Runaway Bay Gold Coast

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Annie Rettie Gold Coast Australia Travel Tips - Owner

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I guarantee you will find real information on this website and I promise no endless lists of accommodation!

You'll find hints and tips from my own experiences and those of my family and friends who visit or live here. I've lived in and around Gold Coast since 2004. I'm here to help.

Use this website to get all the information you need to plan your perfect Gold Coast holiday, or simply click here to get planning cheat sheets, tips & tools to make it easier!

AND, to make it super easy here are our main booking partners for hotels and for tours, tickets, theme parks and activities with all the latest deals & up-to-date information.

Photos of Runaway Bay, Biggera Waters and HarbourTown

Runaway Bay is at the northern end of the Gold Coast, just south of Hope Island.

Whilst it is mostly a residential suburb with properties built around canals, it does have some tourist attractions and holiday accommodation.

The main drawcard for the area is Harbour Town Shopping Centre which is one of the most famous of the Gold Coast discount and outlet shopping centres and therefore a popular destination for locals and visitors.

Harbourtown is located between Coombabah, Runaway Bay and Biggera Waters.

Runaway Bay Cinemas at Harbour Town

Here you will find outlet shopping for clothing and other goods including many worldwide brands as well as local Australian brands.

In addition, there is a large cinema and plenty of casual restaurants and dining option to make this worthy of a day trip for all the family.

The area is probably not the first place you think of to stay in the Gold Coast and it certainly doesn't have the same concentration of accommodation as the more obvious Gold Coast destinations (Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Main Beach or Coolangatta),but there are definitely some advantages of staying here.

There is a large tourist park just down the road from HarbourTown, which provides a convenient central location for the Gold Coast theme parks at Oxenford and Coomera (Dreamworld, WhiteWater World, Movie World, Wet n Wild, Paradise Country and Australian Outback Spectacular).

If you want to stay nearer the water, choose Biggera Waters apartments, some of which have views of the Broadwater, our protected water playground!

Travelling north along the Broadwater you will pass through Anglers Paradise and Hollywell with the next main suburb north on the way to Hope Island is Paradise Point. It is an up and coming residential suburb with lots of new developments including exclusive Ephraim Island and Sovereign Islands.

Paradise Point has some great boutique cafés and restaurants and a well stocked deli (one of my faves).  

Sovereign Island has some of the most expensive real estate in the Gold Coast. All properties are waterfront. Go for a drive and check out the boats on the pontoons.

A limited number of Sovereign Islands homes are available for holiday rental – it’s a great place to base your holiday, especially if you are after something rather exclusive...  Some come complete with personal assistant and access to all the toys!

Attractions

HarbourTown Outlet Shopping
on the Gold Coast
• Harbourtown – offers factory outlet and discount brand shopping, cinemas and cafés. There is also a Woolworths Supermarket, large pharmacy, doctors and a gym. For extra discounts on your visit check out the HarbourTown Special.
• Runaway Bay Marina - where you can hire houseboats or, tinnies; catch cruises or water taxis.
• Runaway Bay Shopping Village – shopping, cafés and restaurants and general shopping needs. This is where you go if you need to find your everyday needs, you will find a Target, Big W, Coles and Woolworths Supermarkets as well as many fresh food and specialty shops, a large post office and several Australian Bank branches.
• Broadwater beaches and reserves can be found on various esplanades off Bayview Street including: Constance Esplanade, Shearwater Esplanade, Anglers Esplanade and Oatland Esplanade.
• Great takeaways include family favourite Drunken Chicken on Lae Drive, SeaFood Direct for great fish and chips or fresh fish to put on the BBQ on the corner of Ocean Street and Bayview Street.
• Runaway Sporting Complex centred around Sports Drive and Morala Avenue including Sports SupaCentre which has a range of facilities for visitors and visiting sports teams, including swimming pools, athletics track. Other facilities include Basketball, Cricket, Junior Leagues Club and a tennis centre.
• Nature reserves include Pine Ridge Conservation Area and Coombabah Nature Reserve.
• Southport Airport is a small airfield at Mason Park operated by Southport Flying Club for small light aircraft and gliders.

Runaway Bay Area Accommodation

Here is a selection of accommodation options in the area including Biggera Waters and Runaway Bay and as far north as Hollywell near Paradise Point.

Accommodation in this area is mostly apartment style.

Many are called resorts because they offer facilities that can be used by the apartment such as swimming pools, spas and BBQ facilities.

Some have water views and some are landlocked so it is always wise to check the location to avoid disappointment.

Atrium Resort

The Atrium Resort is rated 4½ star and offers 1 and 2 bedroom apartments directly across the road from the Broadwater.

