In July 2024 we did another trip back up to the Gold Coast in Queensland. This had become a little bit of an annual pilgrimage round that time of year, either when my daughter was competing in the National Gymnastics comps held out at the sports centre or we were running in the Gold Coast Marathon/Running festival. Going again in 2025 however it will just be a nice quiet week away to escape the winter in Sydney. It’s a few degrees warmer, but noticeable.
The standout coffee location at Surfers Paradise would have to be Stairwell Coffee in a dingy arcade just near Cavill Avenue. This couldn’t feel less “GC’ even if they tried, it’s far removed from the glitzy/beachy instagram worthy surf scene less than 200 metres away. This would be far more at home somewhere in an alley in Melbourne.
Given all the above, for this place to survive, the coffee has to be above excellent, and that they are. Please try it next time you are living your best “GC” life.
If you do wish to escape the beach for a few hours when you are on the GC, a trip out to Hinze Dam is well worth it. It’s not that far and has some lovely windy roads to take your car on.
Met up with a friend of mine who now lives on the GC and we had lunch at the dam in the cafe there. Great views over the surrounding hinterland and over the dam itself. Coffee was good (although no where near as good as Stairwell coffee)
It's all about the coffee 