BIG4 GOLD COAST HOLIDAY PARK IS
BIG on fun!
ANGELA SAURINE
ANGELA SAURINE and her son enjoy a fun-filled stay at the closest holiday park to Dreamworld and Warner Bros. Movie World theme parks on Queensland’s Gold Coast
I’ve never seen my son look so serious. Armed with the bright and colourful map of BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park that we were given on arrival, four-year-old Oliver diligently navigates around the resort. As we make our way from our bungalow to the on-site restaurant, he stops to look at the pictures and point out the direction we should go – not for the first time. It’s the closest he has come to a real-life treasure map, and he seems determined to milk it for all it’s worth.
Eventually we arrive at Nibbles Café, which is located next to the pool. With a menu designed around fresh, seasonal produce, which is updated several times of year, and plenty of kid-friendly options, I’m quite happy to eat there for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There’s also a fireplace for the colder months, and an adjoining alfresco dining area called Nibbles Terrace.
Image: A very serious Oliver navigating with the map at BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park
Images: Oliver in The Wiggles Big Red Car, Foot pool, Oliver showing off his rock art
Closest holiday park to Gold Coast theme parks
Located at Helensvale, BIG4 is the closest holiday park to the Gold Coast’s famous theme parks, just across the road from Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet’n’Wild, Outback Spectacular and Topgolf, and only a few minutes’ drive to Dreamworld and Whitewater World. Sea World is around 20 minutes’ drive away.
After a long drive with kids in the back, getting out of the car to check into a holiday park can be a bit of a pain. During the COVID-19 pandemic, BIG4 Gold Coast introduced concierge check in in the driveway for safety reasons — and it’s stayed! When we arrive, the receptionist comes to greet us with an iPad and checks you in from the comfort of our car. That’s when we are given the treasure map, which is one of the biggest hits of our stay. But it’s far from the only one. Without doubt, the key drawcard for families is the waterpark. At ten metres high, it’s the tallest waterpark at any holiday park in Australia, with a huge tipping bucket and several slides catering to kids of different ages. And it’s heated!
Fun activities for kids
One of the best things about being on holiday is being able to spend quality time with your children, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I love sitting with Oliver in the activity centre during the rock art session, helping him decide what to paint and supergluing little eyes onto rocks. The activity centre is also home to a coin-operated Wiggles Big Red Car ride, which is good as it gets for little boys! There’s also a jumping pillow, pedal karts, a bike track, a half-size basketball court, and a range of games, such as table tennis, movie nights and a remote-control car track. You can even go fishing in Salt Water Creek, and kids can sign up to cooking lessons such as pizza making and cookie decorating, and go on scavenger hunts.
"There’s also a jumping pillow, pedal karts, a bike track, a half-size basketball court, and a range of games, such as table tennis, movie nights and a remote-control car track"
Tropical-style bungalow accommodation
The word ‘bungalow’ evokes the ideal holiday accommodation in my mind – even better if it’s surrounded by palm trees and other tropical plants! I love sitting on the verandah listening to the wind rustling the leaves and birds tweeting, and watching families return from the pool with their towels wrapped around their shoulders. There are also caravan and camping sites, interconnecting motel rooms, cabins, villas, terraces and cottages.
The camp kitchen at BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park is the coolest I’ve seen. The stylishly renovated facility even has a built-in tropical fish tank, as well as a flat screen TV mounted to the rock wall. There are three internal kitchen stations, each fitted with a hotplate, oven, microwave, fridge/freezer and toaster, timber dining tables and seating, and supersized ceiling fans.
Green credentials
From cardboard straws and bamboo cutlery in its café to rainwater tanks and an eco-coffee pod trial, BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park has some great measures in place to help the environment. The gum trees on the property are also home to koalas, many of which were rescued from nearby areas by Wildcare Australia, due to injuries or sickness, and rehabilitated before being released to their new home.
Images: The bungalow we stayed in, Oliver eating pancakes for breakfast at Nibbles Cafe, A koala being released
Images: An accessible villa, A dog in a room, Racing remote control cars
Dog-friendly holiday park
Leaving your furry friends at home can be hard. One of the great things about BIG4 Gold Coast is you can bring them along! It has a dog park with separate areas for small and large dogs. Four-legged friends are also welcome at Nibbles Terrace, with water bowls for them to drink from. All the caravan and camping sites are dog-friendly, and guests can also book dog-friendly cabins and cottages, with up to two dogs allowed per site or cabin. There is even a DIY Dog Wash, known as the Pooch Pamper Palace.
Accessible accommodation options
BIG4 Gold Coast has several accessible accommodation options to choose from – and some are of these are also dog-friendly. They include motel rooms, bungalows and two-bedroom family cabins. For those who prefer to camp, the refurbished communal bathroom and camp kitchen are also accessible.