All apartments are airconditioned, some have spas, some have views and some have spas and views!

There is an impressive list of facilities including a rooftop pool, spa and BBQ area, plus floodlit tennis court and the fabulous Mano Restaurant underneath. Which is worth a visit regardless of whether you stay here or not.

Click here for more information on Atrium Resort in Biggera Waters.

Royal Pacific Resort

Royal Pacific Resort is rated 4 star and offers studio, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments also known as Wentworth Royal Pacific Resort. Airconditioning, studio has limited facilties, outdoor pool and spa heated in winter. Also Games Room, Gym and Sauna. Directly over the road from the Broadwater on Marine Parade.

Click here for more information on Royal Pacific Resort in Biggera Waters.

Windsurfer Resort Hotel

Windsurfer Resort Hotel is rated 4 star and has 1 and 2 bedroom apartments situated on Marine Parade in Biggera Waters. Facilities include a heated pool and spa and agames room. All rooms have big balconies. Located on Marine Parade in Biggera Waters.

Click here for more information on Windsurfer Resort in Biggera Waters.

Treasure Island Holiday Park

Treasure Island Holiday Park is rated 4 star but is somewhere that I wouldn’t normally suggest however, there is a diverse range of accommodation options from deluxe, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom villas right down to very basic cabins.

The accommodation is set around the Holiday Park’s own attractions therefore it is neither waterfront nor beachfront.

It is located within walking distance of HarbourTown, which is also a hub for Gold Coast buses making it easy to use public transport to get around. It is also well positioned for access to the theme parks.

You certainly get plenty of choice for a variety of family accommodation needs and it is a popular choice so you need to book early for peak times such as school holidays. The only downside to this holiday park is that it is a bit noisy being close to a major road.

Click here for more information on Treasure Island Holiday Park in Runaway Bay.

Pelican Cove Apartments

Pelican Cove Holiday Apartments are rated 3½ star and offer 2 and 3 bedroom apartments also know as Wentworth Pelican Cove. Some apartments have airconditioning or fans. It has two pools and one is heated in winter. It appears to be good value accommodation for families. Although it doesn't have views over the Broadwater it is located on a canal... so sort of water views!

Click here for more information on Pelican Cove Apartments in Biggera Waters.

Golf Information

Runaway Bay, Paradise Point and Biggera Waters do not have any golf courses themselves. The closest golf courses are at Coombabah and Helensvale. Here are a selection of golf courses within a few kilometres. Check out the Gold Coast Golf Courses Map for more information about where they all are.

Resort Golf Clubs - open 7 days

• Palm Meadows Golf Course - Carrara
• Royal Pines Resort - Benowa
• Emerald Lakes - Carrara
• Lakelands Golf Course - Merrimac

Public Golf Courses

• Lakeside Country Club - Coombabah - 9 holes only
• Merrimac Public Golf Course - Merrimac

Private Golf Clubs - Members and Guests only

• Arundel Hills Country Club - Arundel
• Southport Golf Club - Southport
• Surfers Paradise Golf Club - Clear Island Waters

Semi-Private Golf Clubs - limited opportunities for non-members

• Gold Coast Country Club - Helensvale 
• Helensvale Golf Club - Helensvale
• Parkwood International Golf Club - Parkwood

Beach Information

Runaway Bay, Hollywell, Paradise Point and Biggera Waters have some beach frontage to the Broadwater and some canal frontage.

Paradise Point has a swimming enclosure for safe swimming in the Broadwater.   

If you want to go to the ocean beach and catch some waves, you will need to drive to Main Beach. Main Beach is the closest ocean beach and will take about 15 minutes by car.

Travel Times

Approximate travel times by motor vehicle - please note travel times can be affected by many factors including traffic hazards and roadworks. These are just an indication.

Directions for Car Travel

For directions and other information I recommend you use Google Maps Australia.  This will open in a new window, select the directions tab and then type in your starting point and where you want to go.  I find the format the easiest to use and follow.

Runaway Bay Area Not Quite What You Are Looking For?

Other suburbs along the Broadwater include Labrador and Southport both have a selection of apartment style accommodation in motels, apartment hotels and resorts.

Broadbeach and Main Beach offer a selection of larger luxury hotels and great quality apartments in an ocean beachside setting. Main Beach is not as busy or noisy as Surfers Paradise.  

For golfing centred locations, check out Sanctuary Cove, Hope Island, Carrara or Robina.

When is the best time to visit?
That depends upon what you want to do, when you can come, your budget and what kind of weather you'd prefer! Check out my guide to the best time to visit the Gold Coast.

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