What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says “Dreamworld”? Indulging your inner adrenalin junkie with epic thrill rides galore? Or maybe a trip down memory lane coz waiting at Kodak for our Dreamworld prints from mum’s disposable camera was literally life circa 1990. Whilst that all rings true, our answer is (drum roll pls)….Night Markets #CueMicDrop. No, we’re not disoriented after one too many spins on the Steel Taipan, Dreamworld really is the new home to our region’s coolest Night Markets, creating the GC’s hottest coupling since Kenny and Belinda #KoalaPowerCouple101.

Serving up good times and good food from 5pm to 9pm every Friday and Saturday night, the first point we need to highlight is cost, or lack thereof. No need to buy a ticket to Dreamworld, simply forgo that trip to the $2 shop and redirect your shiny gold coin (or Eftpos card coz srsly, what is cash) to your Dreamworld Night Market entry! That’s right, it’s only two bucks for adults and better yet, free for kiddos under 13, passholders and anyone already inside the park.

So what can we expect from these Night Markets and get comfy coz It’s.A.Lot. Let’s start with the nosh and we’re talking unreal street eats, sweets, drinks – the works! Serving up cuisine how we like it best – food truck style – there’s something for everyone. Think decadent dumplings and bao, North American, South American, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Latin American, German, Spanish, Italian and Turkish tucker, and that’s just a taste* PunAlwaysIntended.

If you’re a cocktail or beer enthusiast (is the sky blue and duh), check out Apollo’s Cocktail Bar and Apollo’s Beer Bar. Or perhaps you’d rather give booze the boot and stick to coffee, tea and juices and the choices are equally abundant and satisfying. As are the desserts with the likes of popcorn, Hong Kong style waffles, Dutch pancakes, churros and donuts and if you’re thinking who needs mains then #same.

Food is just the beginning though with more entertainment than you can poke a sate stick at and yes, you can nom plenty of those too. Dreamworld Night Markets are also the home of exciting live music from local, emerging, and well-known artists on the Main Street Stage. With set lists changing weekly there’s always someone new to enjoy….and add to your ever-growing Spotify list.

Turn up the heat with free family entertainment and we don’t mean that figuratively coz there are actual fire twirlers people #(Non)CannedHeat. There are also stuntmen, live performance artists, roaming entertainers, and of course, free movies on the big screen from 6.25pm. Pull up a beanbag and keep your little ones entertained, whilst enjoying a well-earned time-out from the daily grind.

If you fancy yourself as the arty farty type, you’re invited to bring your best strokes with the crew from Paint Juicy. Happening on alternate Friday and Saturday nights (at an additional cost), if you haven’t experienced the creative outlet that is a paint and sip class then friends, this is THE place to do it. Paint and Sip sessions are just $59 per person and include entry, a drink on arrival, and an individual snack box. Plus, you can take home your own art creation to hang proudly in your abode, or chuck in your wheely bin but hey, it’s all about the journey which is next level fun, fetch and fab. Paint and Sip is perfect for the whole family and session spots are strictly limited (translation – book yesterday).

If you’re more of a lol enthusiast than a paintbrush pusher, keep your eyes peeled for an evolving showcase of live comedy gigs. And for the small folk, get a load of Gamesite, the pay-for-play fun zone with all your fave arcade games (#kool) and of course, Belinda’s Tree House, perfect for expelling their second (third and fourth…times two) wind.

So as you can see, there is something for everyone – young, not so young, creative, not so creative, hungry or hungrier. Whether you’re heading for after-work drinks, taking the kids out for dinner, or looking for the ultimate good-times-and-vibes joint to host your corporate function or party, all roads lead to one destination: Dreamworld Night Markets.

For more information, go here.

Where: Dreamworld, Dreamworld Parkway, Coomera
When: 5pm – 9pm, Fridays & Saturdays

Words by Bianca Trathen.

STORY SPONSORED BY DREAMWORLD

There have been about 53 public holidays of late, meaning more time for activities and more money going out of your wallet. Meanwhile, the sun is shining (most of the time) and it’s almost summer, so there are still plenty of good times to be had.

Thankfully we have the answer, FREE THINGS TO DO on the Gold Coast. They do say the best things in life are free!

Bike crawl to Burleigh
There are many sweet spots to cruise along on the Gold Coast. Start at Kurrawa Park in Broadbeach and head south to the hill at Burleigh Heads. You’ll mostly be on the Esplanades but there are bike lanes on the roads for max safety. Wear your helmet.

Sunset at Burleigh Hill
Everybody’s favourite picnic spot. Roll out a blanket and kick up your heels for one of the best sunset views on the Gold Coast. People watching is at an all-time high here too if that’s your thing. Take some sport-related things to throw/kick and join in with the rest of the revelers.

Cruise through the markets
The Coast is home to lots of epic markets including beachside ones at Surfers Paradise, Coolangatta and Broadbeach, the ever-popular Village Markets at Burleigh Heads State School every second Sunday and the HOTA markets every Sunday. So many goodies.

Stroll through the national park
We are lucky enough to boast some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world (if we do say so ourselves). Take a stroll over Burleigh Hill through the national park and around to Tallebudgera Creek and then return on the Oceanview path. Make sure to keep an eye out for breaching whales.

Paddle in Tallebudgera Creek
The water in Talle Creek is all of the absolutely stunning shades of blue and green and it’s truly a sight to behold. Swim out into the middle, float around on your back and think about how lucky you are to experience it.

Check out The Spit
Main Beach is home to a spot called The Spit which is home to a dog beach and a sweet pier-style situation so you can both make lots of hairy new friends and take some sweet snaps to remember it all.

