It never ceases to amaze me, how easy it can be to forget what a paradise Australia’s Gold Coast really is. Sometimes, while I’m running my surfboard rental company and having a great time doing it, it slips my mind. Then there are times like a recent weekend, when I reminded myself that we are so lucky to live this amazing lifestyle on the Gold Coast and have the millions of visiting tourists every year to enjoy it with us.

To explain why this feeling came to me so strongly, I should mention that I recently received the news that my wife is pregnant and we will be parents for the first time. While the pregnancy was not entirely planned, we feel blessed with the news and have been trying to get to the best financial shape possible when the baby arrives. Therefore, for the last several months we have been diligently working to pay down credit card debt and buy all the things we’ll need once the baby arrives sometime in September. There’s been a lot of work and we haven’t had the opportunity to get out much.

On the weekend in question, it was a holiday weekend in Queensland, leaving everyone with not just Saturday and Sunday off, but a free Monday as well. Some great friends from Sydney decided to head up and together we made it a night out, just like old times. First it was dinner at Broadbeach in one of the excellent restaurants there. Afterwards, it was on to Surfers Paradise, one of the renowned watering holes that makes nights on the Gold Coast so fun. For a while I had forgotten the good times, but they quickly came rushing back to me.

After sleeping late on the Saturday, my partner and I packed ourselves into our car and drove as little as 1 hour to have a weekend away from the beach, and explore the beautiful Gold Coast hinterland. This mountainous area really is sensational, hosting some amazing wineries (which I enjoyed much more than my pregnant wife :-) ), some superbly relaxing retreats (which she enjoyed more than me) and the perfect balance of peace and serenity to ensure we returned home, fully recharged and ready to face the daily grind again.

Don’t go through your time visiting the Gold Coast without a pit stop in the hinterland. It will become clear what varied gifts a Gold Coast vacation can offer.

On Monday, we headed home via a circuitous route, leaving time for some lunch and also to do some fishing. With the river’s mouth and ocean not far off, we cast out our lines from the banks into the estuaries.

While we had no fish to show for it, we felt lucky that such a relaxing detour from our daily lives was available with such a short drive. Plenty of fishermen were lining the beach a few meters off and we watched them try their luck in the ocean. Some little boats were making their way through the estuary, gently rolling along. The commercial boats out in search of real haul could be seen, too, reminding us of the many possibilities for anyone who loves to fish.

Driving back to town, I couldn’t help but think what a terrific lifestyle is available on the Gold Coast. Queensland features such a dizzying array of ways to enjoy nature. You can enjoy the typical tourist attractions as well, since there are the legendary theme parks to try out, but the spectacular opportunity to experience nature firsthand is what sets the area apart and brings back tourists on a regular basis.

If you’re going to come back again, forget about the elegant cocktail bars for a little bit and give yourself the opportunity to soak up some of the world’s most stunning bits of nature. You’ll be happy you did.

Damian Papworth realizes women find it difficult to fill a suit case for Gold Coast hotels Australia as there is so much to see. Selecting the appropriate women’s clothing to fill can be a real issue.