Where are the best Gold Coast photo locations near me? Hmm…there are a plethora of prime photo locations on the Gold Coast waiting to be explored and captured for eternity on your digital device of choice, and there is something for everyone.
Lovingly cradled between the azure blue water of the Pacific Ocean to the east, creating stunning beaches aplenty, and the verdant green rainforests of the Hinterland to the west, the Gold Coast has countless scenic photoshoot opportunities for the perfect backdrop. The city skyline of Surfer’s paradise is globally recognisable and a snapshot worthy of hanging on any wall or posting to social media sites.
The list below contains ten hidden gem hotspots and well-known photo locations for anyone on the Gold Coast to utilise in their desire for the perfect background photo setting.
1. LOFTY HEIGHTS
SkyPoint is an observation deck located 230 meters above ground at the top of the Q1 building on the Gold Coast. Take yourself and your camera up to the Observation Deck 77 storeys above the sands of the beach below and eyeball the stunning 360-degree views of the Gold Coast and surrounding Hinterlands. When it comes to uncompromised panoramic shots, this is a photographer’s dream.
Do you still want to get closer to God for that ultimate picture? Book a climb and add extra elevation while removing the glass windows for that once-in-a-lifetime snapshot. If heights are not your jam, then the high-rises of Surfer’s Paradise offer the perfect street-style photo, especially from the beaches at sunset.
2. ROCK THE ROCKPOOL
The beautiful Currumbin Valley Rock Pools are only a short drive from the Gold Coast Airport. Hidden away in the surprisingly accessible niche, a stone’s throw from Coolangatta is the Currumbin Valley Rock Pools. Whether you are taking a dip in the pools or a photo for prosperity’s sake, the Rockpools are hard to pass up for convenience and beauty right on the doorstep.
3. WATERFALLS PLESAE
Unlike the easy access offered by the Rockpools of Currumbin, waterfalls require you to hike into the lush rainforest. They are typically at their best after a rainstorm when the volley of surging water exploding over the vertical drop below sends water droplets out to form rainbows. If you are lucky and get the right angles, you capture the rainbow and the falls for that perfect waterfall picture postcard. The Natural Bridge at Springbrook, Purling Brook Falls, and Elabana Falls in the Lamington National Park are the top three most spectacular photo locations with year-round waterfalls; however, hiking in any of our national parks after a good downpour will offer up some truly bespoke falls that, when captured will be unique.
4. EMERALD LAKES: ONE OF THE BEST PHOTO LOCATIONS
Emerald Lakes is a picture-perfect photo location with a touch of European-style architecture and colourful terraces. This European flavoured chic backdrop can be found in the French Quarters on The Boulevard. After you are done there, the lake offers plenty of scenic photo opportunities.
5. BOUTIQUE SAVOIR FLAIR
Add a pop of colour to your photo catalogue with interior designer murals. Mos Desert Clubhouse in Burleigh Heads delivers a larger-than-life floor to ceiling desert-styled mural. Miami Marketta is covered in uber-cool artwork both inside and out. The Borrowed Nursery in Mermaid Beach has an interesting monochrome cactus artwork outside that will leave you scratching your head while giving you a new perspective on art and individual expression.
6. SURFERS PARADISE GRAFFITI STREET ART
Graffiti-style street art is a new photo location with cool background to explore, and go on to check the streets of Surfers Paradise. Graffiti has been taken from scribbles on the wall defacing property to a form of art that is truly impressive, and the mural artworks in Surfer’s Paradise are worthy of a snapshot or twenty. Appel Street is the logical place to start your freeform walking exploration into the wild imaginative narratives of the artists and their artworks. Taboo Tiki, The Avenue, and Cavill Lane on Orchid Avenue also sport wall murals and should be given a chance to wow! Not to be outshone, Southport is also home to murals and fun graffiti.
7. DECK ME
Perhaps you have done all the tried-and-true places to take a photo near you and seek something to test out your sea legs that offers a unique perspective. Hire a boat and take your Gold Coast photoshoot location to an entirely new level when you stand on the deck of your private boat hire and snap the scrumptious sunset in the west behind the iconic skyline of Surfer’s Paradise.
A few hours before sunset, check out Wave Break Island, and snap away on the idyllic sandy beaches only a boat can take you. End-of-year prom photos, wedding photos, or just getting the family and friends together in one place for the yearly happy snap. No matter what your occasion, hiring a boat on the Gold coast can add countless scenic photo locations to your catalogue of images.
8. FOOD AND PHOTOS
Do you have a penchant for wining, dining, and eating out on the Gold Coast? Do you live to get dressed to the nines and hit the town like a socialite on a gastronomic bender? Then you will love places like Bumbles Café in Surfers Paradise, Palm Springs, James Street, and Next Door Espresso, both in Burleigh.
Never forget the iconic Burleigh Hill for the award-winning photo backdrops and breathtaking views. Take a walk down the Oceanview Track to the lookout for some back to nature or wedding photos and then return to Burleigh for the beach, the bars and the gastronomic delights supplied by any of the venues mentioned above and a host of other good eats tucked away in the nooks and crannies found only by exploring on foot or asking a local for a recommendation.
9. PANORAMA IN TALLAI
If you seek somewhere to photograph the Gold Coast in its panoramic entirety that isn’t filled with tourists getting in the way, check out Tallai. Drive up to one of the most underrated (Shush, don’t tell everyone) scenic lookouts on the Gold Coast. The Panorama is a short drive from Mudgeeraba Road. The view offers stunning, sweeping views of the Gold Coast and beyond to the horizon in the east. The perfect location for a photoshoot on twilight or, better still, as the dawn breaks. Depending on the weather conditions and the atmosphere at the time, if you have an excellent zoom feature on your device, you may even get clear shots of Wave Break Island and Stradbroke Island as a bonus.
10. CHINATOWN IN SOUTHPORT
Chinatown in Southport is a photoshoot location that will give you the Asian vibes and inspiration you seek for your backdrop. No need to spend big money for a photoshoot in Hong Kong. Chinatown in Southport offers plenty of street art, dozens of restaurants, and venues dishing up good eats and drinks. It has plenty of traditional Asian fixtures stationed around the streets that will allow you to give the impression you are in Asia, not on the awesome Gold Coast. Besides, an image never lies, but it doesn’t tell the truth these days either!