education

Educational Tours to the Gold Coast

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The birthplace of Second Nature! The Gold Coast is a tourism Mecca “famous for fun”.

With its golden sandy beaches, theme parks, attractions and World Heritage Listed Hinterland, the city has plenty to offer in the way of environmental and social science. It also has a rich cultural history and remains a place of extreme cultural significance for the Yugambeh people. From day tours to support specific units of the curriculum to camp programs offering immersion in over 5 different biomes, Second Nature offers a variety of tour options for school and university groups.

What We Provide 

  • Award-winning educators/ facilitators
  • Itineraries and Flyers
  • Information Sessions at your school or university
  • Accommodation options (we provide quotes to utilise the most affordable and most appropriate accommodation to suit your needs)
  • Catering options (all food is covered through our fantastic range of reliable third-party providers)
  • Curriculum-based work-booklets (where requested)
  • Pre/Post Tour Activities (usually a PPP)
  • Risk Assessment (location specific)

Gold Coast Tours for School & University/TAFE Groups

Our Domestic Tours for school and university groups are all-inclusive, affordable and fully customised. The flexible design of our Domestic Tours means itineraries can be adapted to fulfil curriculum requirements for any of the following subjects: Geography, Biology, Earth & Environmental Science, Marine Science, Investigating Science, Agricultural Science and Tourism. Educational institutions can experience one of our pre-existing itineraries or work with us to design an itinerary that perfectly suits their needs.

Destination Highlights

  • Soak up the sun’s rays at Surfer’s Paradise Beach!
  • Hike the incredible Coomera Falls circuit through World Heritage Listed Rainforest!
  • Kayak into the wetlands of Currumbin Creek
  • Unearth Aboriginal Australian middens and fish traps at Burleigh Heads (Jellurgal)
  • Marvel at a 23-million-year-old volcanic crater from ‘Best of All Lookout’!
  • Investigate coastal erosion and management at Palm Beach
  • Explore a diverse array of tourist attractions from theme parks to luxury resorts
  • Snorkel the southern training wall at the Gold Coast seaway

More Information

Tour Outcomes
  • Describe the nature, spatial patterns and future directions of Gold Coast tourism
  • Identify environmental, social, political and technological factors affecting Gold Coast tourism
  • Apply findings about Gold Coast tourism to tourism as a global economic activity
  • Identify human-induced environmental changes that challenge sustainability
  • Consider the environmental worldviews of people and their implications for environmental management
  • Learn about approaches to custodial responsibility and environmental management in different regions of Australia
  • Investigate human-environment systems of thinking to understanding the causes and likely consequences of environmental change
  • Apply geographical and/or scientific concepts and methods to the management of environmental change
  • Apply environmental, economic and social criteria to evaluate management responses to change
Example Itinerary 1: Gold Coast Habitats Camp Program

Below is an example itinerary with a focus on environment, culture and tourism on the Gold Coast.

DAY 1

08:40 Arrive at Gold Coast. Change into your mangrove clothes!
09:30 Pick up from Gold Coast Airport and drive to the mangrove forest (Paradise Point)
10:30 Arrive at the mangrove forest on Jabiru Island. Enjoy morning tea in the park beside the mangroves
11:00 Session 1 activities
12:30 Lunch at Jabiru Island
13:15 Session 2 activities
14:15 Afternoon tea
14:30 Session 3 activities
15:30 Depart mangroves for Burleigh CYC
16:30 Arrive at Burleigh CYC. Check-in to cabins
16:45 Walk to the beach
17:45 A delicious Aussie mixed barbecue is enjoyed in the picnic area behind the beach!
18:30 Walk back to Burleigh CYC and Shower
19:45 End set day program

DAY 2

07:00 Pack up cabins and pack gear into buses
07:30 Breakfast
08:30 Depart CYC for Bond University
09:00 Arrive at Bond University.  Orientation and campus tour
10:00 Morning tea
10:15 Depart Bond University for Griffith University
10:45 Arrive at Griffith University.  Orientation and campus tour
11:45 Depart Griffith University and drive along the Gold Coast highway for a tour along the coast, stopping at several iconic beaches to learn about Coastal Processes
12:15 Arrive at Palm Beach study site (erosion issues) for Session 1 activities. Have lunch upon arrival
13:45 Depart Palm Beach for Broadbeach
14:15 Arrive at Broadbeach study site (vegetation/ appropriate setback) for Session 2 activities
15:00 Depart Broadbeach for Narrowneck Beach
15:30 Arrive at Narrowneck Beach study site (artificial reef) for Session 3 discussion
16:00 Walk over the footbridge to Macintosh Park. Enjoy afternoon tea on arrival
16:15 Depart Narrowneck Beach for The Spit
16:30 Arrive at The Spit Beach
16:45 Session 4 activities at The Spit
17:45 Depart The Spit for Outback Spectacular!
21:30 Depart Outback Spectacular for accommodation at Binna Burra Mountain Lodge & Campsite
22:30 Check-in to Safari Tents
22:45 End set day program

