Overlooking the Gold Coast Broadwater, Labrador is a laid-back residential suburb on Queensland’s south-east coast. It was the traditional lands of the Yugambeh and Kombumerri Aboriginal people, who once came here to harvest oysters, mud crabs and shellfish, with tourists arriving when the first hotel was established in 1884.

Things to do

Visit some of the suburb’s most notable sites along the Labrador Heritage Walk while hearing stories of the characters and events that have shaped the modern landscape. Learn about the fate of the original Grand Hotel at Deepwater Point and the Labrador Memorial Hall, with each site marked by an interpretive sign that brings its history to life.

You can enjoy the stunning views across the Gold Coast Broadwater from Harley Park, which features a nautical-themed children’s playground and another filled with climbing apparatus. If you’re visiting in the hot summer months, take a dip in the waters of the Ian Dipple Lagoon or build sandcastles with the family on the sandy foreshore, followed by lunch at one of the picnic tables positioned under the park’s shady trees.

Directly across the Gold Coast Broadwater from Labrador is Sea World, a family-friendly theme park filled with marine mammal exhibits and amusement rides. Get your adrenaline pumping on the Storm Coaster or let the kids run loose at Castaway Bay before coming face-to-face with friendly penguins and witnessing the world’s largest man-made shark lagoon.

Getting around

Labrador is five minutes’ drive from the Gold Coast CBD and 15 minutes from Surfers Paradise, with local bus routes connecting the suburb to the Helensvale railway station. Gold Coast Airport lies 40 minutes to the south while Brisbane Airport is around an hour north.