The good stuff nearby

Gold Class with food delivered to your recliner, plus VMAX and ScreenX.

Arcade games, tenpin and laser tag on The Promenade.

Interactive optical-illusion gallery. Great for silly photos.

A drizzly evening is no excuse. Check park alerts after heavy rain first.

The Wallaby or The Wine Barrel. Rain is just weather for staying put.

The big one. 370-plus shops including David Jones, Myer, Uniqlo, Kmart, Apple and a LEGO store, plus free all-day parking. Retail therapy, sorted.

Fancy a bigger splurge? Head coastwards and pair it with a swim at Broadbeach.

Australia's first and largest outlet centre: 200-plus stores with big-brand bargains, open-air palm-lined malls and free parking. Bring an empty boot.

Country-charm village centre with Woolworths, a butcher, Australia Post and a courtyard for a sneaky coffee.

Coles, BWS, a pharmacy and Mudgeeraba Seafoods for fish and chips night. 200-plus free car parks.

Hands down our favourite dinner in the area, and you can walk there: it's about 1.9 km along Mudgeeraba Rd into the village, roughly a 20 to 25 minute stroll. Proper pizza, a cold drink, then waddle home (or grab a cab if you've had a few). Open Tue to Sat from 4:30pm until sold out, closed Sun and Mon, so don't leave it too late.

The village OG since 2015, with a leafy courtyard, cracking coffee and nearly everything made from scratch (even the sauces). Get the monthly pancake special and thank us later.

Rustic, quirky and famous for its coffee and eggs Benny, tucked just off the M1. Open early on weekdays and closed Sundays, so plan your Benny.

Your literal neighbour. Milk, bread, the paper and a chat. Handy when you forgot the one thing.

Tiny spot, huge reviews. Locals queue here for a reason.

Dog-friendly village cafe doing a proper brunch. Bring the pooch and the appetite.

Pies, sausage rolls, the good stuff. Closed Sundays, so plan your pie.

One of the Coast's oldest pubs. Big deck, kids' play area, live rock and a parmy that means business.

Local institution for tapas and a good drop. Book ahead on Fridays and Saturdays.

Moody little whisky bar for a nightcap. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Nine holes, hinterland views and a bistro. Hit a few balls, then hit the menu.

Long-running Tex-Mex cantina with sombreros on the walls. Thu to Sun only.

Butter chicken, tandoori and cocktails for curry night.

Fish and chips to take back to the deck. No dishes, no dramas.

Lakeside strip of restaurants and sports bars, including Double Zero for wood-fired pizza.

Hinterland cellar door with lunch and tastings. Nominate a driver.

Classic Tamborine cellar door, about 40-odd minutes away.

Gin distillery on a vineyard estate on Hartley Rd. Grown-ups get tasting paddles and cocktails; kids get lawn space, giant chess and picnic rugs. Live music on weekend afternoons, and supervised kids join distillery tours free.

Old-school mountain pub famous for its beer garden and those sweeping views clear to the coast and Stradbroke Island. Bistro meals, sport on the big screens, and gardens with a jumping castle for the kids. A cold one with a view, sorted.

Fifteen taps brewed on site, pizzas and live music on weekends.

Closest critter fix. Koalas, platypus and other native wildlife in a bush setting.

The classic. Feed the lorikeets, meet the roos, cuddle-adjacent koalas.

Rollercoasters and superheroes. Adults will scream louder than the kids.

Dolphins, rides and marine life on the Spit.

Big rides plus the Australian animal zone.

Pub with a kids' play area. Everyone wins.

Robina State High School. Fresh produce, brekkie and live music. Go early.

Memorial Hall, 62 Railway St. Every stallholder lives and makes locally.

At the Springbrook Fudge Shop. Combine with a waterfall walk.

Tallai General Store, right up the road.

Woolworths (Mudgeeraba Market) and Coles (Bell Central), both 7am–9pm Mon–Sat, 9am–6pm Sun.

Medicines Plus at Mudgeeraba Market is open Sundays 9am–1pm; the Bell Central branch is closed Sundays.

Ampol Foodary, 24 Railway St, Mudgeeraba.

BWS at Mudgeeraba Market and Liquorland at the Wallaby Centre.

Robina Hospital is closest. Gold Coast University Hospital in Southport is about 19 km. In an emergency, call 000.

Our pick. Surf, the headland walk through the national park, and the grassy hill for sunset with fish and chips.

Relaxed local beach just north of Burleigh, a bit less hectic.

Long, wide and usually quieter. Good for a proper stroll.

Calm, clear creek water where it meets the sea, with sandy shallows the kids will love. Float, paddle, picnic, repeat.

Wild, wide and wonderfully un-built-up at the northern tip of the Coast. Great for a long walk, a dog run on the off-leash stretch, or watching boats cruise the Seaway.

Patrolled beach right by the cafes and bars. Swim, then brunch.

One of our favourites and a family fave. Loads of different walks, from short rainforest strolls to big all-day hikes. Coffee and brekkie at the Binna Burra Tea House (8am to 3pm daily), and on Fri and Sat evenings, oven-baked pizza by the fire at Groom's Cottage Bushwalker's Bar. Hours can vary, so ring the lodge on 07 5533 3622.

World Heritage rainforest up the road. Purling Brook Falls, Twin Falls and the Best of All Lookout, where you can see clear to Mt Warning. Pack a jumper; it's cooler up there.

A waterfall crashing through a cave roof. The 1 km circuit takes about an hour; come after dark for glow-worms (fewer in winter, and no torches on the worms, please).

Lake views, walking and bike trails from 0.8 km to 6.1 km, and The View Cafe for a post-walk muffin.

Rainforest walks, galleries, wineries and fudge. A cracking day trip.