Things to Do in Miami, Gold Coast: The Local Guide

# Things to Do in Miami, Gold Coast: The Local Guide

Miami is a useful base for seeing several very different sides of the Gold Coast, but the best outings are not all in the suburb itself. This selection ranges from Broadwater cruises and headland walks to the rainforest waterfalls of Springbrook National Park. In other words, it is less a checklist of things within walking distance and more a guide to choosing the right kind of Gold Coast day.

For water and sightseeing, head towards Surfers Paradise, Main Beach and Southport. For beaches, bush and open-air walks, look to Burleigh Heads, Coolangatta and The Spit. And when the coast is busy or you want a proper change of scenery, Springbrook delivers cool rainforest, deep valleys and waterfalls high above the city.

For water, views and a bit of speed

Jet Boat Extreme

Jet Boat Extreme is the choice for an energetic sightseeing ride rather than a gentle cruise. It leaves from the Nerang River in Surfers Paradise and combines views of the waterway with sharp turns, slides and 360-degree spins. The boat can reach speeds of up to 80kph, with an engine rated at up to 880 horsepower, so the ride is built around action as much as scenery.

The route also gives you a broad look at the waterways around the city, taking in the Broadwater, the Seaway, Wave Break Island and South Stradbroke Island. It suits visitors who want to see more than the beachfront but do not want a passive tour.

Aquaduck Gold Coast

Aquaduck offers a more novelty-driven way to see Surfers Paradise. The amphibious vehicle departs from the corner of Cavill and Ferny avenues, cruises along the streets and then enters the canals. That transition from road to water is the central appeal, making it an easy sightseeing option in the heart of the tourist district.

It is particularly useful when convenience matters: the departure point is central, and the experience combines city sightseeing with a look at the canal system without requiring you to organise separate activities. Its 4.8 Google rating across more than 3,700 reviews also suggests it has broad appeal among visitors.

The Spit Gold Coast

The Spit is a good counterpoint to the busy centre of Surfers Paradise. This sandy coastal strip runs for about 5km from Main Beach to the Southport Seaway, where the Broadwater meets the Pacific Ocean. It feels more open and less built-up than many parts of the coast, with broad flat areas, shaded space, parking and access to both ocean and protected waterways.

Come here for a walk with room to breathe, or to experience the Gold Coast as a meeting point between sea and estuary rather than as a wall of high-rises. Its position close to Surfers Paradise makes it one of the more straightforward ways to find a different pace without leaving the coastal area.

Doug Jennings Park

At the northern end of The Spit, Doug Jennings Park occupies the narrow strip between the Broadwater and the ocean. The waterfront setting gives it views in two directions, while its location on Sea World Drive places it close to Sea World and the wider attractions of Main Beach.

The park is worth choosing when you want open green space and a breezy waterfront outlook rather than a formal attraction. It is also a natural companion to The Spit: both show the quieter, more spacious side of this section of the Gold Coast.

For families and easy-going outdoor time

Broadwater Parklands

Broadwater Parklands stretches along Marine Parade in Southport beside the calm waters of the Gold Coast Broadwater. It is one of the most practical family-friendly spaces in the guide, bringing together parklands, playgrounds, swimming areas, walking paths and event spaces along the foreshore.

The appeal is the range of things happening in one place. The Rockpools swimming area adds a water-based option, while the paths and open parkland make it easy to build a relaxed outing around the waterfront. Choose it when your group wants flexibility rather than a single scheduled activity.

Fox in a Box Gold Coast Escape Rooms

Fox in a Box is the indoor option for a group that would rather solve problems than chase views. It brings an internationally recognised escape-room format to the Gold Coast, with rooms designed around teamwork, clues and a shared time-sensitive challenge. The concept is replayable, so it can work for visitors who have already done one escape room and want another group activity.

The venue has a 5.0 Google rating across more than 6,500 reviews, an unusually large volume of feedback for this kind of attraction. That makes it a strong pick for an afternoon when the weather is unhelpful, or for a group looking for something more involving than sightseeing.

For headlands, beaches and coastal walks

Burleigh Head National Park

Burleigh Head National Park is one of the Gold Coast’s most rewarding combinations of bush and beach. The park wraps around the Burleigh headland, with rainforest and coastline sitting directly beside the beach town. Its well-formed tracks circle the headland through bush and open onto sweeping ocean views.

The walk is the reason to go: it gives you a scenic outing without requiring a full hinterland trip, and the setting changes between vegetation, headland and ocean. It is a good choice when you want to see why Burleigh feels distinct from the more intensely developed parts of the coast.

