Trip to QLD Early September - Gold Coast or Cairns

focus123 on 13/08/2024 - 17:35
Last edited 14/08/2024 - 09:52 by 1 other user

Hi all, we are considering options to visit QLD with two kids (8 and 6 years).

The kids love water play but not the cold water. From weather reports, Cairns seem to be warm enough to visit and go snorkelling in The Great Barrier Reef.

Gold Coast is the first preference given the entertainment options available for kids. How about the weather in SE QLD during this time of the year. It looks ok for dry conditions, just wondering how cold it will feel on wet attractions with wind chill.

Edit: We're from Adelaide

Appreciate your inputs.

Travel Cairns Gold Coast Queensland

Comments

  • sumyungguy on 13/08/2024 - 17:49
    +2

    My kids at 8 and 6 would have much preferred a pool over the surf and there are plenty of heated indoor pools on the Goldy. Sea water temperature is at its lowest around now so September will still be a bit chilly at the beach. It's coming out of winter in Cairns so the coolest water for snorkelling.

    • MITM on 16/08/2024 - 15:22

      Where are the indoor heated pools ?

      I'd go to Cairns - perfect conditions ATM. Do GC in a few years during summer when the kids will appreciate the theme parks.

      • sumyungguy on 16/08/2024 - 16:04

        Heated indoor pools in many of the apartment buildings

    • Save 50 Cent on 21/08/2024 - 20:50
      -1

      Why would you travel interstate to spend your time at the indoor pool?

  • EightImmortals on 13/08/2024 - 17:56

    Watch out for stingers around Cairns that time of year, you can hire stinger suits…or swim in the pools instead. GC is a rat race now but might be good for kids with the theme parks and whatnot. If you're from Melbourne the water will be warm up here wherever you go.

    • Ocker on 13/08/2024 - 18:29
      +1

      Stinger season does not start until early November.

  • payless69 on 13/08/2024 - 20:56
    +1

    BOM will be your friend.
    Perhaps top notch life insurance for Cairns.
    Earmuffs for the all night police sirens.

  • Worf on 13/08/2024 - 21:36
    +1

    How long are you staying for, what stuff are your kids in to?

    Great barrier reef snorkelling is really nice; however, you need a boat to go out and i'm unsure how much a 6 and 8 YO will appreciate it (+I think options are limited in Cairns).

    Gold Coast has a lot of kid friendly options (currumbin wildlife park, movie world, dream world, sea world, wet and wild, white water world, paradise country) the theme parks are expensive for what they are, but sometimes you can get a combo discount. Car hire will be helpful to get around on the Gold Coast. Cheap/free options include cool parks for children (kurrawa park, broadwater parklands, etc), some nice beaches (tallebudgera creek, currumbin beach, there's a nice national park that you can walk through at Burleigh heads. If green is your thing, you can drive to tambourine mountain and do bush walks/see a waterfall/see a cave with glow worms. Gold coast also has the usual retail shopping centres (pacific fair, robina town centre). I'd recommend staying away from Surfers Paradise (it's depressing). Burleigh is a nice place to stay and has a lot of good food options - bit of a mess with the road works for the tram line at the moment.

    Gold Coast sea water temp should be fine for children (they seem to not feel it), it will be fresh for adults… i guess it's subjective though. you can look at weather stats on various websites.

  • morse on 14/08/2024 - 00:08
    +1

    Either is good. Just make sure wherever you stay has a good pool (heated for GC), kids club and/or kids water play area depending on your kids age.

    I live on the GC and my kid has Sept birthday and can confirm it’s generally dry, warm, but windy (based on several years of setting up parties in this weather). At this time of year I’m back in our home pool but my child won’t be, and at the beach I’m swimming but my child is just splashing in the shallow waves. Theme parks can be cold if wet and waiting in the line up high on the tower of a water slide, but otherwise you’ll be hot most of the time. There’s heaps to do here but it’s easy to spend a lot of money. Most locals manage this with annual passes (locals only) for attractions and using the free beaches a lot.

    Cairns has less to do without going for a drive or taking a boat (bring motion sickness tabs for the trip to the reef, (worst sea sickness I’ve had getting out there from Cairns and I’ve done a lot of snorkeling, boating, diving). But Sept is a good time of year to go. It has an esplanade man made lagoon which would be worthwhile staying near if that’s what you decide.

    Whitsundays is an option too.

  • valuer on 14/08/2024 - 15:34

    That would be just coming to the end of peak season for the Cairns region but off-peak for GC - which could affect pricing/availability.

    The water at the northern Cairns beaches would be warm to swim in for a southerner. The down town lagoon is handy if you stay in the town. Trips to the crocodile farm. the train and cable car, an there is a small water park.

    GC is, well, the tired but known option.

    Maybe Bali?

    • focus123 on 14/08/2024 - 16:30

      Thanks, we are slowly expanding our wings :).
      Bali is surely in our next 3-5 major flying holidays.

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