7 memorable experiences on the Gold Coast

NB: Due to overwhelming popular demand, Mater Prize Home lottery No. 301 sold out early. You can purchase tickets in our latest lottery here.

Life is all about collecting memories. When it comes to living on the Gold Coast, there’s no shortage of memorable experiences to fill those blank pages with. From the golden beaches to the lush green hinterland, the Gold Coast delivers all kinds of amazing adventures to keep life interesting and entertaining. When you move into our latest Mater Prize Home lottery No. 301 you’ll be able to experience the best of the Gold Coast at your doorstep.

Add these top things to do on the Gold Coast to your wishlist.

Glamping in an ancient rainforest

Every day you’ll wake up to stunning views of the Gold Coast hinterland all around your Mater prize home, but when you want to immerse yourself even deeper, Nightfall’s glamping experience is a must do. These custom-designed safari ‘tents’ in the Lamington National Park offer the level of luxury you’re used to in your own prize home. You’ll be ultra comfortable nestled within nature with a king size bed, in-tent fireplace, a rain-head shower and a vintage bathtub that looks out into the wilderness. The location here is exactly what the soul needs to escape the daily grind. Surrounded by trees that are more than 225 million years old with no more than eight other people around you at any given time, the serenity and direct connection to Mother Nature here is unparalleled. The food is also impressive. Far from a basic campfire menu, you’ll be treated to refined organic dishes starring fresh produce sourced from the Nightfall kitchen garden, local farms in the Scenic Rim and organic markets in Brisbane, as well as Australian bush tucker plants wild harvested from the on-site orchard.

Swim with dolphins

Getting to see seals, penguins and polar bears up close at Sea World is worth the price of admission, but if you want to make your visit even more memorable, opt to swim with the park’s friendly dolphins. The Dolphin Deep Water Adventure lets you jump in the water with these intelligent creatures for a once-in-lifetime experience. You’ll get to learn about the dolphins from the Marine Mammal Trainers who know them best before jumping in the water to observe a dolphin in an up-close deep water encounter.

Enjoy high tea at a height

High tea is always an indulgent affair of dainty sandwiches, sweet delicacies, and deluxe teas, but there’s something about high tea at QT that feels extra special. Maybe it’s the finesse that the hotel’s top chefs dish up across the three tiers of finger foods, with mouthwatering treats like Beetroot and Whipped Goats Cheese Macarons, Lemon Lime Mignon and Ferroro Rocher Tartlettes on the menu. Or, very likely, the setting has a lot to do with it, delivering stunning sun-drenched views high over the Gold Coast. There’s also the option to complement your bottomless tea and espresso coffee with something even more extravagent, like a glass of Champagne Perrier-Jouët, an Aperol Spritz, Elderflower Spritz or Ruby Spritz, for when you really feel like celebrating in style.

Embark on a Great Walk

There are 12 Great Walks around Australia but only one in Queensland. Lucky for you, the Scenic Rim Great Walk is one of the most spectacular and it’s close to home, too. You’ll need three days to make your way from start to finish and the road is tough, but worth every incline and breath-taking view along the way. The best way to experience this Great Walk is as part of the extended five-day, five-night guided Spicers Scenic Rim Trail. The luxury eco accommodation and chef-prepared meals (along with the fact that you don’t need to carry your bag throughout your daily treks!) are icing on top of the spectacular scenery you’ll experience along the moderate to hard 47-kilometre walk. Starting at Spicers Hidden Vale in Grandchester and finishing at Spicers Hidden Peaks Cabins in Clumber, your journey will take you along the Great Dividing Range and through the 180-million-year-old Gondwana Rainforest.

Experience bliss in a bathhouse

Spa treatments are a great way to pamper yourself, but the latest bathhouse trend is a treat for your mind, body and soul. Greenhouse the Bathhouse in Burleigh Heads is a tranquil space with two hydrotherapy spas, a custom-built wet steam room, a traditional red cedar sauna, a magnesium plunge pool, sundeck and lounge area for all your water therapy needs. Add a massage on top of your pampering session and you’ll leave walking on clouds.

Picnic with alpacas

Come for the locally grown wine, stay for the company of the vineyard’s resident alpacas. O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyard is situated in the picturesque foothills of Lamington National Park. While you could enjoy a cheese platter or stone-baked pizza on the homestead’s wrap-around balcony, the grassy lawns beside the babbling creek are the perfect place for devouring one of the picnic hampers on offer. Paired with a wine tasting and your own alpaca party guest, this is a lazy lunch you won’t be forgetting in a hurry.

Uncover a new appreciation for the Aboriginal land you’re living on

To truly appreciate the Gold Coast, you first need to understand its heritage. See the land through the eyes of its original owners with a cultural tour with the Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Burleigh Heads. During your guided walk along the mountain-wrapped beachside rainforest walkway of Jellurgal, you’ll get to hear the Dreamtime stories associated with the creation of Jellurgal. You’ll also walk away with a few Indigenous secrets on foraging for bush tucker, fishing, hunting and important ecological practices.

Ready to make a lifetime of amazing memories on the Gold Coast? Buy your tickets today to win this Mater Prize Home lottery and make every day better than the last. Plus, for every ticket you purchase you’re helping support the vital medical research and patient care at Mater.