Point Danger

Point Danger marks the Queensland–New South Wales border at Coolangatta. Crowned by the Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse, the headland has sweeping ocean views and a strong sense of place: you can stand with a foot in each state.

It is worth visiting for the combination of geography and outlook. Rather than being only a scenic stop, Point Danger makes the southern end of the Gold Coast legible, with the border, coastline and headland all part of the experience. It is also a good option for watching the ocean and taking in the broader coastal setting.

For waterfalls and rainforest in Springbrook National Park

Springbrook National Park is the biggest change of scene in this guide. High above the coast, it replaces beaches and towers with ancient rainforest, deep gorges, waterfalls and escarpment lookouts. The park’s appeal is its variety, but several of the individual spots below are worth treating as destinations in their own right.

Purling Brook Falls

Purling Brook Falls is one of the park’s signature sights, with a waterfall plunging from the escarpment into a deep green hinterland setting. The well-known circuit takes in lookouts over the falls and gives you a reason to spend time walking rather than simply arriving for a photograph.

It is a strong choice if the main attraction for you is the scale of the landscape: rainforest, valleys and a dramatic drop all come together here. The falls hold a 4.8 Google rating across more than 2,500 reviews.

Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge is a naturally formed rock arch with a waterfall pouring through the roof of a cave below. A short rainforest walk leads to the arch and cave, making it one of the more accessible ways to experience Springbrook’s geology and rainforest in a single outing.

The spot is also known for its after-dark appeal, when glow worms can be seen in the cave. That makes Natural Bridge different from a standard waterfall lookout, though the daytime walk is the straightforward way to appreciate the rock formation itself. It has a 4.8 Google rating across more than 4,300 reviews.

Twin Falls

Twin Falls sits along the celebrated circuit walk through Springbrook’s ancient rainforest. The track passes behind cascading falls before opening onto some of the region’s most beautiful scenery, giving the walk a sense of progression rather than a single viewpoint at the end.

Choose it when you want the rainforest experience to be as important as the waterfall. The cool, green setting is a complete contrast to the coastal strip, and the route’s passage behind the falls gives it a memorable physical quality.

Canyon Lookout

Canyon Lookout is one of Springbrook’s defining viewpoints. From the platform, the rainforest canyon spreads below with cascading waterfalls and deep green valleys, offering a high, expansive view rather than a close-up encounter with a single fall.

It is also the starting point for some of the park’s walks, so it can work as either a short scenic stop or the beginning of a longer visit. Go for the scale of the view and the sense of looking across an entire hinterland landscape.

Best of All Lookout

Best of All Lookout sits at the southern edge of Springbrook National Park and looks across the ranges towards the coast. On a clear day, the view stretches across the rim of an ancient volcanic caldera. The short approach passes through a grove of rare Antarctic beech trees, adding a distinctive rainforest detail before the outlook.

This is the Springbrook stop for panoramic scenery and unusual vegetation. Visibility matters here: the lookout is at its most rewarding when the broader view is open, while the walk remains worthwhile for the beech grove.

Practical tips for choosing your day

Use the coastal venues when you want easy sightseeing, open waterfront space or a flexible family outing. Jet Boat Extreme is the high-energy choice; Aquaduck keeps things central and combines road and canal sightseeing; Broadwater Parklands is the most adaptable option for mixed-age groups.

For a slower outdoor day, pair The Spit with Doug Jennings Park, or make Burleigh Head National Park the focus and allow time for the headland walk and ocean views. Point Danger is the pick when the border setting matters as much as the scenery.

Springbrook deserves more deliberate planning than a quick coastal stop. The park offers several distinct walks and lookouts, so choose between waterfall circuits, a short rainforest walk to Natural Bridge, or a high viewpoint such as Canyon Lookout or Best of All Lookout. Clear conditions are especially relevant for the long-range views, while the rainforest and waterfalls provide the strongest reason to go even when the coast feels like a different world.

Most importantly, do not treat Miami as the limit of the itinerary. The Gold Coast’s character changes quickly between the beach suburbs, the Broadwater and the hinterland, and these venues show that range without relying on another theme park checklist.

Featured spots

• Jet Boat Extreme
• Fox in a Box Gold Coast Escape Rooms
• Purling Brook Falls, Springbrook National Park
• Natural Bridge, Springbrook National Park
• Springbrook National Park
• Aquaduck Gold Coast
• Burleigh Head National Park
• The Spit Gold Coast
• Twin Falls
• Best of All Lookout