DAY 3

06:30 Morning bird walk (optional)
07:30 Breakfast
08:30 Interpretive guided hike along Coomera Fall Circuit (12km).  Walk through areas of complex warm and cool subtropical rainforest on our way to ‘Tullawallal’ (cool temperate rainforest) to visit 3,000-year-old Antarctic Beech trees!
10:15 Morning tea
10:30 Continue interpretive hike – out of the rainforest into a wet eucalypt & tea-tree forest
12:15 Lunch – enjoyed with the most amazing views down to the Coomera Falls and along the Coomera Valley!
13:00 Continue interpretive hike on our return to Binna Burra
15:00 Afternoon tea in the forest
16:00 Return to Binna Burra.  Shower/ free time before dinner
18:15 A delicious dinner will be enjoyed in the national park
19:30 End set day program

DAY 4

07:00 Breakfast
08:00 Session 1 Activities (“round-robin” style – three fun activities (team-building, educational & adrenaline) to be rotated throughout day)
10:00 Morning tea
10:15 Session 1 Activities continue
10:45 Session 2 Activities (swap to second activity)
12:15 Lunch
12:45 Session 2 Activities continue
13:45 Session 3 Activities (swap to third activity)
15:00 Afternoon tea
15:15 Session 3 Activities continue
16:30 Binna Burra is widely viewed as Australia’s premier ecotourism accommodation. Visit all Binna Burra’s accommodation options, from their 1930’s tallowwood-log cabins to their 4-star premium ‘Sky Lodges’
17:15 Shower/ free time before dinner
18:30 Dinner
19:30 Aboriginal cultural education program – with a variety of authentic artefacts!
20:30 Toasting marshmallows by the campfire!
22:00 End set day program J

DAY 5

08:00 Breakfast
09:00 Pack up cabins and pack gear into buses
10:00 Depart Binna Burra for Movie World
11:15 Arrive at Movie World. Enjoy an entire day of rides! Morning tea provided
12:30 Lunch (you will have a coupon for the food outlets that can be used at any time before 14:00).
13:30 Enjoy more time at Movie World
16:45 Meet at designated meeting point
17:00 Depart Movie World for Gold Coast Airport
18:00 Arrive at Gold Coast Airport. End entire program.
Example Itinerary 2: Gold Coast Tourism Camp Program

Below is an example itinerary with a focus on tourism on the Gold Coast.

DAY 1

09:30 Arrive at Gold Coast
09:45 Pick up from Gold Coast Airport and depart for site visit to the Gold Coast Tourism office for tourism presentations. Morning tea will be enjoyed on the bus on the way to the presentation
10:15 Arrive at The Oracle building for presentations
10:30 Presentation 1 (from Queensland Tourism rep)
11:15 Presentation 2 (from Gold Coast Tourism rep)
12:00 Depart Gold Coast tourism building for Q1 building
12:15 Arrive at ‘SkyPoint Observation Deck’ for Site Inspection 1 (enjoy 360 views of the entire Gold Coast)
13:00 Depart Q1 building
13:15 Arrive at Macintosh Park for lunch.
13:45 Depart Macintosh Park for Palazzo Versace
14:00 Arrive at Palazzo Versace for Site Inspection 2 and presentation
14:45 Depart Palazzo Versace for Griffith University
15:00 Arrive at Griffith University
15:15 Presentation 3 (from Tourism Professor at Griffith University)
15:45 Depart Griffith University for Gold Coast Light Rail office
16:00 Arrive at Gold Coast Light Rail office for Site Inspection 3
16:45 Depart Gold Coast Light Rail office for Bina Burra section of Lamington National Park
18:00 Arrive at Binna Burra
18:15 Check into Safari Tents.  Shower/ free time
19:00 Dinner
19:45 Night spotlighting
20:30 Toasting marshmallows over the campfire
21:30 End set day program

DAY 2

06:30 Morning bird walk
07:30 Breakfast
08:30 Session 1 Activities (undisturbed rainforest)
10:30 Morning tea
10:45 Session 2 Activities (disturbed rainforest)
12:15 Lunch
13:00 Session 3 Activities (site visit to Binna Burra Mountain Lodge’s tourism facility and accommodations)
14:00 Interpretive bushwalk through Warm/ Cool Subtropical rainforest & Cool Temperate rainforest to ‘Tullawallul’ to see 3,000 year-old Antarctic Beech trees!
17:00 Shower/ free time
18:30 Dinner
19:45 Movie ‘Samsara’ – One of the most visually stunning experiences available (https://barakasamsara.com/)
21:30 End set day program

DAY 3

06:30 Pack up and clean cabin and pack gear into bus
07:00 Breakfast
08:00 Depart Binna Burra for Movie World
09:00 Arrive at Movie World
09:15 Session 1 Activities (presentation on tourism)
10:00 Morning tea
10:15 Session 2 Activities (sampling attractions and collecting primary data)
12:30 Lunch
13:15 Session 3 Activities (more sampling attractions and collecting primary data)
16:45 Depart Movie World for Gold Coast Airport
18:00 Arrive at Gold Coast Airport. End entire program.
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