A weekend on the southern Gold Coast

Friday evening. Arrive, unpack, and do nothing further than the terrace. If you have landed at Coolangatta the drive is about ten minutes, which means dinner in Palm Beach is realistic even on a late flight. Light the firepit; the sea breeze drops after sunset.

Saturday morning. Walk the beach south towards Currumbin while the light is low, then coffee on the highway. For a swim, walk four minutes up the sand to the flags at Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club when the patrol is on, and check conditions first.

Saturday afternoon. North to Burleigh Heads. The national park rainforest circuit is 2.3 kilometres and takes about forty-five minutes, with views back along the coast, and the point break below it is one of the best things to watch on the eastern seaboard. Finish on the grass at Justins Park.

Saturday evening. Dinner on James Street in Burleigh, or back in Palm Beach if you would rather walk than drive.

If the group would rather stay in, this is the night for the firepit and the long table on the terrace. Coles is a two to three minute walk, the kitchen is set up for cooking for eight, and the sound of the surf does most of the work.

Sunday morning. South to Coolangatta. Rainbow Bay and Greenmount are often more sheltered — swim between the flags — and the walk around the headland to Snapper Rocks takes under ten minutes. Breakfast in Coolangatta, then cross the border into Tweed Heads for the Point Danger lookout.

Sunday afternoon. Either the hinterland or the house. Currumbin Valley and the rock pools are under twenty minutes inland, and Springbrook, Natural Bridge and the Tweed caldera about fifty. Both have rainforest walks and swimming holes, and the drive itself is the attraction. Alternatively, stay put: the sauna, the steam shower and the lawn are the reason most guests book.

If it rains, invert the plan. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary absorbs a wet morning, and the hinterland is arguably better in low cloud than in full sun — the caldera rim disappears and reappears, and the rainforest walks are cooler. The drive through Currumbin Valley is worth doing in any weather.

Sunday evening. A last swim, an early dinner in Palm Beach, and the ten minute run to the airport if you are flying out. Guests on a longer stay tend to find that the second weekend needs no plan at all.

Plan around the tide rather than the clock. Low tide opens up the walk south to Currumbin along hard sand. At the creek, currents near the mouth are strongest while the tide is running, so check the tide and conditions before swimming.