Interesting aviation stuff on the Gold/Sunshine Coast??

[slackie]

I'm gonna be on the Gold Coast for a couple of days and the Sunshine Coast for a week in September with the wife and kids...I'm looking for something interesting (aviation or otherwise) to do whilst they go to Aussie Zoo, theme parks and other "tourist" traps. I'm not really that interested in standing in queues at theme parks etc, but do enjoy fossicing around airfields and aircraft museums etc.

Does anyone have any suggestions??

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Hey there Slackie! There is every chance that the Forktailed Dr Killer will be down that way in September. Would a bit of a lap qualify as "interesting aviation stuff"?

Dr

[Fris B. Fairing]

Slackie

While on the Sunshine Coast don't miss the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra.

Don't dismiss Australia Zoo either. It's world class and you might enjoy the day with the family.

Rgds

[Track5milefinal]

Thrash the 738 around at flightexperience at Q1

Bloody ripoff though!!

Australia Zoo I was quite disappointed with (quite a drive from surfers), if you were going to go to one theme park go to Dreamworld and get the 2 day pass for the Waterpark and dreamworld.

Do Dreamworld one day and go to that Whitewater World the other day, you can swap over throughout the day if you get bored with one or the other!

I recommend the Giant Drop!

[VH-XXX]

A mate here in Vic just took the Mrs. and kids to QLD. They are 4 and 6. They rated in order, Sea World, Movie World, Dream World. If your kids are less than 120 cm they can't go on many of the rides at Dreamworld. You can easily to Movie World and Wet & Wild in the day but it's not particularly warm at the moment and if the kids are small there are many unsuitable rides. I found Australia Zoo be be good however Steve Irwin was there. Maybe not worth a 1.5 - 2.0 hour drive from your hotel, but great if you are in transit.

However none of the rollercoasters come close to a ride with the FortTailedMachine.....!

[R.Cruizo]

Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra Airport as Fris B mentioned. The guys/ gals there do a great job, all volunteer I believe.

Also a good Museum at Caboolture Airstrip.

Cheers

RC

[Worrals in the wilds]

If you're commuting between the Gold and Sunny Coasts by car using the Gateway Motorway, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's Southern Cross is on display at Brisbane Airport, turn off Airport Drive just before the International Terminal roundabout (access has changed recently). If the traffic's okay it would be about a ten minute return diversion from the motorway.

If you haven't seen it and you're going past it's worth a squizz, it's behind glass but has info boards and some model aircraft.

[gooneydog]

Call in and have a beer with " IMABELL" at Maroochy He's full of aviation history and a great guy even tho he flies choppers

[PyroTek]

Watch out! there's every chance I could be around the sunshine coast ripping up the skies!

Pyro

[slackie]

Thanks all!

I've been there done that as far as the Theme Parks go...took the kids there a couple of years ago and did ALL of them...am definitely "queued out"...I find that no theme park ride comes close to a quick aeros trip in the Pitts!! Might have to take a look at Aus Zoo though??

FTDK - might take you up on that...will PM closer to the date....thanx

[flying-spike]

Caboolture Too

Don't forget the little aviation museum at Caboolture on the way to the sunny coast. There are a few warbirds there as well.

[ozangel]

not a theme park, but Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a nice relaxed day out. They have crocs, birds, wombats, tassie devils, (not all in the same enclosure!). The lorikeets still visit 2x a day despite the large amount of aircraft flying over and you can feed them (the lorries, not the 737s).

Theres a little train (no queue usually) that does a 1/2hr trip around the park which helps avoid those 'my feet hurt' complaints, and if you do it in the arvo, your 5mins walk from the currumbin (elephant rock) surf club for a nice meal in a building built right on the beach (on the sand) with fairly decent drink prices. Or, theres a great mexican joint at tugun, that survives on a loyal local clientelle.

If you want to show the kids something cool, go stand under the approach near the skate park at the northern end of the runway. Get up close to the fence, and wait for the A330 to fly over your head just seconds before touchdown.

[Worrals in the wilds]

They have crocs, birds, wombats, tassie devils, (not all in the same enclosure!).

Now that's a theme park I'd like to see... and chuck some of the tourorists into the same enclosure at specified feeding times
[Sorry for the drift]

Depending on the age of your kidlets and the depth of your pockets there are scenic helicopters/tiger moths a plenty on the Goldie.
Of course the personal invite from FTDK is probably way cooler

If you like rainforests and bushwalking go to Springbrook NP or Lamington NP if you get the chance.