Feed the birds
Okay, so this one is almost free but well worth the gold coin donation. Head to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and feed the hundreds of lorikeets who gather there twice a day (8am and 4pm). They’re beautiful and loud and it’s an amazing experience.

Splash at Currumbin Rock Pools
Just a short drive from Currumbin are the Currumbin Rock Pools, complete with a jumping rock and little waterfalls to splash around in. It can get busy but it’s a relaxing spot to spend an afternoon.

Take a hike
Actually. There are TONS of hikes you can take around the Gold Coast from short little easy ones (yes please) to more challenging, mountainous ones and all with absolutely stunning views and lots of natural goodness to soak up.

Swim in a waterfall
Also just a short drive from Currumbin are Cougal Cascades, a collection of beautiful waterfalls you can swim under and take pretty pics of. You can also laze about in the rock pools and slide down the rocks themselves. It’s a delight. There are plenty more around too.

Slide into a playground
The Gold Coast is home to many epic playgrounds for kids. Most of them have tables and BBQ facilities, so pack an esky and make a day of it. The perennially popular Pirate Park in Palm Beach has just had an upgrade and it’s now bigger than ever.  Other unmissable parks include Bim’bimba Park, Pimpama, named the 2020 Best New Park in Queensland and the new Broadwater Parklands North with a 5 storey slide!

Find the frog
Down south a little further, there’s a stunning walk around the ocean from Coolangatta to Snapper Rocks. Go in search of the big green frog on your way, he’s overlooking a secluded little beach called Froggies (for obvious reasons).

Gaze at local art
The Gold Coast is home to several art galleries showcasing our talented local artists plus, of course, some from further afield. Find 19 Karen in Mermaid Beach, Dust Temple in Currumbin and the impressive contemporary HOTA Gallery in Bundall. Grab your Nikes, a LIME bike, skateboard, scooter, or your choice of wheels and hit the trail of the Gold Coast’s best street art with Art Roll. Their easy-to-navigate maps will have you rolling to the best street art by suburb.

Frolic on the beach
We’re lucky enough to be home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. From Surfers Paradise to Snapper Rocks, the options are endless and each one more beautiful than the last. Don’t forget water and sunscreen of course, that Gold Coast sun is unrelenting.

Make your way up the mountain
Mt Tamborine is only a 40 minute drive from the Coast and the views from up there are next-level. Not only that, there are more beautiful walks than you can poke a stick at, waterfalls and the main street is a sight to behold in itself. Plenty of shops to scope out if you’ve got some spare change too.

Enjoy, friends, those should keep you going for awhile.

Words by Kirra Smith

There’s something about the rise and rise of a homegrown brand that started out slinging their wares at the weekend markets that hits you right in the feel-goods. With cult Aussie labels like Peony swimwear, Business & Pleasure and Kivari all starting out from a humble market stall, it basically equates our weekly pilgrimage to saunter among the stalls (mosh pit, but make it mid-30’s) to a treasure hunt for adults. Somewhere right between the coffee van, and the organic zucchini’s lies the potential to uncover the next hidden gem.

And crust us then we say, we’ve got one to watch. While it’s undeniable the weekend market vibes are high on the GC, it didn’t take long for word to get out about Bake House Gozen’s croissants being next level.

For owner Maki Jinno, her pastry business started out delivering her tasty treats to the hungry hordes every Saturday at the Palm Beach markets.

After two years of delighting pastry aficionados with her trademark buttery, flaky goodness, Maki developed quite the cult following – frequently breaking hearts after selling out. It soon came apparent it was time for this little Bake House to gozen all out and expand to a shopfront. You go Glen Cocoa!

On her quest to find a home for her delicious goodies, Maki opted to set up shop in Molendinar, resulting in somewhat of a hidden gem with her artisan style bake-house the first of it’s kind in the area. Adding “We wanted a location where nothing much was happening in the area, so that when we opened it would be a surprise and shock to the community.”

Maki’s vision for the Bake House Gozen HQ was for it to be reminiscent of a Japanese bakery. The result would easily hold it’s own in any of the trendiest hotspot suburbs, which makes sense when you find our that local creative powerhouse Owen Thompson helped bring this project to life. Peel your eyes away from those seductive rows of pastries for long enough, and you’ll be greeted with creamy, rendered surfaces bringing luxe texture for days, and some pretty stunning oak joinery to ensure the space is still warm and welcoming (and if appreciating nice joinery means we’ve officially embraced middle age then so be it..)

There’s no flake it till you make it here folks, with Maki racking up an impressive 25 years of pastry experience under her chef’s jacket. All of the croissants are hand made in house using the traditional 3 day process, which… sounds like a lot of work tbh. We’ll be quite alright over here just sampling one of everything, thanks.

The menu is constantly rotating to welcome new, seasonally-inspired flavours alongside the staples. Of course there’s the beloved classics like Almond croissants and Pain au chocolat, but you can also expect to be tempted to stray from your usual go-to with new flavours to try such as Orange, mandarin and poppyseed Pain Suisse. Which, roughly translated is ‘heaven in pastry form’. Okay so it’s technically actually ‘Swiss bread’, though we would argue that’s chronically underselling how. dang. good. these. are.

If you’re on the central GC and haven’t yet acquainted yourself with the daily deliciousness they’re serving up, you’d butter believe you need to flake your way down to Bake House Gozen, ASAP.

Where: Shop 7B, 458 Olsen Avenue, Molendinar
When: 6am–1pm, Thursday-Sunday

Words by Kellie Leader.
Images by Belinda Symons.