCCM), among the best boating facilities and perfect for, perish the thought, effecting repairs. The GCCM includes some of the leading boat manufacturers, plus smaller parts and repair outlets. The extent of this complex is jaw-dropping, worthy of a visit by boat or road. By road the GCCM is accessed by a street behind Dreamworld, but a tip - check the map first - or you can get lost in the back roads.

There are boating events through the year on the Gold Coast, with the major event - The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Essentially showcasing big boats, this huge event has something for everyone, with many suppliers offering equipment for trailerboats and there's the eye-candy of awesome dream boats in every direction. Last year, records were generated with 456 exhibitors, more than 53,600 visitors and more than 4km of on-water displays. The 2008 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is staged between May 22 and 25, from 9am to 5pm at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast, within an hour of Brisbane and Gold Coast airports. For details, visit http://www.sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au/

Interestingly, most of the Gold Coast marinas, including Horizon Shores at Jacob's Well, have big plans for major expansions to meet the influx of visiting boaties and the burgeoning local boating industry. If the dreams of developers are realised, 112 acres of parkland in the area north of Seaworld known as Marine Stadium will become a massive showcase marina for local boatbuilders, plus a superyacht facility and five-star accommodation for boatowners and visitors. Exciting stuff, indeed.

CRUISING
There are plenty of white sandy beaches with great swimming on The Broadwater. But be warned: on sunny weekends it seems like all the 212,000 registered boats in Queensland and 9000 personal watercraft are out and about! And the anchorages are thronging, as locals scramble to enjoy the warm water and sunny weather.

Yet, venture out mid-week as we did, and you will share these same idyllic spots with just a few other like-minded boaties. The best spot on the Broadwater for a daytrip is, unsurprisingly for locals, Wave Break Island. Anchor in about two metres of water, in the gutter or behind the sandbanks, on the northern side of the island. Here you will find wind, wave and wake protection. Pay out at least five times the depth in anchor chain as the tide here runs thick and fast.

There's a deep hole just inside the northern breakwall on the island, too, but it's popular with scuba divers and tropical fish alike. There are also beautiful expanses on the inside of North and South Stradbroke Islands, with miles of white sand to stretch the legs and picnic ashore (mind the goannas) opposite Runaway Bay. Or, farther on, swing past Couran Cove Resort on South Stradbroke Island, just 40 to 50 minutes from the glitzy Surfers Paradise - sadly, no longer accessible to visiting boaties unless you buy a yearly membership or book a room at the resort - well worth considering. Couran Cove Island Resort is perfect for couples to families or nature enthusiasts - time well spent.

As you settle at Couran Cove, the first thing you notice is - nothing. It's so silent, you hear your footsteps and even breathing. Then soon a wallaby or two will appear. Nature and culture blend harmoniously together to create a truly Australian-styled resort. Imagine waking each morning to the gentle sounds of nature, the call of native birds, the whisper of the breeze through abundant banksia and rainforest, and the hushed roll of the distant surf.

Relax, recharge and rejuvenate with a Couran Cove Island Resort experience tailored to suit you. Indulge in award-winning accommodation, gourmet dining and luxurious Day Spa treatments, explore a range of sporting and family activities and discover native island forests filled with indigenous animal life.

Then turn to port up the channel to Tipplers Passage. Fishing opportunities improve and there's always the opportunity to turn on a burst of speed, with few boaties or hazards to distract. Tipplers Resort, seems to be popular with, well, the tipplers, is a must-see to get in the Queensland spirit of things. Hiccup!

If you have not travelled far enough and the fuel is holding out, you can continue north to Curtis Anchorage and another popular spot called the Bedroom. But do watch the tides as the water gets really skinny here. Back in the passage, I recommend Tiger Mullet Channel, another lovely calm anchorage where we have hunkered down for days and nights before.

BEDROOM BLISS
Meantime, back to the mission at hand - a serious sortie on the Gold Coast. We passed ritzy real estate developments on Ephraim and Sovereign Islands, most million dollar-plus houses, before a special mark indicating the entrance to the Coomera River. If you can, avoid travelling upstream or west in the late afternoon, as you will be driving into the sun. Migraine comes gratis.

