Rain rarely lasts long on the Gold Coast, but when a July shower sets in, you do not need to sit it out. From Oceana on Broadbeach, five indoor spots sit within a short walk or one tram stop: the bowls club bistro, The Star, the Oasis day spa, the cinema at Pacific Fair, and a dinner show at Dracula’s. Here is the wet-weather plan.
Because we sit right on Old Burleigh Road at the southern end of Broadbeach, most of this circuit is reachable on foot under a brolly, and the rest is a two-stop tram ride. Winter rain here is mild and passing, so treat a grey morning as a cue to do the indoor things you might otherwise skip.
Where do you go first when it starts raining?
Distance: about 2 minutes walk. Directions: out our front door and around to 169 Surf Parade, on the corner of Armrick Avenue, just behind us. Hours: Matador Bistro lunch 11:30am to 2pm Tuesday to Friday, to 2:30pm weekends; dinner from 5:30pm seven nights.
Start close. The Broadbeach Bowls Club sits a minute or two behind us, and its Matador Bistro is a warm, undercover lunch spot when the weather turns. It is fully indoor with covered greens outside, parking is on site, and a meal runs about an hour. Cost is club-bistro casual, so mains sit in the affordable band. Guests keep mentioning the value and the friendly welcome, and it suits families and older couples equally. On a wet day it is the easiest first move on the circuit.
Is The Star Gold Coast a good rainy-day option?
Distance: about 4 minutes walk. Directions: head towards Broadbeach Island on the Gold Coast Highway side; the tram also stops right there. Hours: open 24 hours, seven days.
The Star Gold Coast is the biggest indoor option near us, with 11 restaurants and 6 bars under one roof, all open rain or shine. Parking is undercover, so you can arrive dry. You could spend an hour over coffee and cake or a whole afternoon moving from lunch to a show; plan for at least two hours. The public and dining areas are fine for families through the day, though the gaming floor is over 18s only. Cost spans a food-court snack to a special-occasion dinner, so it flexes to any budget.
Can you get pampered indoors near Oceana?
Distance: about 5 minutes walk. Directions: along the Oasis boulevard towards Victoria Avenue. Hours: Oasis shopping centre trades daytime hours; day spa by appointment.
A rainy day is the excuse for a spa afternoon. The Oasis shopping centre is a covered five minute stroll away, and inside it Summer Elisabeth Day Spa runs massages, facials and body treatments in private rooms. Treatments start from around $200 and run from 60 minutes to a half-day package, so book ahead for the longer ones. This is an adults’ pick, ideal for a couple or a friends’ afternoon while the weather does its thing. Pair it with a browse of the Oasis shops and a coffee, and a grey afternoon turns into the restful part of the trip.
What about a movie without moving the car?
Distance: about 8 minutes walk or two tram stops. Directions: south along the boulevard to Pacific Fair, cinema entrance off Hooker Boulevard. Hours: Pacific Fair 9am to 5:30pm, to 9pm Thursday, 9am to 5pm Sunday; cinema sessions run later.
Event Cinemas at Pacific Fair is the classic wet-weather move, with standard screens plus Gold Class and Vmax. The centre has covered walkways and more than 6,500 parking spaces, five hours free, and free after 5pm, though most guests just tram it from Broadbeach North. A session plus a wander through the shops fills a whole rainy afternoon, and it works for every age. Tickets sit in the everyday cinema price band, with Gold Class dearer if you want the recliner-and-table treatment.
Where do you end a rainy day out?
Distance: about 6 minutes walk. Directions: towards 1 Hooker Boulevard, near the Oasis end of Broadbeach. Hours: shows Tuesday to Saturday evenings, doors from around 7pm; closed Sunday and Monday.
Cap the day undercover with a show. Dracula’s Cabaret runs a three-course dinner and a high-energy variety performance of comedy, aerial acts and its signature blacklight puppets, all inside its purpose-built theatre. Plan for a full evening of about three hours, and book ahead as tables fill on weekends. It is best for adults and older teens rather than young children, and the ticket covers dinner and the show together, so it is a night out in one venue. When the rain is still going after dark, this is the fun way to forget about it.
FAQs about rainy day things to do in Broadbeach
What is there to do in Broadbeach when it rains?
Plenty, all indoors and close by. Within a short walk of Oceana on Broadbeach you have the Broadbeach Bowls Club bistro, The Star Gold Coast, the Oasis shopping centre and day spa, and Dracula’s Cabaret. A quick tram gets you to the cinema at Pacific Fair. None of it needs the beach to be sunny.
Is Pacific Fair undercover and does it have free parking?
Yes. Pacific Fair has covered walkways, indoor sections and Event Cinemas, plus more than 6,500 open and undercover parking spaces. You get five hours free per day, and parking is free after 5pm. From Oceana it is about an 8 minute walk or a couple of stops on the G:link tram, so you can leave the car with us.
Is The Star Gold Coast open when it is raining?
Yes, The Star is open 24 hours, seven days. The dining and entertainment areas run rain or shine, with 11 restaurants and 6 bars under one roof about 4 minutes walk from our front door. The gaming floor is over 18s only, but the restaurants, cafes and public areas are fine for families through the day.
Are there indoor things to do in Broadbeach with kids?
Yes. The cinema at Pacific Fair, a casual lunch at the Broadbeach Bowls Club bistro, and a wander through the Oasis and Pacific Fair shops all work for families on a wet day. Most are a short walk or one tram ride from Oceana, so a rainy morning is easy to fill without anyone getting soaked.
A rainy July day in Broadbeach is really just a change of plan, not a lost one, and the best part is how little of it needs the car. Book one of our beachfront apartments for a base that puts all of this within a short walk, then browse things to do in Broadbeach for the sunny days in between.
Image credit: Destination Gold Coast