Sea World Gold Coast

Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia

“Not to be confused with the SeaWorld parks in the United States”

Sea World Gold Coast is located on a peninsula in Surfers Paradise, one of the major cities in the Australian state of Queensland. The idea of this park is similar to that of its namesakes in the USA. This is a marine theme park which combines animal exhibits and classic amusement park rides. We visited the park because it was included in a cheap 2-day offer we bought at Warner Bros Movie World. So be sure to check if this ticket still exists if you’re planning a trip to Gold Coast.

ROLLER COASTERS

Sea World featured a total of 3 roller coasters during our most recent visit in 2018. Unfortunately, the park doesn’t have its own version of Manta or Mako, the highlights of SeaWorld Orlando. Coasters at this Australian park are rather simple and family-oriented. The most popular one is called Storm Coaster. This is a water roller coaster manufactured by Mack Rides. It’s similar to Skatteøen at Djurs Sommerland and it features an apocalyptic setting. The ride is rather short, but the indoor part is nice and its soaking nature is perfect in Gold Coast’s hot climate.

The nearby Jet Rescue doesn’t fail to impress, despite its rather limited size. This is a Family Launch Coaster built by Intamin. Tracks stay low to the ground, which results in a very fast and intense experience. The ride could use a little extra theming, though. The third and last roller coaster at Sea World is a kiddie coaster themed to SpongeBob. Credit hunters, be prepared to board a cramped vehicle if you really want to ride this one.

ANYTHING ELSE?

If you’re only visiting Sea World for its coasters and flat rides, you won’t need more than 2 hours. The park isn’t huge and there aren’t that many rides. They have the coasters I mentioned above, some kiddie attractions, a classic log flume, a Splash Battle and a monorail. But as you might expect, the park is mostly focused on marine animal exhibits. I especially liked the large Penguin Encounter and the sea lion area, which has been themed in a very exotic way. We didn’t see any shows since our time was limited, but they’ve got quite a few of them. If you’re interested in seeing these, I guess Sea World provides a full-day experience.

WORTH A VISIT?

Despite its lack of a major attraction, Sea World Gold Coast made a good impression. It’s nothing like the SeaWorld parks in the USA, though. Those American parks have a good amount of thrills, but that’s not the case here in Australia. However, the park will be expanding considerably during the next few years. A new top spin and a large wooden coaster are planned to open in 2021. No need to plan an entire day at Sea World, but I liked this place a lot.

PHOTO GALLERY

SURFERS PARADISE

SEA WORLD GOLD COAST

Did you know this Australian theme park? Don’t you think that those polar bears feel a little out of place? And would you ride that tiny SpongeBob roller coaster? Share your opinion in the comments section at the bottom of this page.