Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Surfers Paradise is one of the wackiest attractions on Queensland’s Gold Coast. A collection of the weird and wonderful, it’s a prime attraction for kids, with displays you can’t see anywhere else in the world.
Ripley’s Surfers Paradise does just that. Covering 9,000 square feet, the museum hosts over 400 exhibits and artifacts in 15 themed galleries. Ripley’s is home to shrunken heads, a toilet paper wedding dress, an exhibit on the world’s tallest man, double spinning tunnels, the world’s smallest car and more. The museum is founded around Ripley’s famous quote: ‘I have traveled 201 countries and the strangest thing I’ve seen… is man.'
Journeying through the Odditorium is self-guided. Touring the museum takes, in general, at least an hour, though visitors are welcome to spend as long as they like walking through the exhibits. Guests are welcome to bring cameras as well.
Practical Info
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Surfers Paradise is located in Cavill Mall—easy walking distance from many hotels in Surfers Paradise. The museum is open 365 days per year, though opening times do vary on public holidays. Entry is $13.50 for children and $25 for adults. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible. Ripley’s is intended as an attraction for people of all ages, however it is important to note that some parents may prefer that small children skip certain exhibits.
Address: Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise, QLD, Australia
A multimedia experience engaging all of the senses, Infinity is a journey through mazes of special effects that create a dream-like atmosphere. Sound fields, lights, music, and visual illusions challenge the mind and stretch the imagination of those who navigate the funhouse.
There are 20 different environments, each with its own unique interactive experience. Ranging from a laser room to a time warp, electron maze, and inter-dimensional space, visitors are treated to a feast for all the senses throughout. The creator of Infinity has an art background, and the innovative and immersive displays on an “electronic canvas” push the boundaries of artistic expression, eliciting powerful emotional responses. Truly a unique experience, Infinity lives up to its name by altering one’s sense of time, space and what is possible.
Practical Info
Infinity is located within the Chevron Renaissance Centre in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, on the ground floor. It is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm. Admission is $27 for adults and $18 for children.
True to its name, Best Of All Lookout has the best view in Springbrook National Park. Here, in this subtropical rainforest an hour from the Gold Coast, visitors will find an Antarctic Beech forest left over from the days of Gondwanaland, which in collection with the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage area for its unique geology and ecology. At Best Of All Lookout, visitors will peer out towards the peak of Mt Warning, which is famously known as Australia’s first place to greet the rising sun. From the viewing platform at Best Of All Lookout, the sandy coastline of Coolangatta can often be seen on clear days, as can the valleys of New South Wales that stretch all the way out towards the coast. Even though the hike to the lookout is short, keep an eye out for local wildlife like wallabies and curious padmelons, and since leeches and ticks are common in the area, be sure to wear long sleeves, pants, and boots to ward off the bush.
Practical Info
The viewing platform at the Best of All lookout is accessible via a short, ¼ mile walk on a trail through the Springbrook rainforest. Mornings tend to offer the clearest conditions before the mists roll in, and the lookout is only a short drive from Purling Brook Falls—one of the National Park’s top attractions.
Address: Repeater Station Rd, Springbrook, Queensland, Australia QLD 4213, Australia
