The Gold Coast runs along a beautiful stretch of Pacific coastline, and a great way to find out what’s going on beneath its shimmering surface is to book a stay at the Sea World Resort & Water Park. Here you can watch penguins duck and dive, feed graceful stingrays and make friends with polar bears, before hopping on a rollercoaster to hurtle through rock pools and caves at up to 75 kilometres per hour.

This family-friendly resort introduces children and adults alike to the ocean’s wildlife in a variety of ways. Take a seat for one of the ever-popular dolphin and seal shows, or pay extra for a chance to join their trainers and find out how they perform those amazing underwater manoeuvres. Watch the sharks being fed, or head to the Nursery Pool to meet the baby dolphins which are the result of Sea World’s pioneering breeding programme. At the Seabird Aviary, you can see some of the injured birds that are being cared for prior to returning them to their natural habitat.

Leave the little ones to join in with one of the special fun programmes in the Kids Club while the adults head off for a relaxing massage or try out some of the watersports on offer. You can choose to take parasailing or jet boat lessons, rent a jet ski and skim across the Broadwater, or catch a helicopter ride out over the coast for a breathtaking panoramic view.

Booking an overnight stay at the Sea World Resort & Water Park allows you to enjoy all the facilities of this superb complex and also entitles you to VIP seating at selected shows in the theme park. Take your pick from rooms with a choice of harbour or ocean views and get ready to discover more about the world around you.

Sea World Resort & Water Park is located at Main Beach. The theme park, which is open every day except Christmas, caters mainly for children and can get particularly crowded during school holidays. Non-residents can purchase a package deal to cover both venues, while a VIP Pass offers admission to Sea World, Movie World and Wet’n’Wild.