Top ideas for a hens or bucks on the Gold Coast

We’ve talked to the Gold Coast locals in the know and spent hours of quality time with Dr Google, all in a quest to find the latest and greatest options for your pre-wedding party – and we reckon we’ve got it nailed. From pamper sessions and surfing lessons to high teas and local brews, this list has entertainment ideas for both hens and bucks. Let the party planning begin!

Glamp under the stars

If you love sleeping under the stars but aren’t a big fan of the whole ‘pitching a tent’ thing, then fear not, because Glamping Days Hire Co. will set up your sweet digs for the night. Grab the girls (or guys), a few bottles of good bubbly and sleep safari-style in luxury tents surrounded by lush subtropical rainforest or the soothing sounds of the ocean.

Go hot air ballooning… with Champagne!

Up, up and away! Tick hot air ballooning off your ‘basket’ list and take your squad on an airborne adventure over the Gold Coast. Finish off an incredible morning floating serenely over the hinterland with a Champagne breakfast at the heritage O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyard – talk about a ‘pinch me’ moment!

Check out Mick Fanning’s watering hole

You may not be able to get barrelled like the pros, but you can throw back a beer like a world champ thanks to local legends Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson’s joint venture, Balter Brewery. Of course, being owned by surfing royalty isn’t this sleek converted warehouse’s only claim to fame – they also make a fine drop, so go ahead and treat the boys and girls to an in-depth brewery tour and beer-tasting experience. Cheers, beers! balter.com.au

Discover Straddie’s adventurous side

You’ll be on boats, buggies, Segways and sandboards during this half-day tour from Gold Coast Island Buggy Tours to stunning South Stradbroke Island. Add a meet-and-greet with resident wallabies, a dip in the ocean and a couple of ice-cold beers, and your crew is in for one big Queensland adventure.

Set sail in Surfers

Spend a few hours on the calm, clear waters of the Broadwater aboard Sailing in Paradise‘s The Spirit of Gwonda, the Gold Coast’s most luxurious and unique sailing catamaran. Revel in the beauty of Surfers Paradise by night, glass of bubbly in hand, as you cruise around the marinas gazing at sparkling city lights. This place is called paradise for a reason.

Skydive over the GC

Make an unforgettable entrance from 12,000 feet over the beautiful Gold Coast, landing with your feet in the white sand of Kirra Beach. We can’t think of a better place to check skydiving off your bucket list – or a better excuse than a buck’s or hen’s weekend to go ahead and take the plunge with Gold Coast Skydive. Just do it.

Explore an underwater wonderland

Make like Nemo and get up close and personal with magnificent green sea turtles, with the help of Watersports Guru. Just a short boat trip off the southern Gold Coast, Cook Island is the perfect place to explore colourful hard and soft coral, swim with tropical fish, stingrays and wobbegongs and maybe even befriend a reef shark. And of course, to introduce your friends to some new friends – the local turtles! What an incredible and unforgettable group experience.

See some of the Gold Coast’s best views

The Gold Coast has a skyline painted with skyscrapers, but there can only be one – Q1 in fact – that stands taller than the rest. On the famous SkyPoint Climb, you and your crew will be treated to epic 360-degree views (270 metres above the Gold Coast) from Byron Bay, across the mountains, up to Stradbroke Island and out to sea. A wedding party that climbs together binds together, right?

Go on a brewery tour

A driver and a knowledgeable guide are two essentials on a beer-tasting tour, and Hop On Brewery Tours ticks both boxes. Running half and full-day tours of the Gold Coast’s breweries, you’ll learn loads about beer making and its history – plus you’ll be treating the gals and guys to some of the best craft beers in Australia. Hop on board! hoponbrewerytours.com.au

Hit the water, of course!

Thanks to the GC’s pumping surf breaks, it’s always a good time to learn to hang ten. Join the pros from Walkin’ On Water at the world-famous Snapper Rocks for a two-hour learn-to-surf lesson that will get you off to a great start. Yew!

Bucks, indulge in Man Tea

The definition of ‘man tea’: a high tea for gents, of course. Except, there is no actual tea involved. Instead, your esteemed crew will quaff a selection of premium beers and vintage Glenmorangie scotch on the rocks while enjoying a high tea-inspired menu of gourmet canapés at QT Gold Coast. Think sliders, tacos and marinated beef skewers – yes, please!

Or, go classic with High Tea

Palazzo Versace Gold Coast is everything you would expect in a hotel from the world of Versace: an exclusive waterfront setting, spectacular architecture, opulent accommodation, a design distinguished by Versace bespoke furnishings and Italian craftsmanship, extraordinary service and an ambience of pure glamour. So where else would you take the girls for high tea? Take a seat in the delightfully pink Le Jardin restaurant and enjoy decadent morsels and a flute of Champagne. It’s an experience your wedding party will adore.

Helpful links:
Stay: Glamping Days Hire Co.
Play: Hot Air Balloon Gold Coast // Gold Coast Island Buggy Tours // Sailing in Paradise // Gold Coast Skydive // Watersports Guru // SkyPoint Climb // Walkin’ On Water
Dine: Balter Brewery // Hop On Brewery Tours // Man Tea at QT Gold Coast // High Tea at Palazzo Versace

With thanks to Destination Gold Coast for their expert advice and images. Images also courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland, Fotolia and Unsplash/Piotr Mazga

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