Gold Coast boat rental
Gold Coast is a boat rental paradise of Queensland, Australia, with the Pacific Ocean on its doorsteps. Attracting over 11 million visitors a year, the Gold Coast boasts of 57km of beaches, major parks, over 100,000 hectares of world-heritage rainforests, a casino, over 40 golf courses, and hundreds of beautiful million-dollar homes situated on the city's vast waterfronts. With 300 days of sunshine each year and a strategic location between Cairns and Sydney, the Gold Coast has become a popular stopover for yachts on their way to the Great Barrier Reef, or on their way back to Sydney. It is no surprise then that the Gold Coast has become one of Australia's largest boat rental communities. It is also home to a beautiful and protected waterway called the Broadwater, which is a popular marine playground in this famous city. With beautiful beaches, protected national parks, and sunny weather all-year-round, the Gold Coast is a water lover's paradise. From swimming to fishing, snorkeling, diving, and plenty of water sports activities, boat rental is truly one of the best ways to take in the beauty and adventure of the Gold Coast's waters.
Why rent a boat on a holiday in Gold Coast?
Gold Coast features waterways, canals, and rivers that wind within the city. As a tourist and lifestyle destination, with the Coral Sea at its doorsteps, it has become one of the most popular boat rental destinations in the country. On any given day, you will see yachts and boats on the waters, both on the inland waterway collectively known as the Broadwater, and on the coast. Marinas can be found in many parts of the city, as well as the Gold Coast Marine Precinct, which is a center of excellence for marine servicing and boat building, housing internationally recognized marine brands and manufacturers.
With this strategic location in Australia, and facing the Pacific Ocean, the Gold Coast is a boat enthusiast's dream. The city offers all the modern amenities that make yachting life a breeze, while the vast ocean around it creates the perfect playground to cruise and explore in your very own luxury boat. Perfectly blending luxury and adventure, the Gold Coast is a definite boat rental destination worth discovering. If the Pacific Ocean isn't enough to make you want to rent a boat and explore the beautiful beaches and islands nearby, then the famous Broadwater will. The city has nine times more waterways than Venice, and owning a boat in this city is pretty much a common thing. Locals hit the waters on a daily basis and boating, sailing, and enjoying the great outdoors are pretty much a routine weekend activity for most of the people who live and set foot in this city. It is only fitting that you should rent a boat in Gold Coast to truly immerse yourself in the region's culture, natural scenery, and lifestyle.
What are boat rental prices in Gold Coast?
With yachting and boating one of the premier experiences in the city, it's only fitting that you get to find the best prices for the best boats in Gold Coast. Take your pick from a luxury speedboat as you cruise down the waterways, or charter a superyacht as you head off to the Coral Sea and explore the nearby islands or even as far away as the Whitsundays. Typical prices in Gold Coast for a boat rental vary on many factors, such as the type of boat, the number of people on board, the rental duration, destination, and activities. A 115-foot yacht that accommodates a group of 10 adults can cost about USD 100,000 for an entire week, with full catering and snorkeling/fishing gear.
Power boats are a great way to get around the waterways in Gold Coast. They're small, easy to maneuver, fast, and cheaper than renting a larger motor boat or a yacht. A 20-foot power boat can cost around USD 600 for 6 people for a full day private rental in Gold Coast. Power boat transfers are also a great way to travel from one suburb to another. Besides half-day or full day boat rentals, you can enjoy a two-way power boat transfer in the Gold Coast for about $250, which covers two hours. Catamarans are also perfect for the Gold Coast, either cruising at sunset, on a dinner cruise or a few hours of water sports activities. A 32-foot sailing catamaran can cost around $400 per hour for 6 adults on board, while a power catamaran can cost around $600 per hour.
Rent a boat for a day in Gold Coast
With almost 300km of navigable waterways within the city, you'll never run out of things to do onboard a boat rental in Gold Coast. Activities range from hopping from one riverside location to another, either tasting cuisine of award-winning restaurants or doing some souvenir shopping, or hitting the waters for some diving or simply cruising on the waterways. If you'd like to do some deep-sea fishing, head out the Gold Coast Seaway and out into the Coral Sea for some mackerels and marlins. Bring your catch with you and head over to South Stradbroke Island, where BBQ pits are provided for the public in designated picnic and swimming areas. Enjoy the afternoon swimming, snorkeling, or hitting the trails on the island, hop back on board for a sunset cruise on the Broadwater before docking back into the marina. The Gold Coast Broadwater offers plenty of beaches, hidden coves, and smaller islands that feature parks and many recreational opportunities. You can choose from the many marinas on the waterway as your base and visit nearby islands and beaches for a day of swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and lots of water sport activities.
Rent a boat for a weekend in Gold Coast
There are so many coastal suburbs in the Gold Coast that there are so many choices for an overnight boat rental in the city. You can choose any of the islands on the Broadwater, or pick the famous suburbs such as Byron Bay or the Isle of Capri. However, if you want to visit the jewel on the Gold Coast crown, that would have to be Surfer's Paradise. You can rent a boat from Main Beach and head to Surfers Paradise Beach as your cruise along the coast. The Coral Sea is blessed with so many beautiful islands that you'll find it difficult to create a weekend itinerary onboard your private boat in Gold Coast. But for the most popular destinations and spots, here is a sample itinerary:
Day 1: Broadwater and Wave Break Island
Of course, you need to explore the Broadwater to truly enjoy Gold Coast by boat. Immerse in some water sport activities such as paddleboarding, kayaking, jet-skiing, and even jetpack flyboarding. You can also visit the riverside cafes and restaurants, as well as a few suburbs such as Hope Island. In the afternoon, head to Wave Break Island for some snorkeling and diving. Anchor here for the night before making your way to the next destination in the morning.
Day 2: South Stradbroke Island
The Gold Coast's most popular weekend destination, South Straddie is home to beautiful beaches, walking trails, sand dunes, and a great place to fish and witness wildlife and birdlife. Not surprising, it is always included in any boat rental.
Day 3: Burleigh Heads and Tallebudgera Creek
On your third day, go into the open water in the Coral Sea and cruise your way down to Burleigh Heads, visit its national park for an hour or two, and finish the day at Tallebudgera Creek, found south of Burleigh Heads. This creek is a popular swimming and camping area for locals and perfect for fishing, kayaking, and stand up paddleboarding.
Rent a boat for a week in Gold Coast
The Gold Coast may offer the perfect mix of a cosmopolitan and a laid back city, but within minutes, you are presented with countless opportunities to enjoy the region's beautiful natural assets. For a week-long boat rental in the Gold Coast, you can choose to cruise along the coast to visit the city's suburbs and nearby coastal towns, as well as close-by islands. Alternatively, you can go further all the way to Brisbane, to Moreton Bay and Moreton Island, to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef to the north. Or, you can choose to go south and make your way to Sydney. We recommend the following itinerary if you plan to rent a boat for a week in Gold Coast.
Day 1: Wave Break Island
Only a short 15 minutes away, this island is known for its diverse array of marine wildlife, as well as a great place to swim and snorkel. You can witness turtles, dolphins, stingrays, and many species of fish off the coast of this island paradise.
Day 2: South Stradbroke Island
This conservation park is 4,000 acres and home to a wide variety of wildlife, such as nature birds, lizards, and kangaroos. It is also known for its sand dunes and rugged beaches, perfect for a surf, swim, or snorkel.
Day 3: Byron Bay
This coastal town is still within the territory of the Gold Coast and is a popular holiday destination. It is known for lush rainforests, stunning beaches, surfing, scuba dive spots, and whale watching during the months of June to November.
Day 4: Coolangatta
Another coastal suburb of the Gold Coast, get to enjoy its famous sandy beaches and casual beachside culture.
Day 5: Coffs Harbour
A city known for its beaches, the Big Banana monument, and amusement park, you can find the Solitary Islands Marine Park, and the Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve here, perfect for witnessing seasonal whales, abundant wildlife, and diving its beautiful coral reefs.
Day 6: Sydney
Sydney is hours away but on day 6, you can enjoy time on the boat, stop for an hour or two of catch-and-release fishing, and end your week-long charter on the Sydney Harbor, just as the skyline starts to light up.
Rent a boat for diving in Gold Coast
Gold Coast boasts of year-round access for its popular dive spots, found within the Broadwater, and out in the Coral Sea. The most popular is the Gold Coast Seaway. There are 5 dive spots in the Seaway, which is where the Broadwater meets the Pacific Ocean. These waters are the most reliable spots in the Gold Coast to spot a wide range of fish, such as the white-spotted guitarfish, pinks whip rays, Queensland gropers, and large schools of Bigeye Trevally. Another famous destination when you rent a boat for diving in Gold Coast is Wreck of the Scottish Prince. This wreck sank in 1887 and lies on the sand 800 meters from the Southport Spit beach. It is now home to soft corals and sponges, and a haven for crayfish, leopard sharks, and Shovelnose rays. Finally, there is a Narrowneck Artificial Reef that is found about 100 meters from the shore of Narrowneck beach. It is made from geotextile containers and has become home to soft corals, ascidians, crayfish, wobbegong sharks, nurse sharks, nudibranchs, shrimp, and octopuses.
When is the boating season in Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast has a subtropical climate and it never gets too cold nor too hot in the city, providing year-round pleasant weather for boat rental. On the Broadwater waterways, the water is always calm as it is sheltered from the ocean swells. Peak boating season in the city is during the summer months of December to February, which are the best months to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf. However, the autumn months of June to August are also quite popular for boat rentals in the Gold Coast due to the migratory patterns of humpback whales, which journey through the waters in the Coral Sea, as they make their way from Antarctica to the subtropical waters of Australia's east coast.