Our immediate plan is to head for a place called the Northern Bedrooms at the tip of South Stradbroke Island, so we give the Coomera River the flick and take the main channel past the entrance to Jacob's Well, home to Horizon Shores Marina, which, need I tell you, has big plans in store. About 40 minutes after leaving Runaway Bay we reach the bedrooms. Beyond our expectations, it doesn't disappoint.

Steep white sand hills and stands of wind-breaking casuarinas slope down to gin-clear water. A lone boat is anchored just a few metres off the beach and a group of wallabies is fossicking at the water's edge, munching on seagrass washed in from the previous tide.

At the very tip of the island, there are massive sand flats and you can hike across the dunes to the surf on the other side of South Stradbroke. To the north, we can see Jumpinpin, the treacherous bar between North and South Stradbroke Islands. Under no circumstances should you try and cross this bar.

Some points to note. There are swarms of midgies (sandflies), so you will need to cook and eat outdoors before sunset, or indoors thereafter unless you have mosquito covers on your boat. And if the weather does come up at the Northern Bedrooms you can seek refuge in the nearby mangrove channels near the Short Islands. We cruise up Canaipa Passage and admire Slipping Sands, another popular anchorage, before a long shallow sandbank which you shouldn't negotiate if your boat draws more than 1.5 metres. Rather than venturing up the inside of North Stradbroke, as we have done before, we take the lazy option and return to the Northern Bedrooms for more swimming.

This time we strike gold. There's a bolthole just inside the tip of South Stradbroke Island in a natural basin where six metres of water ascends to the shore. Anchor down, you can now step off the transom onto the sand flats or just wallow around in the crystal clear waist-high water.

Fishing is relaxing on the Gold Coast; depending on the size of your trailerboat and therefore the fishing areas. From saltwater, estuary, deep-sea bluewater sport and game fishing trips, expect fish like snapper, cobia, kingfish, amberjack, sharks, mackerel, tuna, sailfish or marlin.

FARTHER AFIELD
If you're feeling more adventurous, take heed, there are plenty of islands to explore: Russel, Peel and Moreton are well worth a visit. You can take the scenic but shallow Canaipa Passage, as we have done, or the more forgiving Main Channel, which begins at Redland Bay. Not far away is Peel Island, the most popular anchorage in Moreton Bay. Horseshoe Bay on the island has Bahamian blue water and a stunning white sandy beach.

Watch out for the dugongs, dolphins, turtles and whales that frequent the area. In fact, the bottom of Moreton Bay is home to the southernmost colony of dugongs. We saw them and turtles when cruising in the early morning. Quite some sight.

In the right conditions, and providing that the wind doesn't come up from the west, Tangalooma on the inside of Moreton Island is a magic spot. Anchor behind the signature wrecks that provide some protection from the wind. The wrecks offer great diving with plenty of tropical fish. There are huge white sand hills that you can climb and slide down if you're feeling so inclined. Or just sit on your boat and gaze into the azure water.

It's hard to believe that the nearest port to Tangles is Brisbane, as it feels more like Nassau, especially after a long walk along the palm-fringed shore. The Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort has a bar and amenities that are open to visiting boaties. But unless you're a guest at the resort, you have to leave the island at dusk before the local dolphins drop in for their nightly feed.

LAND OF THE LONG HOT SUMMER
As the television ad espouses, Queenslanders are blessed with weather and water. Boating is at its best when us southerners are pulling our winter woollies out of the top cupboards. The water is still warm in late May and the daytime temperature is generally in the mid 20ºCs. Think about cruising around the time of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.

The anchorages are busy at peak times, but rightly so. If you're driving north for winter, which more and more southerners are doing in their increasingly capable boats, don't give the Gold Coast a wide berth. Leave home a bit earlier and hang around for some golden days and great fishing. You won't regret it.

CRUISING INFO
The Southport Seaway is a notorious bar in rough weather. Traditionally, the safest route is around the south wall, but after the recent tumultuous storms there was a bar across the entire entrance.

Keep clear of the banks to the north where waves pitch and break well out to sea. Call Seaway Tower on Channel 16 or 88 if you are unsure. Also, watch for the surfers paddling across the Seaway for South Stradbroke Island - they're hard to spot in the afternoon sun.

A copy of the Maritime Safety Queensland's Beacon to Beacon Directory is handy for cruising around the Gold Coast. Follow the suggested routes and look at the section near the back of the directory for a summary of all the anchorages, complete with aerial images and information about which spots are best in which conditions.

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