See it all

When you think of the Gold Coast, your memory scans its banks for images of busty meter maids, bronze-bodied surfers with rippling muscles, schoolies week trash parties and that iconic coastal skyline we often see on tv in B-grade films and cheesy commercials, but one thing you don't recall is the surrounding attractions, waterways and bays, and lavish inland suburban hubs. So for a different perspective of the popular beach holiday destination, shoot 230 metres above ground to the observation deck at SkyPoint.

Whilst it's not the tallest building in the world, it is the only place in Australia where you can view 180 degrees of the ocean from such a height. Expecting it to be just another look out (having celebrated my 30th birthday a couple of years ago in high style at the Observation Deck atop the Rialto in Melbourne) I was pleasantly surprised to see so much of the Gold Coast region I never knew existed, and the scenic vista of the coastline is mesmerising. You get a full 360 degree view from the enclosed platform and it also includes some great static displays covering everything from the best surfing spots on the south coast to ideal mountain hideaways and drives in the hinterland. Sip an afternoon cocktail from the fully functioning bar with each table setting affording a picturesque view.

There's a lot to learn and a lot to see and most people I wager wouldn't think to go up on a normal trip to Surfers, but if you went up years ago when it first opened and weren't that thrilled, I'd recommend a return visit due largely to the recent refurbishment and improved atmosphere. I chatted to a group of tourists from north Queensland who holiday on the Gold Coast each year, one of them commenting, "We wouldn't come up here each time, but then again, the landscape changes so much around here I don't think we'd get tired of the view."

But here's the bit I really like. We're coming into humpback whale season here on the coast of Queensland and I am told that watching these giants from SkyPoint is a truly wonderful experience, with the vibe of everyone peering through the glass, 'Oohing and ahhing' together in harmony. You can picture it, can't you? So if you are going to make a trip anytime soon, the next few months should be when you spot them.

Verdict: Love (to the point of perhaps a south-east Queensland version of a Sleepless in Seattle proposal or even greater, I'll put it in my diary for perhaps my 40th birthday).

SkyPoint. Level 77 of Q1 Resort, Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise.