Is Currumbin Worth Visiting For Half A Day?

by Debra
(Sydney, NSW)

We are arriving into Gold Coast around 10am and I was wondering if it was worth going to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for a half day, or should we set a whole day aside for it.
Thanks, Debra

Debra, that's a great question, and there are a few different answers! So, I'll do my best to give you some of the different things you might need to consider to get the best answer for you.


Since, you are arriving (I assume) from Sydney, your flight won't be too long or tiring so you should arrive fresh and ready to enjoy your holiday! If you were flying in from Western Australia on the overnighter, or from overseas, I might make a few different suggestions. But you should be ready to go straight from the airport.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is actually pretty close to Coolangatta Airport. At the entrance to the sanctuary, you can ask for them to look after your luggage. They offer that service for visitors who are either just arrived from the airport, or are heading out to the airport to go home after they have visit Currumbin for the day.

The easiest option to get to Currumbin is if you drive yourself. You would obviously need to hire a car either at the airport or one of the hire car companies close to the airport. It would then be a case of just driving to Currumbin.

Assuming you hire a car, and your plane is on time, if you arrive in around 10am you could be at Currumbin by 11am. Depending on the show schedule for that day, you would probably be able to catch most of the shows and the afternoon bird feeding.

This would certainly give you plenty of time to enjoy the park and I don't think you would miss out much by going on this day versus taking a full day of your holiday.

If you were not planning on hiring a car, I would probably suggest catching a taxi from the airport to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and then depending upon where you are staying, either take a taxi, get a shuttle or use public transport to get to your accommodation. Remember, that you will have your luggage with you, so public transport can be a bit unpleasant when carrying bags! Here's more information about general transport options.

Another thing to consider, regarding how much time you will have in the park is whether you want to include some of the extra activities such as:
Segway Tours - which only run at certain times and take approximately an hour out of your time at the sanctuary.
Or the Ropes Challenge - which only runs at certain times but takes around 3½ hours.

If you wanted to do either of these activities it cuts down your time to see the animals and experience the shows etc. And it may be better to either do these activities but visit the sanctuary on another day.

If you are staying close by to Currumbin, you might want to go to your accommodation first to drop off your luggage. I wouldn't recommend this option if you are staying at Main Beach, Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach, as you will waste quite a bit of time travelling.

As you can see, there are so many things to consider. Fitting Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in on either the day you arrive or the day you leave the Gold Coast, can be a great option since it is so close to the Airport. But you will need to make sure you have enough time. If you were arriving on the 2pm flight or leaving on a 11am flight, it probably wouldn't be worth it for you.

Take a look at your whole itinerary and you should be able to tell what will work best for you.


I hope that gives you some ideas, if you have any more questions or want any more suggestions please leave a comment below or use the contact form to contact me directly.

Cheers

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